Creek Fire (2020)
The 2020 Creek Fire was a very large wildfire in central California's Sierra National Forest, in Fresno and Madera counties. One of the most significant fires of California's record-setting 2020 wildfire season, it began on September 4, 2020, and burned 379,895 acres (153,738 ha) over several months until it was declared 100% contained on December 24, 2020. The Creek Fire is the fifth-largest wildfire in recorded California history and the second-largest single fire—i.e. not part of a larger wildfire complex—following the 2021 Dixie Fire.
| Creek Fire | |
|---|---|
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| Date(s) |
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| Location | Fresno County & Madera County, Central California, United States |
| Coordinates | 37.19147°N 119.261175°W |
| Statistics | |
| Total area | 379,895 acres (153,738 ha; 594 sq mi; 1,537 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 26 (12 campers and 14 firefighters) |
| Evacuated | >30,000 |
| Structures destroyed | 856 |
| Damage | >$500 million (2020 USD) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Undetermined |
| Map | |
The footprint of the Creek Fire, with Yosemite National Park at top and Fresno at bottom left | |
The general location of the Creek Fire in central California | |
Tens of thousands of residents in Fresno and Madera counties were forced to evacuate, and the fire also necessitated the helicopter rescue of hundreds of people by the California National Guard after they became trapped at Mammoth Pool Reservoir. Despite this, the fire caused zero fatalities, though there were more than twenty injuries. The Creek Fire destroyed hundreds of structures in Sierra Nevada communities, adding up to 856 buildings destroyed and dozens more damaged. The combined cost of the months-long firefighting effort and damage to private and county property exceeded $500 million.