Basin Complex Fire
| Basin Complex Fire | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of Basin Fire Burn Area at Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park on September 1.
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| Location | Monterey County, California |
| Statistics | |
| Date(s) | June 21, 2008 – July 27, 2008 |
| Burned area | 162,818 acres (659 km2) |
| Cause | Lightning |
The Basin Complex Fire near Big Sur started on June 21, 2008, was the result of a lightning strike. It eventually grew to 162,818 acres (658.90 km2), burning most of the Ventana Wilderness. State and federal officials spent than $120 million to fight the fire, making it is the most expensive fire in California history up to that time, and the second most expensive in U.S. history, exceeded only by the Biscuit Fire in 2002.
The fire forced the evacuation of Big Sur prior to the July 4 holiday weekend.Camp Pico Blanco was forced to evacuate the camp and diverted its Scouts to Boulder Creek Scout Reservation in Santa Cruz. The camp lost only one building, an outlying ranger's cabin. Big Sur residents were permitted to return on July 9.
As of 2014[update] the fire is the 10th largest wildfire in California since accurate records began being kept in 1932.
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