Biggest Events of 2020: Wildfires & Pyrotornadoes

Several major wildfires ripped across the West Coast states in 2020. These fires prompted mass evacuations and major damage. 2020 could also be known as the “year of the fire tornado”. Below is a recap of the five largest fires of the year and the historic pyrotornadoes!

August Complex Fire

Size: 1,032,648 acres burned.
Location: California.
Start Date: August 16, Containment Date: November 12.
Fatalities: 1, Injuries: 2
Made up of 37 fires that were started by lightning strikes, and grew into one large fire.
935 structures destroyed.
The largest fire complex in California history.

“View of the August 2020 Doe Fire (the largest fire in the August Complex), on August 19, as seen to the south of Forest Highway 7 of the Mendocino National Forest.” Via the US Forestry Service.

Santiam Fire

Size: 402,592 acres burned.
Location: Oregon.
Start Date: September 8, Containment Date: December 10.
Fatalities: 5
Made up of three fires that were started by lightning strikes, and grew into one large fire.
Most of the towns of Detroit and Gates were destroyed.
Over 1,500 structures destroyed.

SCU Lightning Complex Fire

Size: 396,524 acres burned.
Location: California.
Start Date: August 16, Containment Date: October 1.
Injuries: 6
Several large fires all sparked by lightning combined into one.
222 structures destroyed.
Third largest fire complex in California history.

Creek Fire

Size: 379,895 acres burned.
Location: California.
Start Date: September 4, Containment Date: December 24
Injuries: 29.
Nearly 900 structures destroyed.
Produced the largest ever documented pyroculmulonimbus cloud.
Produced two confirmed fire tornadoes near Huntington Lake.

LNU Lightning Complex

Size: 363,220 acres burned.
Location: California
Start Date: August 17, Containment Date: October 2.
Fatalities: 5, Injuries: 5.
Several fires started by lightning and grew into one large fire. The thunderstorms that produced the lightning were caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fausto.
1,491 structures destroyed.
Fourth largest fire complex in California history.

Photo of the Hennessey and Spanish Fires burning toward lake Berryessa, before they combined into the LNU Complex, on August 18. Photo by Dripwoods, via Wikipedia.

Pyrotornadoes

Similar to a “normal” tornado, pyrotornadoes are spawned by a mesocyclone. This mesocyclone, however, occurs within a pyrocumulus cloud, caused by a forest fire. These happen each year, particularly in California. For the first time on record, a pyrotornado was documented and officially recorded as a tornado in the SPC database. At the time of writing, five pyrotornadoes have been officially documented in California, in 2020.

Loyalton-Fire Tornadoes:

Three tornadoes were confirmed in Lassen County, California on August 14, and August 15. In fact, a tornado warning was issued for the pyro-tornadoes on August 15. The August 14 pyrotornado was rated EF-1. It was on the ground for less than a half-mile and snapped several pine trees. On August 15, two tornadoes were confirmed. The strongest was an EF-1 that touched down for about 100 yards and snapped several aspen trees. The second one was rated EF-Unknown. This photogenic vortex tracked across an area of burned sage brush for 3.16-miles. It produced no damage.

image of the fire tornado in Lassen Co., CA today. divine. gorgeous. unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/jr9zj89tTh

— Morgan J. Fuld // royalNYR54 (@mjfuld54) August 16, 2020

Creek Fire Tornadoes:

On September 5, the Creek Fire produced two tornadoes. The strongest was rated EF-2, with estimated winds at 125 mph! It tracked for 12 miles from near Mammoth Pool, to near the Chawanakee Joint Elementary School, in Madera County. It snapped and uprooted many trees, and some were even de-barked. The second pyrotornado occurred near Huntington Lake. Several trees were uprooted and snapped in EF-1 fashion along the mile-long path.