Wild Photos of Santa Cruz Mountain Fires
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
August 21, 2020
Dear Familia -
OK, so from my last letter you’ll remember that we had a massive heat wave. And that there was a literal effing river of lightning clouds coming off the Pacific Ocean. (check the photos if you missed em). Unfortunately this caused a ton of fires. Like historic, someone with a microscope is gonna have to count em number of fires.
So, here’s a partial map of where the TEN THOUSAND STRIKES OF LIGHTNING hit.
Over 10,000 lightning strikes spark nearly 400 California fires, forcing thousands to flee
- LATIMES
CALIFORNIA FIRE MAPS
Ok, so this is granular but check how many fires got started here.
Partial map of individual fires started by lighting. Red/purple depending on start date. Some of these quickly merged into the mega fires. 8/19/20
UPDATED: August 20 map of fires posted 10:46 AM · Aug 20, 2020 by Bureau of Land Management
I literally laughed with relief when I found this map as there were too many fires to keep track of. And this map is missing a few. Image posted 4:26 PM · Aug 18, 2020 by Drew Peterson
Running list of California 2020 Fire Hashtags:
#5_14Fire
#13_4Fire
#August Complex
#CarmelFire
#CanyoneZone
#CZUAugustLightningComplex (Santa Cruz Mountains)
#DoeFire
#DolanFire
#GambleFire
#HennesseyFire
#LNULightningComplex (Sonoma, Napa, Solano)
#MarshFire
#RiverFires
#SCULightningComplex (20 fires broken into three zones; the Canyon Zone, the Calaveras Zone and the Deer Zone)
#SpanishComplex
#WaddelFire
#WalkerFire
#WarnellaFire
OVERVIEW OF SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN FIRES
Roughly speaking, the tops of ALL the mountains are ablaze and the fires are now spreading in multiple directions downslope.
The helicopter videos below are high def, so watch full size if possible.
DAVENPORT & PESCADERO on HWY 1
You can see the smoke pouring down South to Santa Cruz from Davenport Beach … from SPACE
Is this the bolt that started the Davenport fire?@PigeonPtHostel - Jeff Parry Photo
Waddell Creek Fire, burning right next to Highway 1, north of Davenport 8:07 AM · Aug 19, 2020 - Einer Vollset (IG Credit: @teddyhmiller)
Waddell Creek #AugustComplex #AugustLightningComplex fires. The mountain side of Hwy 1 in that photo is an entrance to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's oldest state park, established in 1902. Photo Credit: Kevin Doty 7:32 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Stephen Baxter
Posted on Instagram by Mike Chid
HIGHWAY 1, including Bonny Doon
The little town next to us just had to evacuate due to the fire. Davenport is Preparing now. - 4:41 PM · Aug 18, 2020 @KiAnaJacklyn
This is the latest image from the outskirts of Bonny Doon. 10:41 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Joshua Copitch
WOW, I’ll try to find a cleaner image but here you can watch the PG&E Bonny Doon camera get engulfed by flames.
Thanks to the guys working hard through the night, the mill still stands. If you see a trucker named Mike Miller, tip your hat to him. He saved our butts in the middle of the night and all through till the afternoon. Got to work and it looked like this. 5:52 PM · Aug 20, 2020 - Joy Read
Wildfire Update: The #CZUAugustLightningComplex has grown to more than 10,000 acres. These parks have been evacuated & closed: -Big Basin Redwoods SP -Portola Redwoods SP -Butano SP -Rancho del Oso Unit 9:22 AM · Aug 19, 2020 - Friends of Santa Cruz Parks
I just got word. My girlfriend in Bonny Doon, her boyfriend & son just lost their homes to the #santacruzfire Here is a map of the fire. It is huge and 0% contained. 9:44 PM · Aug 19, 2020- Becky Johnson
Near the church at Pine Flat/Bonny Doon roads 3:27 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Ethan Baron
#CZUAugustLightningComplex - FF's reporting a running crown fire that is moving along Empire Grade towards Bonny Doon, working to ensure they get firefighters into a safe spot. May have to retreat back down to Felton. 10:57 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - CAFireScanner
THURSDAY August 20: Helicopter footage of Big Creek Lumber on HWY 1, just south of Waddell Beach and the entrance of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
High res and worth watching. You’ll spot multiple mini fires, illustrating how tough this is to fight.
VIDEO: Locatelli Ranch in Bonny Doon: “It’s All Gone”
WATCH THE BIG BASIN FIRE EXPLOSION FROM FRICKKING SPACE
HOLY MARS you can see the fire cloud explode from SPACE! Watch for a little white cottonball to appear in videos. Couple different angles from around the Bay.
Fire jumping the ridge near #PigeonPointLighthouse - Dean C. Smith
The evacuation center at Pescadero High is shifting north to Half Moon Bay High School, according to volunteers there. Here’s what the plume looks like at PHS. 3:08 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Half Moon Bay Review
Look for Florida in the lower right corner. Can you see it? Slidenyour eye to the left to see the smoke blowing across the country. Posted 5:52 PM · Aug 19, 2020 by #BUltramoto
“It’s evolving into potentially one of the biggest (fires) ever for this part of the state. This is the real deal when it comes to inaccessible. It’s trails, it’s steep roads and it’s very, very difficult to get in and fight this fire.
”
Santa Cruz Mountain Fires
(Why is it Called CZU?)
The world’s most awkward hashtag: CZU August Lighting Complex. CZU is the “Coastal Zone Unit” of the Santa Cruz/San Mateo Cal Fire division. August Lighting is, well, straightforward, and complex refers to the fact this is a megafire that started off as a ton of little lightning blasts.
There are also two other major complex acronym fires nearby: LNU (Napa) and SCU (San Jose).
A message from Mayor Justin Cummings: Be ready. Resources and information to prepare for potential evacuation. https://loom.ly/iSfCWK4
(Photo credit: Cal Fire) Posted 7:07 PM · Aug 20, 2020 by City of Santa Cruz
#CZULightningComplex Stats (updated 7pm Mon Aug 24)
13% contained
50 years since the region last burned
276+ structures destroyed
24,323 structures threatened.
748,684 acres burned
77,000 people evacuated
Sept 1 was initially the date when Cal Fire estimated that the fire would be contained; that field is now blank.
HWY 1 Davenport, Pescadero, Panther Beach
A cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway, this time with wildfire smoke and spot fires.
Fire up near Davenport :/ created a beautiful sunset though 9:55 PM · Aug 17, 2020 - Redxcted
(image 2/2) - Redxcted
Just drove through Davenport a little while ago. #CaliforniaWildFires 3:36 PM · Aug 19, 2020
(4 images by Joe Downie)
(Whale City Bakery, Davenport)
DAVENPORT AREA FIRE JUMPING RIDGE
Watch how quickly the fire jumps the ridge Wednesday night August 19 2020.
Two unedited pictures to show you the spotting happening on the Davenport branch of the #czulightningfires
That small dot turned into that large fire in ten minutes flat. #cawx 10:59 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Gillis Jones (Follow him, he’s posting some rad shots!)
On a hill above Pescadero, Taylor Allen looks over the #CZUAugustLightingComplex licking at trees. It’s already burned Whitehorse Canyon community and is close to Butano Canyon, down the hill below their property, he said. - Posted 2:03 PM · Aug 20, 2020 by Mallory Moench
YOU CAN SEE THE FIRES FROM ACROSS THE WHOLE BAY
Fire in Santa Cruz mountains, looking a bit like Mordor, as seen from Panoramic Hill in Berkeley last night 10:06 AM · Aug 19, 2020 - Gil Duran
The Santa Cruz mountain fires combined into one big mega fire which can be seen from planes and way across the bay in Berkeley.
A lady took theses photos landing in the bay area tonight. - @ShiftInThinking
4 pyrocumulus visible from this photo on approach into SFO. I can see a total of 8 from the aircraft. 4:39 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Stuart Palley
Evacuating at 2am and pulled into the Bear Creek turnout. Look back at it. 1:25 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - @rach_owl
“CalFire admits in presser this morning that they have NO resources to fight this. Like, NONE. Guess why? Bc the prison populations, who have for decades been California’s primary firefighter hand-crews on wildfires, are too sick with Covid to go.”
Posted 8:17 AM · Aug 19, 2020
Read more about the Santa Cruz Mountain Fires. Updates pushed daily.
BIG BASIN
Big Basin State Park has been significantly damaged, confirms the Parks Department: “[Big Basin suffered] extensive damage from the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires in Santa Cruz County and is closed until further notice. The fire damaged the park’s headquarters, historic core and campgrounds.“ The Mercury News reports, “The status of the ancient redwoods in the park, some of which tower more than 300 feet tall and date back nearly 2,000 years, was unclear early Thursday morning. Redwood trees’ bark is heavily fire-resistant, but in intense fire storms the trees can be damaged. Big Basin is home to the largest continuous stand of old-growth redwoods south of San Francisco.”
Boulder Creek firefighters work to control the spray CZU August Lightning Complex from crossing Big Basin Way on Wednesday. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Near Little Basin Campground in Big Basin State Park 7:25 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Ethan Baron
The remains of a structure along Big Basin Way that was destroyed by the CZU August Lightning Complex. (Shmuel Thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Winds shifted last night pushing the fire south. So far our property & Boulder Creek have been spared, but other areas have not been so fortunate. Thank you all the firefighters keeping us safe! 1:10 PM · Aug 19, 2020 - Big Basin Vineyards PC: Shmuel Thaler, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Vast majority of giant redwoods in center of Big Basin Redwoods State Park scorched but still standing. Posted 7:46 PM · Aug 20, 2020 by Ethan Baron
As Byron T Russell explains, “The cones just opened up like: POP goes the weasel! This is damn good news for the redwoods and sequoias ... provided that it's a wet-enough winter. Pray for a wet-enough winter for them. Next year it will be humming with youngsters. They cannot reproduce without fire.”
August 21, 2020
This post was getting toooo long so I have moved the images of the Big Sur, Carmel and Salinas fires to a second post.
p.s. tried to get attribution for all images but if i missed yours please let me know! Please consider FOLLOWING the many journalists and photographers who are doing the hard work of documenting this.
If you want to help from afar, check out the hashtags! There are a ton of people asking Googleable questions, unable to load fancy websites on their cruddy mobile connex.
