We’ve been reporting on how the Garnet Fire, burning on the Sierra National Forest east of Fresno, has been spreading into a large area of old-growth forest in the Teakettle Experimental Forest. The Climate & Wildfire Institute, a think tank with connections to UCLA, got about $5.4 million from the California Climate Investments (CCI) fund … Read more
If you’re interested in how wildfires affect the ecology of a place, and in how we can manage post-burn landscapes in anticipation of future fires, here is an interview with Jamie Allen, a biologist working in Seiad Valley, in the Klamath Mountains. We talk about how the 2014 Happy Camp Complex Fires are affecting the … Read more
Zeke Lunder discussed the Root Fire, which was taken off Mount Shasta, and its potential impact on the surrounding area. The fire, started in a clear-cut on private land, is expected to spread north towards Lake Siskiyou, driven by unstable weather conditions and strong winds. The area hasn’t had fire for over 100 years, leading … Read more
Zeke Lunder discussed the Garnet and Blue fires, noting the Garnet fire’s active status and the Blue fire’s recent growth to 1,000 acres. He highlighted the challenges of managing fires in the northern Sierra due to strong east winds and the impact on old-growth forests. Zeke mentioned the upcoming interview with Jamie Allen, a biologist … Read more
Zeke Lunder discussed the Garnet Fire, which started near the Kings River and spread into the Sierra Nevada, highlighting its rapid growth and the challenges of suppressing it. He also covered the Teakettle Experimental Forest, where a planned 3,000-acre burn is being incinerated by the fire’s advancement. Lunder explained the complexities of fire behavior in … Read more
The livestream discussed current fire behavior and management tactics on major fires in California. The Garnet fire is spreading rapidly, with a 1,000-acre spot fire across the North Fork of the Kings River. The L-2 fire near Deer Creek Falls, in Tehama County is under control, thanks to a lot of heavy helicopter drops. The … Read more
I am proud of the storytelling we did tonight on The Lookout, even if it made me cry. It’s one of the rawer broadcasts we’ve done. We talked about the Dillon Fire, which was poised, during our broadcast, to take out my friend’s 125 year-old homestead on the Klamath River. We talked about how lightning … Read more
This broadcast, on August 25, 2025, discussed various wildfires across the West Coast. Michael Steinberg, a geography student, shared his field observations from the Pickett Fire in Napa County, highlighting some extreme fire behavior he observed firsthand on 8/23/2025, and the impact of 2020 fire severity on current fuel loading. The Garnet Fire in Fresno, … Read more
Zeke Lunder discusses the Flat Fire in Oregon, highlighting its geographical similarities to Westwood, California, and its impact on urban areas like Bend and Sisters. The fire, influenced by strong winds and dry conditions, posed a threat to homes but showed minimal growth from 9:30 PM on 8/23/2025 thru noon today, 8/24/2025. Lunder emphasizes the … Read more
The Pickett Fire grew significantly this afternoon, driven by steady winds, low humidities, and hot temperatures. The fire is not currently posing a threat to Middletown or Angwin, as far as we can tell. Here are maps captured at 10:30pm, tonight, showing the fire’s spread since 8 am (white line). North arrow in top-right. Areas … Read more
12 hours of growth – 8pm on 8/22 thru 08:00, today. White line is last night’s perimeter. No livestream tonight unless something crazy is happening.
8pm map update: The fire ran up out of Swartz Canyon and over the flank of Sugarloaf Mountain this evening. Also, it grew into areas which have not burned in recent memory south of Aetna Springs. 2020 fire scars in blue. 2020 Glass Fire dozer lines in black. The fire has been slowly waking up, … Read more
The Pickett Fire started around 3:20pm just north of Calistoga, California, in Napa County. It promptly made a slope-driven run to the top of the ridge, and over, between Browns Hill and High Point. It was about 1,200 acres by 6pm. The Lookout Livestream looks at webcams of the fire’s growth, and talks about the … Read more
We’ll be covering the Coyote Fire today on The Lookout and our YouTube channel. The fire is laying down right now, under a lot of smoke. This morning’s livestream looks at overnight growth. TLDR: The fire is burning in fairly steep canyons and heavy forest. The atmosphere was somewhat stable, yesterday, and this kept the … Read more
We did a 3-hour livestream today covering fresh intel for the emerging Coyote Fire, in Southern El Dorado County. The fire started around 3pm. Fire location at 10:30 pm, 8/20/2025: The Coyote Fire, located in El Dorado County, started within the last hour and is burning in a remote area with significant structures nearby. The … Read more
In this episode, we talk with Sheryl Drinkwater, an architect working at the intersection of design and wildfire, in the Bay Area. We talked about new wildfire regulations recently adopted for portions of the Berkeley Hills which are among the most stringent in the nation – they require homeowners to maintain the first five feet … Read more
Home Hardening In May of 2025, we headed to Los Angeles for a week and rode e-bikes around, looking at the recent fire areas and checking out wildfire hazards across the edges of the City with a few of our most-experienced wildland firefighter/fire behavior analysts friends. We were there to try to make sense of … Read more
UPDATED 10:30pm, 8/13/2025 Firing operations have been underway on the north end of the Gifford Fire, east of San Luis Obispo, California, in some fashion or another for about 36 hours. This afternoon the fire did what it wanted, with all of that energy, and has pushed over primary firelines in a couple spots. We … Read more
Zeke Lunder discussed the Gifford fire, which started on August 12 and has been burning for 12 days. The fire is mostly contained in the southern two-thirds, but concerns remain about the north end. Lunder reviewed maps and webcam footage, noting the fire’s progress and the challenges of fighting mid-slope fires. He also critiqued a … Read more
The Gifford Fire is burning east of Santa Maria, California, on the NE corner of the San Rafael Wilderness. We talk about the firing operations tactics, and potential outcomes. Cover photo: Los Padres National Forest
Tonight’s Lookout Livestream covered today’s Ponderosa Fire, in Yuba County, taking a detailed look at the incredible fuel loading and fire hazards found across large portions of the Yuba County Foothills. The fire had a very aggressive aerial attack, this afternoon, which knocked the fire down, substantially, and held it to under 100 acres by … Read more
In tonight’s Lookout Livestream, we look at potential tactics to be used for a major firing operation planned to contain the northern edge of the 120k acre Gifford Fire.
We are adopting a bit more freewheeling format for the Lookout Livestream as we enter peak fire season in California. In this report, Zeke Lunder discussed the Gifford fire, noting its 100,000-acre size and recent growth of 4-6 miles per day. He highlighted the impact of the marine layer on fire behavior and the potential … Read more
First Episodes Out Now Check out our new series, DANGER IN PLAIN SIGHT, about firefighters’ perspectives on wildfire hazards in Los Angeles. The series follows The Lookout Director, Zeke Lunder, on a journey from Altadena to Palisades alongside some of his most seasoned wildfire expert friends (see bios below). As they traverse the city … Read more
Zeke Lunder and David Hertz discuss the role of architects in fire mitigation, highlighting the importance of home hardening and community brigades. They discuss the challenges of rebuilding in fire-prone areas, such as the Palisades and Bel Air, and the potential for consolidating lots to create fire breaks. The conversation also touches on the impact … Read more
Summary Zeke Lunder provided updates on several fires, starting with Dragon Bravo in New Mexico, which is spreading slowly and interacting with previous fire scars. The fire is expected to hit the Cane fire area, potentially being contained there. Monroe Canyon’s fire, driven by drought and wind, is being managed with firing operations. The Gifford … Read more
The Big Cliff Fire, on the Klamath National Forest, in far NW California, looks like it will be with us for awhile. Here is last night’s IR map. Big Cliff Fire Overview The Big Cliff Fire is on a steep slope, making mapped acreage inacurate. The fire is burning inside the “Whites Fire” from 2014, … Read more
A busy day here at The Lookout, and across the west! We started the day looking at intel for the Dragon Bravo and Monroe Canyon Fires, but quickly got swept up with the developing Big Cliff Fire, on the Klamath National Forest, and finished the afternoon watching the rapidly-unfolding 1-4 Fire, in Susanville. We cover … Read more
Summary Zeke Lunder provided a midday update on the Dragon Bravo and Monroe Canyon fires, using satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2. The Dragon Bravo fire, active on the western flank, has seen significant firefighting efforts, including drone-assisted ignitions. The fire has advanced a mile and a half in 12 hours and is … Read more
Summary Zeke Lunder discussed the Dragon Bravo and Monroe Canyon fires. Dragon Bravo, burning on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has destroyed the visitor center and is spreading rapidly, with minimal firefighting success. The fire is expected to reach the Kaibab Lodge, with efforts to slow its progression using drones and strategic firing … Read more