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
Summary Zeke Lunder discusses the Dragon Bravo and Monroe Canyon fires, in Northern Arizona and Central Utah, detailing their spread, weather conditions, and firefighting strategies. Dragon Bravo, starting on the North Rim, is moving north, with strong southwest winds and low humidity. Monroe Canyon Fire, in Utah, had a major run several days ago, when … Read more
Today’s Lookout Livestream discusses the Dragon Bravo Fire, on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, in Northern Arizona, and the Monroe Canyon Fires, in Central Utah. Both are currently being influences by very dry conditions, and strong SW winds. Under the current conditions, the fires are largely uncontrollable, with most firefighting progress being made … Read more
Zeke Lunder discussed the Dragon Bravo and Butler Fires. Dragon Bravo, started in the first week of July, has been romping to the NE due to extreme conditions. The fire has destroyed the historic North Rim Lodge and 70-80 structures, with suppression costs reaching $20 million. The fire’s progression is influenced by weather and terrain, … Read more
Zeke Lunder provided an update on the Dragon Bravo fire, which has been active for nearly a month and is now 8,000 acres. The fire has destroyed over 70 structures and is moving northeast under prevailing southwesterly winds. Firefighters have conducted firing operations to manage the fire’s intensity but face challenges due to extreme dryness … Read more
This video shares video, maps, and photos collected in the year since the Park Fire burned over 400,000 acres in Northern California, north of Chico, California. The audio for this episode was recorded on 7/31/2024, during an interview for the Blue Dot Report, a week into the fire. The Blue Dot Report is a science … Read more
UPDATE – Morning of 7/25/2025 The fire is now well-established in the Saddle Mountain Wilderness. It has not breached the 7/21-7/22 firing operations along the northern boundary of the Park into the Kaibab NF, though it has potential to sneak out of the wilderness back onto the Kaibab from the SE. The fire grew in … Read more
As a prelude to our upcoming ‘Danger in Plain Sight’ Lookout video series about fire hazards in LA’s foothills, I critiqued an architecture video, shot in a very high fire hazard area of La Cañada Flintridge, NE of Downtown LA. Summary We discuss a luxury home in La Canada Flint Ridge, built by a husband/wife … Read more
Cover photo courtesy of Six Rivers National Forest. Lookout Livestream Overview Maps Summary There was fairly subdued activity over the past 24 hours, with mainly slow, backing progression towards the community of Forks of Salmon. The fire is currently most active in McNeal Creek. The fire is generally not spreading very readily within areas burned … Read more
Here is our morning intel assessment livestream of the current situation on the Butler Fire, burning around Forks of Salmon, on the Salmon River, in NW California. These maps are based on infrared flights conducted at 11pm, on 7/20/2025. Cover photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service – Klamath National Forest Facebook. The maps are pretty … Read more
Sorry for the small maps, I’m traveling today, no laptop! Here are some infrared maps from last night at 9:41 PM, 7/19/2025. The fire did not spread aggressively down slope into Forks of Salmon as of the time of the mapping the fire was burning intensely on the upper slopes and had advanced significantly up … Read more
The firefighters continue to make good progress on the Green Fire north of Shasta Lake. They’ve now completed firing operations down the ridge between Rip Gut Creek and Fenders Ferry Road, and the firing operation is filling in back towards the main body of the fire. On the south flank of the fire, fire lines … Read more