The Carr Fire (2018) was a California wildfire in Shasta & Trinity Counties, with 229,651 acres, 1,614 structures destroyed, 8 deaths on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. Litigation filed. Status as of October 1, 2026, per Courthouse News Service.
The Carr Fire burned 229,651 acres in Shasta and Trinity counties in the summer of 2018 and is remembered for the fire tornado that carried it into Redding. It destroyed 1,614 structures, more than a thousand of them homes, and killed eight people.
It did not start with a power line. Investigators traced it to a travel trailer whose wheel assembly failed on Highway 299. That matters for anyone looking for a lawsuit, because there is no utility defendant here and no utility settlement.
There is litigation, though, and our earlier entry was wrong to say none was known. On June 5, 2019 a class action complaint was filed in Shasta County Superior Court against the State of California, its Department of Transportation and the City of Redding, alleging among other things a dangerous condition of public property and inverse condemnation. Courthouse News counted 394 named plaintiffs, and a Sacramento television station reported 450 to 460 people involved the following month.
What happened to that case is not clear from the public sources we could read. The Redding Record Searchlight reported in July 2023 that it had been moved to Sacramento County and that the question of whether it could proceed as a class action was still ahead. We have found no report of a ruling, a settlement or a trial since.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2018-07-23 |
| Containment date | 2018-08-30 |
| Region / counties | Shasta, Trinity |
| Acreage | 229,651 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,614 |
| Structures damaged | 279 |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Cause
The National Park Service, which led the investigation because the fire began on park land in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, released its findings on March 30, 2021: the Carr Fire was caused by a mechanical failure of a travel trailer being towed on State Route 299. A California Highway Patrol accident investigation team inspected the trailer and reported that wheel bearing assemblies on its right side overheated and failed. In August 2018, before that inspection was published, fire officials had described the cause as a failed tire whose rim scraped the pavement; the later report describes a bearing failure. The Park Service redacted the owner's name and no person or company has been named as responsible.
What happened
The Carr Fire started at about 1:15 PM on July 23, 2018 along Highway 299 in Whiskeytown. On the evening of July 26 it jumped the Sacramento River into the west side of Redding during a fire vortex with winds estimated at 165 mph, the equivalent of an F3 tornado, and 38,000 people were evacuated. Eight people died, among them a Redding fire inspector, a contract bulldozer operator and three members of one family. CAL FIRE declared the fire contained on August 30, 2018 at 229,651 acres, with 1,614 structures destroyed and 279 damaged.
Carr Fire timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
The Carr Fire starts at about 1:15 PM along Highway 299 in Whiskeytown.
Source: CAL FIRE
The fire jumps the Sacramento River into Redding during a fire vortex, and 38,000 people are evacuated.
Fire officials say a failed tire on a trailer started the fire.
Source: KTLA 5
Federal major disaster DR-4382-CA is declared.
Source: FEMA
It is reported that a CAL FIRE review found the fire tornado killed a Redding fire inspector.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
CAL FIRE declares the fire 100 percent contained at 229,651 acres.
Source: CAL FIRE
A class action complaint against the State of California, Caltrans and the City of Redding is filed in Shasta County Superior Court.
Source: Courthouse News Service
It is reported that 450 to 460 people are included in the class action.
Source: ABC10
It is reported that the Shasta County Grand Jury found fuel management had not been a priority before the fire.
Source: KRCR
The National Park Service releases its investigation: the cause was a mechanical failure of a travel trailer.
Source: National Park Service
It is reported that the class action has been moved to Sacramento County and is awaiting a class certification ruling.
Litigation status
Litigation filed. Status as of October 1, 2026, per Courthouse News Service.
A class action complaint for damages was filed on June 5, 2019 in the Superior Court of California, County of Shasta, case number 192661, by homeowners and other survivors of the Carr Fire against the State of California, the California Department of Transportation and the City of Redding. Its causes of action include dangerous condition of public property, inverse condemnation, trespass by fire, nuisance and wrongful death. Courthouse News Service reported 394 named plaintiffs; ABC10 reported on July 23, 2019 that between 450 and 460 people were included. In July 2023 the Redding Record Searchlight reported that the case had been moved to Sacramento County, that Redding's city attorney described it as moving very slowly, and that the plaintiffs still needed a ruling on whether it could be certified as a class action. We have found no public report of a class certification ruling, a dismissal, a settlement or a trial date since then, so the current stage is unknown. We found no lawsuit against a utility, no criminal case over the ignition, and no action by the California Public Utilities Commission.
A filed complaint contains allegations, not findings. This entry reports only what the public record shows as of the status date, and nothing here describes any individual situation.
Court & regulatory record
- Courthouse News brief on the class action complaint , Superior Court of California, County of Shasta (Case 192661)
- News release: National Park Service Releases Investigation Report for 2018 Carr Fire (March 30, 2021) , National Park Service
- Carr Fire accident investigation team report, redacted , California Highway Patrol, released by the National Park Service (Case NL-020-18)
- Carr Fire After Action Review , National Park Service
- Disaster declaration DR-4382-CA , Federal Emergency Management Agency
This is a reported public-record status, not advice about any individual’s legal situation. Deadlines and eligibility change over time and depend on facts specific to each person. If you have questions about yours, contact us and we will help.
Key figures on the public record
Each figure below was published by the court, agency, or company named beside it, on the date shown. These describe the case and the disaster, not any individual’s situation.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acres burned | 229,651 | CAL FIRE, August 30, 2018 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,614 | CAL FIRE, August 30, 2018 |
| Structures damaged | 279 | CAL FIRE, August 30, 2018 |
| Deaths, Top 20 lists | 8 | CAL FIRE, August 4, 2026 |
| Civilian fatalities, incident page | 7 | CAL FIRE, August 30, 2018 |
| People evacuated | 38,000 | National Park Service After Action Review, November 27, 2018 |
| Named plaintiffs in the class action complaint | 394 | Courthouse News Service, July 26, 2019 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the Carr Fire. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Jul 24, 2023Five years after the Carr Fire, here are five things to knowRedding Record Searchlight, via Yahoo News
- Mar 30, 2021Investigators confirm cause of 2018 Carr Fire, release investigative reportsKRCR
- Jun 30, 2020Grand Jury: Shasta County was left at higher risk for fire due to lack of fuel managementKRCR
- Jul 26, 2019California WildfireCourthouse News Service
- Jul 23, 2019Number of Carr Fire victims in class action lawsuit keeps growingABC10
- Aug 30, 2018Cal Fire Declares Deadly Carr Fire Is 100% ContainedCBS Sacramento
- Aug 15, 2018Massive Carr Fire tornado trapped, killed Redding firefighter, report saysSan Francisco Chronicle
Common questions about the Carr Fire
What caused the Carr Fire?
The National Park Service, which led the investigation because the fire began on park land in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, released its findings on March 30, 2021: the Carr Fire was caused by a mechanical failure of a travel trailer being towed on State Route 299. A California Highway Patrol accident investigation team inspected the trailer and reported that wheel bearing assemblies on its right side overheated and failed. In August 2018, before that inspection was published, fire officials had described the cause as a failed tire whose rim scraped the pavement; the later report describes a bearing failure. The Park Service redacted the owner's name and no person or company has been named as responsible.
Is there litigation over the Carr Fire?
Litigation filed. Status as of October 1, 2026, per Courthouse News Service.
What areas did the Carr Fire affect?
The Carr Fire (Shasta & Trinity Counties) affected communities including Redding, Whiskeytown, Keswick, Shasta, French Gulch.
How large was the Carr Fire?
229,651 acres, 1,614 structures destroyed, 8 fatalities, per public records as of 2026-10-01.
What caused the Carr Fire?
The National Park Service determined that the 2018 Carr Fire near Redding, California was caused by a mechanical failure of a travel trailer being towed on State Route 299 in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. A California Highway Patrol inspection reported that wheel bearing assemblies on the trailer's right side overheated and failed. The findings were released on March 30, 2021.
When did the Carr Fire start and end?
The Carr Fire started at about 1:15 PM on July 23, 2018 in Whiskeytown, Shasta County, California, and CAL FIRE declared it 100 percent contained on August 30, 2018, after 38 days and 229,651 acres.
How many people died in the Carr Fire?
Eight deaths are attributed to the 2018 Carr Fire on CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists and in news reporting at containment. CAL FIRE's incident page lists 7 civilian fatalities. Those who died included a Redding fire inspector, a contract bulldozer operator and three members of one family.
Is there a Carr Fire lawsuit?
Yes. A class action complaint over the Carr Fire was filed on June 5, 2019 in Shasta County Superior Court, case number 192661, against the State of California, the California Department of Transportation and the City of Redding. It was reported in July 2023 to have been moved to Sacramento County. No ruling, settlement or trial has been reported since, and no utility was sued, because the fire was not caused by utility equipment.
What was the Carr Fire tornado?
On the evening of July 26, 2018 the Carr Fire produced a fire vortex as it crossed into Redding, with winds estimated at 165 mph, the equivalent of an F3 tornado, according to the National Park Service After Action Review.
Sources
- Carr Fire incident record, CAL FIRE
- Top 20 Most Destructive, Largest and Deadliest California Wildfires, linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- National Park Service Releases Investigation Report for 2018 Carr Fire, National Park Service
- Carr Fire accident investigation team report, redacted, California Highway Patrol, released by the National Park Service
- Carr Fire After Action Review, National Park Service
- California Wildfire, Courthouse News Service
- Number of Carr Fire victims in class action lawsuit keeps growing, ABC10
- Five years after the Carr Fire, here are five things to know, Redding Record Searchlight, via Yahoo News
- Cal Fire Declares Deadly Carr Fire Is 100% Contained, CBS Sacramento
- Flat tire in Redding started deadly Carr Fire, KTLA 5
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.