The LNU Lightning Complex (2020) was a California wildfire in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo, Solano & Colusa Counties, with 363,220 acres, 1,491 structures destroyed, 6 deaths on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. Litigation filed. Status as of October 2, 2026, per U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
The LNU Lightning Complex burned 363,220 acres across six counties north of San Francisco Bay in August and September 2020. It killed six people and destroyed 1,491 structures. It is seventh on CAL FIRE's list of the largest California wildfires and 13th on its list of the most destructive.
Most of it was started by lightning. One part was not. The Markley Fire, which began near Lake Berryessa on August 18, 2020 and merged into the larger Hennessey Fire, was set by a man trying to conceal a killing, according to the Solano County District Attorney. Two people died in their homes in that fire. He pleaded no contest in May 2025 to arson and three murders and was sentenced that August to 73 years to life.
We found no civil lawsuit over the cause or spread of the fires, against the man convicted, a utility, CAL FIRE or any county. PG&E's filings with the SEC do not mention this fire, and the Public Utilities Commission lists no investigation of it.
One federal lawsuit grew out of losses in the fire and is about insurance. Homeowners whose house in Healdsburg burned in the Walbridge Fire sued State Farm General over how it calculated payments; in July 2025 the court certified a statewide class.
The official criticism concerned warnings. A Solano County civil grand jury reported in 2022 that the county's alert systems depended on residents having signed up, that much of the alerting during the fire was done door to door, and that no incident command post was set up in the county when the fire crossed into it.
CAL FIRE's documents differ on the death count: six on its Top 20 lists, five in its annual statistics and on its incident page in 2020.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2020-08-17 |
| Containment date | 2020-10-02 |
| Region / counties | Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo, Solano, Colusa |
| Acreage | 363,220 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,491 |
| Structures damaged | 232 |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | Yes |
| Last verified | 2026-10-02 |
Cause
Lightning and, for one of the component fires, arson. CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists give the cause of the LNU Lightning Complex as "Lightning/Arson". Its 2020 Fire Siege report says the complex was the result of a two-day lightning event and names the Hennessey, Gamble, Green, Markley, Spanish and Morgan fires, with the Walbridge and Meyers fires to the west in Sonoma County. The Markley Fire was set deliberately: the Solano County District Attorney states that a defendant pleaded no contest and was found guilty on May 9, 2025 of arson and murder for starting it on August 18, 2020 near the Putah Creek Wildlife Area off Highway 128, and was sentenced on August 14, 2025 to 73 years to life. The Markley Fire merged into the Hennessey Fire.
What happened
Fires started across Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties on August 17, 2020 after two days of dry lightning. The fires around Lake Berryessa merged into the Hennessey Fire, which ran south into Solano County toward Vacaville; the Walbridge and Meyers fires burned separately in Sonoma County. CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists record six deaths, 1,491 structures destroyed and 363,220 acres. Its incident page lists 232 structures damaged and records containment on October 2, 2020. Evacuation orders for about 35,000 people in Napa and Sonoma counties were lifted on August 26, according to KQED; no total for the complex was published.
LNU Lightning Complex timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
Lightning-caused fires start across Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties.
Source: CAL FIRE, 2020 Fire Siege report
The Markley Fire starts near the Putah Creek Wildlife Area off Highway 128; it later merges into the Hennessey Fire.
Source: Solano County District Attorney
Federal major disaster DR-4558-CA is declared.
Source: FEMA
CAL FIRE records the complex as contained.
Source: CAL FIRE
The Solano County Sheriff announces that the Markley Fire was arson and that two deaths in it are being treated as homicides.
Source: KCRA
The grand jury's report on the county's emergency response to the fire is reported.
Source: Daily Republic
The defendant in the Markley Fire case pleads no contest and is found guilty on five counts.
Source: Solano County District Attorney
A federal court certifies a class in an insurance case brought by homeowners who lost a house in the Walbridge Fire.
Source: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
The defendant is sentenced to 73 years to life.
Source: Solano County District Attorney
Litigation status
Litigation filed. Status as of October 2, 2026, per U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
We found no civil lawsuit or government claim over the cause, spread or warnings of the LNU Lightning Complex. The criminal case over the Markley Fire was prosecuted in Solano County Superior Court. According to the Solano County District Attorney, the defendant pleaded no contest and was found guilty as charged on May 9, 2025 on five counts: second degree murder, arson of an inhabited dwelling, arson during a state of emergency, and two counts of first degree murder for the deaths of two residents who died in their homes in the fire. He was sentenced on August 14, 2025 to 73 years to life. One federal civil case arises from losses in the complex: in No. 3:23-cv-00924 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, homeowners whose house burned in the Walbridge Fire on August 20, 2020 allege that State Farm General depreciates sales tax when calculating actual cash value payments, in violation of the Insurance Code. The court certified a class in an order filed July 15, 2025. That case is about insurance payments, not about who caused the fire, and we have not found its outcome. We searched federal court records on CourtListener, PG&E's annual and quarterly reports, the Public Utilities Commission's wildfire investigations page, and the archives of the Vacaville Reporter, Daily Republic, Press Democrat, Napa Valley Register and KCRA. County superior court civil indexes were not searched.
Litigation filed here refers to an insurance class action on the federal court record, alongside a criminal conviction over one component fire. It is not a finding about any other party, the absence of a cause lawsuit in our search is not a finding that none exists, and nothing here describes any individual situation.
Court & regulatory record
- Defendant is Sentenced in the Markley Fire Case (August 14, 2025) , Solano County District Attorney
- Order certifying class (filed July 15, 2025) , U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (Case 3:23-cv-00924)
- Effective Emergency Response Needs City and County Support, 2021 to 2022 report , Solano County Civil Grand Jury
- Wildfires On The Horizon, Solano Homes At Risk!, 2020 to 2021 report , Solano County Civil Grand Jury
- 2020 Fire Siege report , CAL FIRE
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 | 363,220 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,491 | CAL FIRE, August 4, 2026 |
| Structures damaged | 232 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2020 |
| Deaths, Top 20 lists | 6 | CAL FIRE, August 4, 2026 |
| Deaths, incident page in 2020 | 5 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2020 |
| Homes destroyed in Solano County | 309 single-family residences | Solano County Civil Grand Jury, citing CAL FIRE, June 24, 2021 |
| Rank among largest California wildfires | 7th | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Sentence in the Markley Fire case | 73 years to life | Solano County District Attorney, August 14, 2025 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the LNU Lightning Complex. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Aug 14, 2025Vaca man gets 73 years for murders, arson that sparked deadly wildfireThe Reporter
- Aug 14, 2025Man sentenced for murder, setting deadly Solano County fire as cover-upKCRA
- May 14, 2025North Bay man started deadly 2020 wildfire after killing woman he met on dating appThe Press Democrat
- May 13, 2025California man started deadly wildfire after killing woman he met on dating appKCRA
- May 9, 2025Triple murder plea in 2020 Solano County arson caseThe Reporter
- Jul 7, 2022Grand Jury: LNU fire showed serious lack of countywide communicationDaily Republic
- May 26, 2021Cal Fire: LNU megafire was fast-moving, response limitedDaily Republic
- Apr 29, 2021Vacaville man suspected of starting deadly Markley fire in Solano CountyAssociated Press, via The Press Democrat
- Apr 29, 20212020 Solano County fire where 2 found dead was cover-up for murder, officials sayKCRA
- Aug 31, 2020Wildfire Evacuation Alerts Failed to Reach EveryoneAssociated Press, via KQED
Common questions about the LNU Lightning Complex
What caused the LNU Lightning Complex?
Lightning and, for one of the component fires, arson. CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists give the cause of the LNU Lightning Complex as "Lightning/Arson". Its 2020 Fire Siege report says the complex was the result of a two-day lightning event and names the Hennessey, Gamble, Green, Markley, Spanish and Morgan fires, with the Walbridge and Meyers fires to the west in Sonoma County. The Markley Fire was set deliberately: the Solano County District Attorney states that a defendant pleaded no contest and was found guilty on May 9, 2025 of arson and murder for starting it on August 18, 2020 near the Putah Creek Wildlife Area off Highway 128, and was sentenced on August 14, 2025 to 73 years to life. The Markley Fire merged into the Hennessey Fire.
Is there litigation over the LNU Lightning Complex?
Litigation filed. Status as of October 2, 2026, per U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
What areas did the LNU Lightning Complex affect?
The LNU Lightning Complex (Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo, Solano & Colusa Counties) affected communities including Vacaville, Lake Berryessa, Pleasants Valley, Healdsburg.
How large was the LNU Lightning Complex?
363,220 acres, 1,491 structures destroyed, 6 fatalities, per public records as of 2026-10-02.
What caused the LNU Lightning Complex?
CAL FIRE lists the cause of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex in Northern California as lightning and arson. Most of its fires were started by dry lightning on August 16 and 17, 2020. One, the Markley Fire near Lake Berryessa, was set deliberately on August 18, 2020, according to the Solano County District Attorney.
Was anyone convicted for the Markley Fire?
Yes. The Solano County District Attorney states that the defendant in the Markley Fire case pleaded no contest and was found guilty on May 9, 2025 of arson and three murders, and was sentenced on August 14, 2025 to 73 years to life. The Markley Fire was part of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex.
How many people died in the LNU Lightning Complex?
CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists record six deaths in the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex. Its incident page and annual statistics from 2020 show five. Two of the deaths were residents who died in their homes in the Markley Fire in Solano County.
How big was the LNU Lightning Complex?
The 2020 LNU Lightning Complex burned 363,220 acres in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo, Solano and Colusa counties, California, and destroyed 1,491 structures. It ranks seventh on CAL FIRE's list of the largest California wildfires.
Is there an LNU Lightning Complex lawsuit?
We found no civil lawsuit over the cause of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex as of October 2, 2026. One federal case arising from losses in it is an insurance class action against State Farm General, No. 3:23-cv-00924 in the Northern District of California, in which a class was certified on July 15, 2025.
Sources
- LNU Lightning Complex incident record, CAL FIRE
- 2020 Fire Siege report, CAL FIRE
- Top 20 lists and annual statistics, linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- Defendant is Sentenced in the Markley Fire Case, Solano County District Attorney
- Effective Emergency Response Needs City and County Support, Solano County Civil Grand Jury
- Wildfires On The Horizon, Solano Homes At Risk!, Solano County Civil Grand Jury
- Order certifying class, No. 3:23-cv-00924, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- DR-4558-CA initial notice, FEMA
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.