Storrie Fire
The Storrie Fire was a sizeable wildfire in Northern California's Plumas County and the second-largest of California's 2000 wildfire season. The fire began on August 17, 2000, and was fully contained by September 9; it burned 55,261 acres (22,363 hectares) in total and resulted in minimal property damage or casualties. The cost of containing the Storrie Fire amounted to $22 million.
| Storrie Fire | |
|---|---|
The Storrie Fire began in the Feather River Canyon and progressed northeast through Plumas and Lassen National Forests. | |
| Location | Plumas County, Northern California, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°55′3″N 121°19′24″W |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $22 million |
| Date(s) |
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| Burned area | 55,261 acres (22,363 hectares) |
| Cause | Sparks from railroad track repairs |
| Buildings destroyed | 1 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | ≥5 |
| Map | |
The Storrie Fire burned in the northern Sierra Nevada, largely in Plumas County. | |
The fire was accidentally begun by Union Pacific Railroad workers, who were using a saw tool to repair train tracks in the Feather River Canyon near the community of Storrie. In an effort to recoup the costs of fire suppression as well as damages to federal lands, the U.S. government filed a lawsuit against Union Pacific over the Storrie Fire in 2006. Two years later, after a landmark ruling by a federal judge that allowed the government to seek compensation for the full value of the land harmed by the fire, the lawsuit was resolved when Union Pacific paid the government a $102 million settlement.