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User:Penitentes/Cleveland Fire

Coordinates: 38°46′08″N 120°26′49″W / 38.769°N 120.447°W / 38.769; -120.447
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Cleveland Fire
Refer to caption
A map of the area burned in the Cleveland Fire, within the Eldorado National Forest
Date(s)
  • September 29 (29-09) –
  • October 4, 1992 (1992-10-04)
  • (5 days)
Location
Coordinates38°46′08″N 120°26′49″W / 38.769°N 120.447°W / 38.769; -120.447
Statistics
Burned area24,580 acres (9,947 ha; 38 sq mi; 99 km2)
Impacts
Deaths2
Non-fatal injuries72
Damage
  • $245 million
  • (equivalent to about $477.8 million in 2023)
Map
Refer to caption
Refer to caption
The location of the Cleveland Fire in Northern California

The Cleveland Fire was a large wildfire in El Dorado County, Northern California, in September and October 1992. The fire began on September 29 and burned for five days, spreading to 24,580 acres (9,950 hectares) before it was fully contained on October 4. Two air tanker pilots died in the course of fighting the fire and dozens more personnel were injured. Twenty-seven buildings were destroyed. The cost of fighting the fire reached $16 million, and losses from burned timber and property amounted to $245 million.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/626105321/?match=1&terms=%22Cleveland%20fire%22

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https://www.newspapers.com/image/462170438/?match=1&terms=%22Cleveland%20fire%22

^ through 1992 (in California)

Background

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The fire burned on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, following six years of drought.[1] The drought killed 10 million trees across the state and weakened others, helping enable insect infestations. In part because of the dry conditions, 1992 saw more wildfires—12,717 through October 25—across California than in any year since 1988, and the chief deputy director of the California Department of Forestry called it "the most incredible burning situation many of us have ever seen".[2]

The Cleveland Fire was the third significant wildfire in Northern California in a span of six weeks, alongside the 64,000-acre (26,000 ha) Fountain Fire in Shasta County and the 17,300-acre (7,000 ha) Old Gulch Fire in Calaveras County.[2] It also followed another major fire in the same area in 1959, 33 years prior, which burned 18,000 acres (7,300 ha). Tree plantations had been planted following that fire, reburning in the Cleveland Fire.[1]

Cause

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While the fire was active, the Los Angeles Times wrote that the fire's cause was undetermined, though "believed to be of human origin".[3] There had been eight or nine small fires in the vicinity of Highway 50 and Ice House Road since the beginning of September, which a Forest Service special agent called an "interesting coincidence" but did not explicitly link to the Cleveland Fire.[1] Multiple witnesses told The Sacramento Bee that they saw a white vehicle near the fire's point of ignition.[4] The Tahoe Daily Tribune wrote in 2012 that it was caused by illegal wood cutting.[5]

Progression

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The Cleveland Fire began on Tuesday, September 29, 1992, near the community of Riverton on the north side of U.S. Route 50 and 35 miles (56 km) west of South Lake Tahoe.[6][7] The fire was reported by a fire lookout a few minutes before 1:00 p.m., and named for the nearby Cleveland Corral picnic area.[7][8] Moments after the lookout's report, the superintendent and a foreman of the Eldorado National Forest hotshot crew arrived on scene. The fire was one-quarter acre (0.10 ha) in size, and temporarily contained between Highway 50 and the uphill switchback of nearby Ice House Road. With no fire engine, the superintendent requested more resources. A spot fire jumped across Ice House Road, and "within a matter of seconds" was too large to be contained by the two firefighters.[7]

Three to four minutes after the fire was reported, a Sikorsky S-58T helitack crew arrived on scene. They described the fire as 10–15 acres (4.0–6.1 ha) in size, with flame lengths of 100 feet (30 m). The fire was spreading rapidly, with ember spotting up to one-quarter mile (0.40 km) away. The crew was able to hold the fire's western flank, protecting the community of Pollock Pines, but were unable to halt the its advance up the canyon, and it bypassed crews at Peavine Ridge.[7] At 1:30 p.m., with flames also crossing to the other side of the canyon, authorities closed Highway 50. By late Tuesday the fire had spread to approximately 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) and was being fought by 500 firefighters.[8]

On Wednesday, September 30, the Cleveland Fire burned another 12,300 acres (5,000 ha), for a total of 18,600 acres (7,500 ha) with five percent of its perimeter contained by 10:00 p.m., with 2,300 personnel engaged on the fire.[1] Twenty-mile-per-hour (32 km/h) winds continued to stoke the fire as it burned northeast, threatening communications infrastructure and campgrounds in the Crystal Basin Recreation Area.[3] The fire's smoke plume reached 25,000 feet (7,600 m) in altitude, visible in Placer County to the north and from Sacramento 60 miles (97 km) to the west.[9][10] A Forest Service spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the situation was "a firefighter’s worst nightmare—low humidity, high winds, prolonged drought conditions... It will be a miracle if we can hold the fire back with these kinds of winds". The fire's growth worked out to more than 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) in 30 hours.[3]

On Thursday, October 1, though the fire continued moving northeast towards Union Valley Reservoir, humidity levels rose and temperatures dropped.[6] Rain fell on every part of the fire, and the fire lookout on Big Hill in the center of the burn area measured 0.2 inches (0.51 cm) of rain.[11][12] This aided the more than 3,000 firefighters, who had by this point achieved 20 percent containment.[6] The Tahoe Daily Tribune wrote that, if not for the light precipitation, "forest officials believe the blaze could have spread to the edge of Desolation Wilderness, burning 50,000 acres (20,000 ha)".[5] The fire had closed to within several miles of the wilderness area's boundary.[13]

Twenty-seven aircraft were also engaged on the fire;[6] at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, one of them—Air Tanker 61—crashed near the reservoir, killing both pilots on board.[7][10] The aircraft was a four-engine DC-7, operated by TB&M Inc. and used for dropping fire retardant. The crash flung debris 600 feet (180 m) away and started its own small fire, which was contained by nightfall.[4][12] One of the pilots had reported engine trouble shortly before the crash.[14]

The rain and the completion of three miles (4.8 km) of fire line meant that by 6:00 a.m. on Friday, October 2, the Cleveland Fire was 50 percent contained.[12] It had burned 24,500 acres (9,900 ha) acres and was being fought by 5,200 firefighters,[15] split between a camp at Union Valley Reservoir and one at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville.[16] By that evening the fire was 85 percent contained.[17] On Saturday, October 3, the fire was 90 percent contained.[16]

Officials declared the fire fully contained on the morning of Sunday, October 4,[18] and fully controlled on October 14, 1992.[7][a] The fire burned a total area of 24,580 acres (9,950 ha).[7] The fire suppression effort cost $16 million.[2][7]

Effects

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The Sacramento Bee called the Cleveland Fire "El Dorado County's worst fire disaster in history".[20]

In addition to the two air tanker pilot fatalities, the Cleveland Fire caused 72 injuries.[7]

The fire destroyed 41 structures.[5] This toll included at least six homes and 20 summer cabins, as well as the Forest Service fire lookout on Big Hill.[3]

Twenty-seven structures, including 26 cabins and the lookout.[1]

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency on September 30.[10]

A 46-mile (74 km) portion of Highway 50—the main link between Lake Tahoe and San Francisco—was closed between Pollock Pines and Meyers during the fire and the communities of Whitehall, Riverton, Kyburz and Strawberry along the highway were evacuated, totaling about 150–200 residents.[3][8] The Union Valley Reservoir area was evacuated on September 29.[6] A 4,000-foot (1,200 m) section of an aqueduct operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) was destroyed.[1]

During the highway closure, business at some casinos in South Lake Tahoe declined by 25–40 percent.[12][21] The highway reopened at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6.[22][23]

California Department of Forestry and Forest Service officials estimated property and timber losses from the fire at $245 million, including $240 million in timber losses.[15][17][16][2]

The fire also caused the temporary shutdown of five hydroelectric facilities in its vicinity, one belonging to PG&E and four belonging to the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District in the Ice House Reservoir area.[1][9]

Smoke from the fire caused the Placer County Air Pollution Control District to issue a health advisory advising residents to limit their outdoor activity.[9]

More than 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of the Eldorado National Forest burned. During the three years following the fire, the forest carried out a $15 million reforestation project that saw four million seedlings planted.[5]

The Eldorado National Forest conducted an aerial reseeding operation over a nearly 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) area, hoping to use cereal barley to help stabilize the soil to prevent erosion and landslides. The operation was completed before the end of October.[24]

The fire led to a debate over the contribution of conifer plantations to wildfire spread and severity, as well as the need for more prescribed burning.[20]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ 'Containment' and 'control' of a wildfire are technical terms used by fire officials. A wildfire is contained when it is completely encircled by control lines (including fire breaks, burned-out areas, and natural features). A wildfire is controlled when it is contained and has been extinguished such that it no longer threatens to spread any further.[19]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Vogel, Nancy; Brown, Mareva (October 1, 1992). "Inferno rampages in Sierra: 18,000 acres of El Dorado County timber consumed". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A14. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d Sugg, Diana (October 25, 1992). "Drought made summer's fires fiercer, officials say". The Sacramento Bee. pp. B1, B7. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e Paddock, Richard C. (October 1, 1992). "Fire Rages Near Lake Tahoe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Hoge, Patrick; Vogel, Nancy (October 2, 1992). "Firefighting plane goes down; 2 die". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A28. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d Crofton, Gregory (September 27, 2002). "Cleveland fire: 10 years later". Tahoe Daily Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Cannon, Lou (October 1, 1992). "Forest Fires Rage in Sierra Nevada as a Drought-Stricken Reno Reels". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mayer, Cole (October 2, 2012). "20th anniversary: 24,580-acre Cleveland Fire recalled". Placerville Mountain Democrat. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Vogel, Nancy; Brown, Mareva (September 30, 1992). "Blaze forces Highway 50 closure". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c Howard, John (October 1, 1992). "200 evacuate burning homes". The Press-Tribune. Associated Press. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Ginsburg, Marsha; Hatfield, Larry D. (October 1, 1992). "Plane crashes fighting Sierra wildfire". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Nature helping firefighters: Light rain, weaker winds grant relief". The Union. Associated Press. October 2, 1992. pp. 1, 12. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c d Ginsburg, Marsha (October 2, 1992). "Weary Sierra crews aided by rain". The San Francisco Examiner. pp. A-1, A-14. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Sneed, David (October 2, 1992). "Wilderness a fragile inheritance". The Union. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Cleveland Fire cost pegged at near $12 million". The Union. Associated Press. October 5, 1992. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b Brown, Mareva; Hunt, Karyn (October 3, 1992). "Rain cools down Sierra blaze, buys time for firefighters". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A26. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b c Hoge, Patrick (October 4, 1992). "Money fuels effort to fight forest fire". The Fresno Bee. McClatchy News Service. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b Grubb, Kathleen (October 3, 1992). "Loggers hit hard as wildfire rages through Sierra". The Fresno Bee. Associated Press. Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Vogel, Nancy (October 5, 1992). "El Dorado fire fully contained". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A14. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Hassan, Adeel (July 28, 2022). "Wildfire Terms Defined: What It Means When a Blaze Is 30 Percent Contained". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Knudson, Tom (October 7, 1992). "Tree plantations' role in fire's spread debated". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A1, A10. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Hicks, Larry (October 6, 1992). "Casinos hurt as Tahoe cut off by fire". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Casinos celebrate U.S. 50 reopening". The San Francisco Examiner. Associated Press. October 7, 1992. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Highway 50 open, but with delays". The Sacramento Bee. October 7, 1992. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Fire-area seeding near finish". The Sacramento Bee. October 23, 1992. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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