The CZU Lightning Complex (2020) was a California wildfire in Santa Cruz & San Mateo Counties, with 86,509 acres, 1,490 structures destroyed, 1 death on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. Resolved / settled. Status as of October 2, 2026, per PG&E Corporation Form 10-K, filed with the SEC.
The CZU Lightning Complex burned 86,509 acres of the Santa Cruz Mountains in August and September 2020. It destroyed 1,490 structures, 911 of them homes, forced 77,000 people to evacuate and killed one person. It is 14th on CAL FIRE's list of the most destructive California wildfires.
It was started by lightning, so there is no company or person to hold responsible for the fire itself, and we found no lawsuit over how it started or how it was fought.
The disputes that followed were about what came after. Santa Cruz County filed a complaint against PG&E at the Public Utilities Commission in January 2021 over the utility's tree cutting in the burn area after the fire; the parties settled and the Commission dismissed the complaint on December 15, 2021. Two federal lawsuits were insurance disputes: a proposed class action over refrigerators ruined during the evacuation, and a destroyed camp's suit against its insurance broker and insurer. The state sued a private water company in Boulder Creek in 2023, and a receiver was appointed.
The official scrutiny fell on local government. A Santa Cruz County civil grand jury reported in June 2021 that the Board of Supervisors had not held CAL FIRE accountable for analyzing its performance. The Board mostly disagreed, answering that CAL FIRE is a state agency independent of county oversight. A second grand jury reported in June 2024 that only about one third of the destroyed homes were being rebuilt.
PG&E's filings with the SEC mention this fire only in connection with the notices of violation over its post-fire tree work. They report no finding that its equipment caused the fire and no claims for fire losses.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2020-08-16 |
| Containment date | 2020-09-22 |
| Region / counties | Santa Cruz, San Mateo |
| Acreage | 86,509 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,490 |
| Structures damaged | 140 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Public settlement information | Santa Cruz County's complaint against PG&E at the Public Utilities Commission, over post-fire tree cutting, was settled, and the Commission dismissed it on December 15, 2021. No amount is published. No settlement over fire losses is on the public record. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-02 |
Cause
Lightning. CAL FIRE lists lightning as the cause of the CZU Lightning Complex on its incident page, in its annual statistics and on its Top 20 list. The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury describes a thunderstorm in the early morning of August 16, 2020 that produced more than 300 lightning strikes in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. The fires it started grew and merged into one complex. No person, company or utility has been named as responsible for starting it.
What happened
The fires started on August 16, 2020 and merged over the following days. Evacuation orders covered Boulder Creek, Bonny Doon, Last Chance Road, Las Cumbres and Big Basin Redwoods State Park, among other areas, and 77,000 people were evacuated, according to Santa Cruz County's after-action report. One person died and one was injured. The fire burned 86,509 acres, destroyed 1,490 structures, 911 of them homes, and damaged 140. CAL FIRE records containment on September 22, 2020. The county report puts the cost of fighting it at more than $68 million.
CZU Lightning Complex timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
A thunderstorm starts fires across the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Source: CAL FIRE
Federal major disaster DR-4558-CA is declared.
Source: FEMA
CAL FIRE records the complex as contained.
Source: CAL FIRE
Santa Cruz County supervisors vote to file a formal complaint against PG&E over its post-fire tree work.
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
The civil grand jury publishes its report on the county's response to the fire.
A federal court dismisses, with leave to amend, a proposed class action against an insurer over losses during the evacuation.
Source: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
The Public Utilities Commission dismisses the county's complaint against PG&E after a settlement.
A federal court rules on motions to dismiss in a destroyed camp's insurance case.
Source: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
A court appoints a receiver for Big Basin Water Company.
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel
A second grand jury reports that only about one third of destroyed homes are being rebuilt.
Litigation status
Resolved / settled. Status as of October 2, 2026, per PG&E Corporation Form 10-K, filed with the SEC.
We found no lawsuit or government claim over the start of the CZU Lightning Complex, the firefighting or the evacuation. The matters on the public record concern the aftermath. First, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted in December 2020 to file a complaint against PG&E with the California Public Utilities Commission over the utility's removal of trees in the burn area; PG&E reports that the parties reached a settlement and that the Commission dismissed the complaint on December 15, 2021. CAL FIRE, the California Coastal Commission and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board also raised alleged violations over that work. Second, two insurance cases were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. In No. 21-cv-02458, a proposed class action by homeowners against State Farm General over refrigerators lost when power was out during the evacuation, the court dismissed the complaint with leave to amend in an order of October 18, 2021. In Camping Unlimited for the Developmentally Disabled v. Brown & Brown of Garden City, No. 21-cv-05495, brought by a camp near Boulder Creek that was destroyed, the court in an order of February 9, 2022 dismissed the insurer without leave to amend and denied the broker's motion to dismiss. Third, the Attorney General sued Big Basin Water Company in July 2023 on behalf of state drinking water regulators, and the Santa Cruz County Superior Court appointed a receiver on September 29, 2023, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. None of these cases concerns who caused the fire. County superior court records and claims logs were not searched directly.
Resolved here describes disputes about utility tree work, insurance and a water system after the fire, each concluded or closed on the record we read. It is not a finding against anyone, no cause lawsuit was found in our search, and nothing here describes any individual situation.
Court & regulatory record
- The CZU Lightning Complex Fire: Learn...or Burn? (June 24, 2021) , Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury
- Board of Supervisors response to the 2021 grand jury report , Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors
- 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire After-Action Report and Improvement Plan , County of Santa Cruz
- Victims of the CZU Wildfire: Four Years Later (June 21, 2024) , Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury
- Order granting motion to dismiss with leave to amend (October 18, 2021) , U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (Case 21-cv-02458)
- Order on motions to dismiss, Camping Unlimited v. Brown & Brown (February 9, 2022) , U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (Case 21-cv-05495)
- Form 10-K for fiscal year 2021: CZU Lightning Complex Fire Notices of Violation , PG&E Corporation, filed with the SEC
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 | 86,509 | CAL FIRE, October 21, 2022 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,490, of which 911 homes | County of Santa Cruz, December 7, 2021 |
| Structures damaged | 140 | CAL FIRE, October 21, 2022 |
| Deaths | 1 | CAL FIRE, October 21, 2022 |
| People evacuated | 77,000 | County of Santa Cruz, December 7, 2021 |
| Cost of fighting the fire | More than $68 million | County of Santa Cruz, December 7, 2021 |
| Rank among most destructive California wildfires | 14th | CAL FIRE, August 4, 2026 |
| Share of destroyed homes being rebuilt | About one third | Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury, June 21, 2024 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the CZU Lightning Complex. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Sep 29, 2026Boulder Creek neighborhood burned by CZU Lightning Complex fires completes water system repairsSanta Cruz Sentinel
- Jul 29, 2026Santa Cruz County nonprofit completes first home rebuild after CZU fireKSBW
- Nov 18, 2025Big Basin Water Co. operations have stabilized, but long-term ownership remains elusiveSanta Cruz Sentinel
- Aug 13, 20255 years later: Taking stock of the ongoing CZU Lightning Complex recoverySanta Cruz Sentinel
- Dec 11, 2024Santa Cruz County ends CZU Fire recovery consultant contract, sparks rebuilding concernsKSBW
- Jun 21, 2024Two-thirds of homes burned in CZU Fire never rebuilt 4 years laterKSBW
- Sep 29, 2023Judge OKs receivership at Big Basin WaterSanta Cruz Sentinel
- Dec 1, 2021PG&E agrees to remove wood debris left on CZU Complex fire survivors’ landSanta Cruz Sentinel
- Jul 2, 2021Santa Cruz County grand jury assesses county leadership in aftermath of CZU Lightning Complex fireSanta Cruz Sentinel
- Dec 8, 2020Santa Cruz County supervisors vote to file formal complaint against PG&ESanta Cruz Sentinel
Common questions about the CZU Lightning Complex
What caused the CZU Lightning Complex?
Lightning. CAL FIRE lists lightning as the cause of the CZU Lightning Complex on its incident page, in its annual statistics and on its Top 20 list. The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury describes a thunderstorm in the early morning of August 16, 2020 that produced more than 300 lightning strikes in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. The fires it started grew and merged into one complex. No person, company or utility has been named as responsible for starting it.
Is there litigation over the CZU Lightning Complex?
Resolved / settled. Status as of October 2, 2026, per PG&E Corporation Form 10-K, filed with the SEC.
What areas did the CZU Lightning Complex affect?
The CZU Lightning Complex (Santa Cruz & San Mateo Counties) affected communities including Boulder Creek, Bonny Doon, Last Chance, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Las Cumbres.
How large was the CZU Lightning Complex?
86,509 acres, 1,490 structures destroyed, 1 fatality, per public records as of 2026-10-02.
What caused the CZU Lightning Complex?
Lightning. CAL FIRE lists lightning as the cause of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, California. A thunderstorm on August 16, 2020 started fires that merged into the complex.
How many homes did the CZU fire destroy?
The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex destroyed 1,490 structures, 911 of them homes, and damaged 140, according to Santa Cruz County's after-action report. It burned 86,509 acres and one person died.
Is there a CZU fire lawsuit?
We found no lawsuit over the cause of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex or the firefighting as of October 2, 2026. Litigation on the public record concerns the aftermath: insurance disputes in federal court, Santa Cruz County's complaint against PG&E over post-fire tree cutting, which settled in 2021, and a state suit against a private water company.
Did PG&E cause the CZU fire?
No finding says so. CAL FIRE lists lightning as the cause of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex. PG&E's filings mention the fire only in connection with notices of violation over tree cutting it carried out in the burn area afterward.
What did the grand jury find about the CZU fire response?
The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury reported on June 24, 2021 that the Board of Supervisors had not held CAL FIRE accountable for analyzing its performance in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex and that the county's contract with CAL FIRE had no provision for an after-action review. The Board mostly disagreed in its response.
Sources
- CZU Lightning Complex incident record, CAL FIRE
- 2020 Fire Siege report, CAL FIRE
- Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires, linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire After-Action Report and Improvement Plan, County of Santa Cruz
- The CZU Lightning Complex Fire: Learn...or Burn?, Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury
- Victims of the CZU Wildfire: Four Years Later, Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury
- Form 10-K for fiscal year 2021, PG&E Corporation, filed with the SEC
- Disaster declaration DR-4558-CA, FEMA
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.