The Mountain View Fire was a fire that erupted near Walker, California, on November 17, 2020 due to a downed powerline. As of December 11, 2020, the fire was fully contained, and claimed one life.[2] The fire crossed the Nevada border into Douglas County.[3] The fire was a ground fire and there was little activity due to snow.[2] The fire destroyed over eighty homes.[1]
| Mountain View Fire | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2020 California wildfires and 2020 Nevada wildfires | |
 The Mountain View Fire's burn scar on 11/18/2020 | |
| Date(s) |
|
| Location | Walker in Mono County, California, Alpine County, California |
| Coordinates | 38°30′54″N 119°27′54″W / 38.515°N 119.465°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 20,879 acres (8,449 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 1 |
| Evacuated | 1,200 |
| Structures destroyed | >80[1] |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Downed powerline |
| Map | |
  Location in California | |
Cause
editThe fire started on November 17, 2020 near the Mountain View Barbecue (the namesake of the fire) when powerlines owned by Liberty Utilities blown down by strong winds.[4] At 11:55 am, strong winds blew two powerlines into each other, with witnesses reporting sparks, and because the powerlines were set to standard operations, they re-energized several times while in the dry grass, igniting the Mountain View Fire.[5]
Progression
editOn November 17, evacuation orders were issued in and near Walker, California, Coleville, California, Topaz, California, and Topaz Lake, Nevada. An evacuation center was established at the Carson Valley Inn in Minden, Nevada. The fire spread to about 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) that evening.[6][7] Later that night, U.S. 395 was closed between Bridgeport and the California–Nevada border.[7] By the next day, the fire had grown to 20,000 acres (8,100 ha), but precipitation helped slow the fire's spread. Power was de-energized in Walker and Coleville up to the California-Nevada border. U.S. 395 reopened and evacuation west of the highway were lifted. One person was killed and eighty structures had been destroyed.[8] A pyrocumulus cloud was observed.[9] Containment had increased to 20% that evening.[6]
One injury had been reported on November 19 and the Mountain View Fire was a size of 20,879 acres (8,449 ha).[7] California governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency proclamation for Mono County.[10] Homes and outbuildings in Walker were considered to have been "reduced to charred rubble".[11] Officials stated the fire was "the most destructive fire in the county in recent memory".[7] On November 21, 178 evacuees were still displaced and officials confirmed repopulation could begin on November 22 and containment increased to 60%.[12][6] Smoldering occurred in small areas within the perimeter, but the evacuation order was lifted on November 22. Containment increased to 65% and a local assistance center opened at Antelope Valley Community Center. On November 23, containment increased to 70% while the remaining part of the fire was covered in snow.[7]
The fire reached 100% containment on December 11.[13]
Effects
editThe fire caused evacuations for the towns of Walker, Topaz, and Coleville,[14] and one person died from the fires, whose name was Sallie Joseph, aged 69.[15][16][17] Governor Gavin Newsom issued a disaster declaration for both the Pinehaven and Mountain View fires.[18] A total of eighty structures were destroyed.[13] U.S. Route 395 was closed between Bridgeport and the California–Nevada border.[7] Environmental hazards remained in Walker, including power loss and infiltrated water supply.[6]
See also
edit- Wildfires in 2020
- Pinehaven Fire, a small wildfire that burned in Reno, Nevada at the same time
References
edit- 1 2 "More than 100 displaced after Mountain View Fire ravages Eastern Sierra town". KTLA. Associated Press. November 19, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
- 1 2 "Mountain View Fire Information". InciWeb. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ↑ "2020-11-17-1838-Mountain-View-Fire/picts/2020_11_20-14.37.05.252-CST.jpeg". InciWeb. November 24, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ Hildebrand, Kurt (November 23, 2024). "Liberty Utilities settles Mountain View fire case". Record-Courier. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ Grover, Hannah (April 14, 2026). "Liberty's Role in Mountain View Fire Ignition Comes Under Scrutiny in Cost-Recovery Case". www.newsdata.com. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Tang, Stanton (November 20, 2022). "Mountain View Fire containment grows to 65%". KOLO-TV. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 O'Connor, Danna; Billman, Michelle; Ravera, Michele; Glick, Noah; Boger, Paul; Starbuck, Lucia; Perez, Jayden; Willis, Crystal (November 23, 2020). "Updates On The Mountain View Fire In Mono County". KUNR. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "One person killed, 80 buildings burned in 20,000 acre Mountainview Fire in Mono County". KRNV-DT. November 18, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Mountain View Fire: Wildfires Rage In Eastern Sierra, Burn Homes In Reno". CBS News. November 18, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "California Governor Gavin Newsom Declares State of Emergency in Mono County Due to Mountain View Fire". Sierra Sun Times. November 19, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "More than 100 displaced after fire ravages Mono County town". The Press Democrat. Associated Press. November 19, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ Peterson, Paula (November 21, 2020). "Evacuated residents from 20,000 acre Mountain View Fire to return home Sunday". South Tahoe Now. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- 1 2 "INCIDENT STATUS (finalized)". ready.mono.ca.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "UPDATE: One Dead As Mountain View Fire Grows To Over 28,000 Acres; Wind Concerns Remain In Reno Fire". CBSN Bay Area. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ↑ "Mountain View Fire destroys dozens of structures, leaves one dead". MyNews4.com. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- ↑ "One Person Killed and 80 Structures Destroyed in Mountain View Fire in Walker, California". Yahoo! News. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ↑ "21,000-acre Mountain View Fire in Walker claims life". Tahoe Daily Tribune. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ↑ "1 Killed in Wind-Fueled Wildfire on California-Nevada Border". The Weather Channel. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
"US HWY 395 to reopen at 2 pm. Evacuation order will be lifted for residents on the west side of 395 only. Evacuation order remains in place east of 395 from Eastside Ln. to Cunningham Ln. This order for east of Hwy 395 will be reassessed in 24 hrs #MountainViewFire Evacuation orders are still in effect for Walker, Coleville and Topaz. US 395 from Bridgeport to Nevada Stateline remains closed. Current acreage burned 20,879. Fire operations report that damage assessments are underway and it could be days before its safe for residents to return. We can regretfully confirm one fatality. We are not aware of any other significant injuries, and no persons have been reported missing."
External links
edit- Mountain View Fire Incident, Mono County California