When Wildfire Comes

The Bear Fire started in the Plumas National Forest of Butte County CA and became the North Complex Fire in 2020, killing sixteen people and destroying thousands of homes in the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls. As the Bear Fire exploded in unprecedented size (burning 220,000 acres in one day) and intensity overnight on September 9, 2020, its plume of smoke eventually covered the entire Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, leading to the event called the "Orange Skies Day" in the Bay Area. Follow along with Chief Messina as he describes 18 hours of the most intensive wildfire to burn in the recent history of the western US. Views of the Bear Fire can be viewed at https://gis.data.cnra.ca.gov/maps/CALFIRE-Forestry::north-complex-structure-status-map/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GivCgdNzV2c

Podcast host Christopher Potter presents a new analysis of the destruction of thousands of homes in Altadena, CA during the Eaton Fire of January 2025. Mapping shows how structure density, urban biomass fuels, and wind-driven fire behavior contributed to the intensity of this devastating urban incident. The findings are vital for improving future wildfire risk assessments and informing post-fire recovery and rebuilding strategies in densely populated environments. Listeners should go to https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122127036741079001&type=3 to follow along with the presentation slides.

The Dixie Fire was an enormous wildfire that burned almost 1 million acres in Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama counties in Northern California. The wildfire damaged or destroyed several rural communities in the Sierra Nevada mountains, including Greenville, CA. This dynamic visualization (https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4993) shows the spread of the Dixie Fire between July 14 and October 22, 2021, which enables listeners to follow along with Chief Norman, as he describes the fire’s nearly uncontrollable path of mass destruction.

On the one-year anniversary of the events of the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles County, Eaton Fire survivor and Altadena home-owner Kelly Etter recounts a heartfelt story of loss and recovery. The Eaton Fire began on the evening of January 7, 2025 when powerful Santa Anna winds drove a small wildland blaze into the city of Altadena, ultimately killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. This is an episode of community healing from such a devastating loss.

The Caldor Fire started on August 14, 2021, burning 221,835 acres and destroying 1,005 structures in the Eldorado National Forest in northern California. It was the second fire to ever burn to the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, causing the evacuation of South Lake Tahoe. Captain Brian Newman of CALFIRE recounts the events of this historic wildfire that could not be stopped.

The Glass Fire in Sonoma and Napa Counties (CA) started on September 27, 2020 and destroyed 1,555 structures. CALFIRE Capt Sean Jerry tells the story of how this 67,484 acre wildland fire burned into small towns and open spaces and was controlled with 23 days.