SQF Complex

The 2020 SQF Complex fire—also called the SQF Lightning Complex or the Sequoia Lightning Complex—was a wildfire complex that burned in Tulare County in Central California. Comprising the Castle and Shotgun fires, it affected Sequoia National Forest and adjacent areas. Both fires began on August 19, 2020, and burned a combined total of 175,019 acres (70,828 hectares) before the complex as a whole was declared 100 percent contained on January 7, 2021. In the course of the fires, 232 structures were destroyed. There were no fatalities.

SQF Complex
Part of the August 2020 California lightning siege
Fire near Cedar Slope on September 15, 2020
LocationTulare County, California, United States
Coordinates36.255°N 118.497°W / 36.255; -118.497
Statistics[1]
Total fires2
Total area174,178 acres (70,487 ha)
CostUnknown
Date(s)August 19, 2020 - January 5, 2021
CauseLightning
Buildings destroyed228
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries17
Map
SQF Complex is located in California
SQF Complex
Location in California
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Location of SQF Complex

The Castle and Shotgun fires were both begun by lightning, part of a 'siege' of hundreds of wildfires caused by dry thunderstorms across California in mid-August 2020. The lightning siege contributed to California's largest wildfire season ever recorded in terms of acreage burned. The Castle Fire is notable for its devastating effects on native sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) groves in the southern Sierra Nevada. It is estimated to have caused the death of 10–14 percent of the native large sequoia population there.

Fire progression

The fire initially burned in Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, and the Golden Trout Wilderness. On 14 September, the fire crossed the boundary into Sequoia National Park.[2][3]

The SQF Complex was declared 100% contained on January 6, 2021.[4] Winter weather essentially extinguished the fire, though several small holdover fires were later detected: a sequoia tree trunk was found to be still burning in May 2021,[5][6] and a second tree was found smoldering within the fire's footprint as late as July 2022.[7]

Impacts

Damage

The small community of Cedar Slope was largely destroyed by the fire with 57 of its 65 cabins completely burned.[8] In the nearby communities of Alpine Village and Sequoia Crest, 37 and 49 cabins were lost in the fire respectively. No structure damage was reported in nearby Camp Nelson or Ponderosa.[9] The area remains at risk for mud flows and flash floods due to the charred soil being unable to absorb water.[10]

Closures and evacuations

As a result of the fire, parts of Route 190 and Route 198 were closed, Sequoia National Park was closed for two weeks [11] and parts of Three Rivers were under mandatory evacuation orders.

Giant sequoias

The Castle fire swept through portions of 20 giant sequoia groves. The number of mature Sequoia Trees that died is "certainly in the hundreds – and could easily top 1,000." More recent estimates indicate that over 7500–10,600 mature trees, or over 10-14% of the species' population, could have been lost in the fire.[12][13] The most intense previous fire in this area is dated to 1297 based on tree ring data. The McIntrye Grove, a short distance to the south from Cedar Slope, is reported as heavily damaged. Near Sequoia Crest, one-third of the Alder Creek Grove of Giant Sequoia is reported as severely damaged.[14] The large Stagg Tree in Alder Creek Grove was not impacted. Other areas experienced "light fire" which is expected to be ecologically beneficial in the long run. The Homers Nose Grove is also reported as "badly burned".[15]

See also

References
  1. "SQF Complex". InciWeb. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  2. Johnson, Brian; Staff, ABC30 Com (September 14, 2020). "SQF Complex Fire: 90,845 acres burned, evacuation orders issued for Three Rivers area". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  3. Romero, Joe Jacquez and Sheyanne N. "SQF Complex Fire grows, portions of Three Rivers under mandatory evacuations. What we know". VisaliaTimesDelta.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  4. "SQF Complex reaches containment, fire area remains closed - InciWeb the Incident Information System". inciweb.nwcg.gov. January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  5. "Giant sequoia found still smoldering after 2020 California wildfire". the Guardian. May 6, 2021.
  6. "'Mind-blowing': tenth of world's giant sequoias may have been destroyed by a single fire". the Guardian. June 3, 2021.
  7. "Giant sequoia trees continue to smolder from past wildfires". Sequoia National Forest. July 25, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  8. "ArcGIS Web Application". tularecounty.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  9. Yeager, Joshua (September 19, 2020). "SQF Complex: Tulare County releases fire damage map, hotline for people needing resources". Visalia Times Delta. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  10. "SQF Complex Fire". InciWeb. September 13, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  11. Johnson, Brian (October 1, 2020). "Sequoia National Park reopens to visitors". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  12. Alexander, Kurtis (June 4, 2021). "Super-hot California wildfire wiped out 10% of world's sequoia trees. Can they survive climate change?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  13. "Study: California fire killed 10% of world's giant sequoias". AP NEWS. June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  14. "Update on 2020 wildfire in the giant sequoia range". Save the Redwoods League. November 6, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  15. Boxtall, Bettina (November 16, 2020). "Hundreds of towering giant sequoias killed by the Castle fire — a stunning loss". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
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