2020 Sierra National Forest wildfire likely caused by lighting: US Forest Service

California's Sierra National Forest wildfire was likely sparked by a lightning strike in 2020, but the US Forest Service on Friday said it couldn't determine the cause of the fire. The Creek Fire burnt 600 square miles in September and spread so swiftly that hundreds of Labor Day holiday campers had to be rescued by a series of perilous helicopter flights. All 214 campers arrived in good condition.

Arson and lighted cigarettes were not ruled out as causes, but investigators claimed there was no illicit marijuana grow sites nearby that could have ignited the fire. Officials from the Forest Service indicated that a fire of this magnitude often has an "undetermined" classification.

The forest supervisor of the Sierra National Forest, Dean Gould said, “Investigators spent countless hours hiking rugged terrain to determine the cause, interviewed numerous leads, and eliminated multiple potential causes. In the end, lightning remains as the probable cause".

Supervisor Nathan Magsig thanked the agency for concluding its inquiry but said the lack of a cause makes it impossible for the people and those who have lost so much to find closure.

Fire experts had never seen forest fire burn so quickly

The Creek Fire damaged 853 houses. As per Fresno County, the estimated cost of recovery and rebuilding exceeded $500 million. There were no fatalities reported in this incident. At the time, fire experts claimed they'd never seen a forest fire burn so quickly, which is 15 miles in a day over drought- and beetle-killed trees. A fire at Yosemite National Park on Sept. 4 closed off access to a popular campground at Mammoth Pool Reservoir, trapping 214 people.

Given the rapidly decreasing visibility, two California National Guard helicopters carried campers far over conventional safety restrictions onto their aircraft. On one excursion, 102 campers were crammed into a CH-47 Chinook twin-rotor helicopter, which was only built to carry 30 people.

Management expenditure estimated to 193 million dollars

The management expenditures were estimated at $193 million by the Sierra National Forest, which mostly managed the firefighting efforts. Nearly 3,000 firefighters were dispatched to fight the fires and assist with containment efforts at one point. The fire, which engulfed the San Joaquin River drainage nearly as far north as the Minaret Range and as far east as Edison Lake, caused no casualties.

(Inputs from AP News)