Camp Fire (2018)
The Camp Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history, and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2018 in terms of insured losses.
| Camp Fire | |
|---|---|
The Camp Fire as seen from the Landsat 8 satellite on November 8, 2018, with red highlighting active fire seen in infrared | |
| Date(s) |
|
| Location | Butte County, California |
| Coordinates | 39°48′37″N 121°26′14″W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 153,336 acres (62,053 ha; 240 sq mi; 621 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 85 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 17 |
| Missing people | 1 |
| Evacuated | 52,000 people |
| Structures destroyed | 18,804 |
| Damage | $16.65 billion (2018 USD) (Costliest worldwide) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Electrical transmission fire from a PG&E power line |
| Map | |
The footprint of the Camp Fire, which burned from the Feather River Canyon to the floor of the Central Valley and Highway 99 | |
The fire's general location in Butte County, Northern California | |
Named after Camp Creek Road, near its place of origin, the fire began on the morning on Thursday, November 8, 2018, in Northern California's Butte County. A poorly maintained electric transmission line failed amid a strong downslope windstorm, which quickly drove the subsequent fire through the wildland–urban interface (WUI) communities of Concow, Magalia, Butte Creek Canyon, and Paradise in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. An urban firestorm developed in Paradise, killing dozens and destroying much of the town. The fire ultimately burned a total area of 153,336 acres (62,050 ha; 239.6 sq mi; 620.5 km2); it was not contained until November 25, 2018, at a total fire suppression cost of more than $150 million.
The Camp Fire caused 85 civilian fatalities, and injured 12 civilians and five firefighters. It destroyed more than 18,000 structures. The towns of Paradise and Concow were almost completely destroyed, and Magalia and Butte Creek Canyon were also largely destroyed. By January 2019, the total damage was estimated at $16.5 billion; one-quarter of the damage, $4 billion, was not insured. Including fire suppression costs, the total cost of the fire was approximately $16.65 billion.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the utility company responsible for the faulty power line, filed for bankruptcy that same month, citing expected wildfire liabilities of $30 billion. On December 6, 2019, the utility made a settlement offer of $13.5 billion for the wildfire victims; the offer covered several devastating fires caused by the utility, including the Camp Fire. On June 16, 2020, the utility pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
The Camp Fire was the deadliest wildfire in the United States since the Cloquet fire in 1918 until it was surpassed by the Lāhainā fire's 101 fatalities in 2023. It is also the fourteenth-deadliest wildfire in the world and the seventh-deadliest wildfire in U.S. history overall.