26,409 acres 41 square miles 107 square kilometres 10,687 hectares
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries
6
Structures destroyed
Destroyed 23 Damaged 1
Ignition
Cause
Lightning
Map
Location in Northern California
The Lava Fire was a
wildfire that burned 26,409 acres (10,687 ha) along the slopes of
Mount Shasta near
Weed,
California during the
2021 California wildfire season. The fire started on June 25, 2021 and was fully contained on September 3, 2021.[1] The fire destroyed 23 buildings, including 14 houses, as well as damaged an additional building.[2][3]
Progression
The Lava Fire was first reported on June 25, 2021 at around 7:45 am
PST.[2] The fire grew relatively slowly over the following few days, being reported at 1,446 acres (585 ha) on June 28.[4] However, the fire grew much more rapidly over the next several days, reaching over 13,000 acres (5,261 ha) the next day and over 23,800 acres (9,632 ha) by July 2.[5][6] The growth was fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation amid an
ongoing drought and a
heat wave.[5] Growth slowed after July 2, with the fire reaching 25,003 acres (10,118 ha) by July 8.[3]
The cause of the fire is believed to be due to lightning.[2]
Containment
Firefighters focused on securing the southern and western edges of the fire to protect populated areas like
Weed,
Mt. Shasta, Mount Shasta Vista, and Big Spring.[9] Their containment efforts were hampered by extreme heat, difficult terrain, poor road access to the fire, and poor access to water resources.[9] The fire reached 77% percent containment by July 15, 2021.[2]
The fire was reported fully contained on September 3, 2021.[1]
Effects
Closures and evacuations
At least a few thousand people living near the foot of
Mount Shasta were forced to flee their homes, including people in
Lake Shastina, Juniper Valley, and the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision.[10][11]
Evacuation efforts were complicated by ongoing tensions between
Siskiyou County authorities and the local
Hmong communities that operate
cannabis farms in the area. One man was shot and killed by police after allegedly brandishing a firearm at authorities at an evacuation checkpoint.[12][13][14] Additionally, 14 people were arrested in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision after refusing to leave amid the evacuation order.[15]
The Lava Fire forced the closure of few major transportation arteries through Siskiyou County.
Highway 97 was closed between the city of Weed and the
Oregon state line from June 28, 2021 until July 6, 2021.[16][17] The fire caused damage to
Union Pacific-owned
trackage and the Dry Canyon Bridge, which forced the company to shut down that segment of the railroad on June 28 and reroute freight trains over the
Donner Pass.[7][18] The Union Pacific railroad closure forced
Amtrak to effectively suspend passenger service between
Sacramento and
Eugene, Oregon, with the
Coast Starlight service being suspended north of Sacramento and only
Amtrak Cascades trains running between
Seattle and Eugene.[8][19] Passenger service on the Coast Starlight resumed between Eugene and
Klamath Falls, Oregon on July 15, 2021 with a bus bridge to Sacramento.[19][20] Full service on the Coast Starlight between Seattle and Los Angeles was restored on August 23, 2021 after the Dry Canyon Bridge was repaired.[21]
Damage
The fire destroyed 23 buildings, 14 of which were residences. One additional structure was damaged.[2] Six firefighters were injured battling the blaze.[2]
Gallery
Lava Fire on June 26, 2021
The fire on June 27, 2021
Lava Fire with a Forest Service fire engine in the foreground on June 28, 2021