Golden Fire

The Golden Fire started on July 22, 2023, in southern Oregon, near the town of Bonanza.[4] The fire rapidly spread due to hot weather and gusty winds, burning dozens of homes and causing area residents to lose 911 service and internet.[4] Preliminary damage assessments from the Oregon State Fire Marshal showed that 43 residences near the town of Bonanza were destroyed, along with more than 40 outbuildings.[4]

The fire also significantly damaged a fiber optic line affecting most of the 8,200 residents in neighboring Lake County, causing a loss of 911 service, internet and phone service.[4] The Lake County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency on July 24 because of the outage and said an estimate for restoring the line wasn't yet known.[4]

As of the morning of July 25, the blaze had burned about 3.2 square miles (2,000 acres) (8.3 square kilometers) and was 9% contained.[4] The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Klamath County Sheriff's office. According to initial information, the blaze may have started on private property being used to grow marijuana illegally.[4]

The cause of the fire is still undetermined.[3]

As of July 25, 2023, the fire had destroyed 43 residences and 43 outbuildings according to initial assessments from the Oregon State Fire Marshal.[2][5] The number of damaged buildings is expected to change as task forces continue to work.[5]

The fire remained at 2,052 acres with 0% containment as of July 24, 2023.[5] On Sunday, FEMA Region 10 approved Oregon's first Fire Management Assistance Grant of 2023 to fight the Golden Fire. According to FEMA, the request allows federal funds to pay for 75% of the state's eligible firefighting costs. It was authorized because the fire threatened to constitute a major disaster.[5]