The North Complex (2020) was a California wildfire in Plumas, Butte & Yuba Counties, with 318,935 acres, 2,352 structures destroyed, 16 deaths on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. No known litigation. Status as of October 1, 2026.
The North Complex burned 318,935 acres in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties in 2020. Most of that was forest, but on the night of September 8 a wind-driven run destroyed the communities of Berry Creek and Feather Falls and killed 16 people.
It was started by lightning. That one fact explains why this record looks different from the utility fires in this database: there is no company whose equipment caused it, and we have found no lawsuit over it. The Los Angeles Times, reporting from Berry Creek five years later, quoted county officials making the same point, that residents had no deep-pocketed party to sue.
There has been criticism of how the fire was managed in the three weeks before it reached homes. The Bear Fire burned on national forest land from August 17, and the Los Angeles Times reported that the Forest Service decided to let it burn in an unpopulated river canyon, where fighting it could have put firefighters at risk. We searched for claims or lawsuits against the federal government over that decision and found none on the public record as of the date on this page.
The consequence shows in the recovery. The Times found that only about 5 percent of the homes destroyed in Berry Creek had been rebuilt by September 2025, the lowest rate of any major California wildfire in its analysis.
Official counts differ. The Butte County Sheriff and the Forest Service count 16 deaths; CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists show 15. CAL FIRE's lists show 2,352 structures destroyed; its 2020 Fire Siege report gives 2,455.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2020-08-17 |
| Containment date | 2020-12-03 |
| Region / counties | Plumas, Butte, Yuba |
| Acreage | 318,935 |
| Structures destroyed | 2,352 |
| Structures damaged | 113 |
| Fatalities | 16 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Cause
Lightning. The fires that became the North Complex were started by lightning on August 17, 2020 in the Plumas National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and CAL FIRE lists the same cause. One of them, the Bear Fire, began near Bucks Lake and burned in a remote river canyon for three weeks before a wind event on September 8 drove it into populated areas. No person, company or utility has been named as responsible for starting it.
What happened
Lightning started the fires on August 17, 2020. On the morning of September 8, Plumas National Forest officials told CAL FIRE that the Bear Fire had escaped its containment lines. Evacuation orders went out for Clipper Mills and Feather Falls at 12:52 PM and for Berry Creek, Brush Creek and Forbestown at 3:16 PM. The fire reached Feather Falls that evening and was spotting into Berry Creek by 9:00 PM. About 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings the next day. The Butte County Sheriff attributed 16 deaths to the fire, the last a Berry Creek man who died of his burns on October 21. The complex was declared fully contained on December 3, 2020 at 318,935 acres.
North Complex timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
Lightning starts the fires of the North Complex in the Plumas National Forest.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Plumas National Forest, archived copy
Federal major disaster DR-4558-CA is declared for the California wildfires.
Source: FEMA
Forest officials report the Bear Fire has escaped its containment lines; evacuation orders follow for Feather Falls, Clipper Mills, Berry Creek, Brush Creek and Forbestown.
Source: CAL FIRE, 2020 Fire Siege report
The Butte County Sheriff reports the first deaths; about 20,000 people are under evacuation orders or warnings.
Source: SFGate
A 15th death is confirmed.
Source: Los Angeles Times
A Berry Creek man burned on September 8 dies in hospital, the 16th death attributed to the fire.
Source: Los Angeles Times
The North Complex is declared 100 percent contained at 318,935 acres.
Source: U.S. Forest Service, Plumas National Forest, archived copy
It is reported that about 5 percent of the homes destroyed in Berry Creek have been rebuilt.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Litigation status
No known litigation. Status as of October 1, 2026.
We found no lawsuit and no government tort claim over the North Complex Fire in the public sources we searched as of October 1, 2026. The fire was caused by lightning, so there is no utility defendant, no regulatory enforcement case and no criminal case. We looked specifically for claims against the U.S. Forest Service over its handling of the Bear Fire between August 17 and September 8, 2020, and found none reported. A federal court docket search turned up no damages case over this fire. County superior court records were not searched.
No known litigation is a statement about the public record and our search of it as of the status date. It is not a finding that no case exists or could exist, and nothing here describes any individual situation.
Court & regulatory record
- North Complex incident page, final update (archived December 10, 2020) , U.S. Forest Service, Plumas National Forest
- 2020 Fire Siege report , CAL FIRE
- Disaster declaration DR-4558-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 | 318,935 | U.S. Forest Service, December 4, 2020 |
| Deaths, sheriff and Forest Service count | 16 | U.S. Forest Service, December 4, 2020 |
| Deaths, Top 20 lists | 15 | CAL FIRE, August 4, 2026 |
| Structures destroyed, Top 20 lists | 2,352 | CAL FIRE, August 4, 2026 |
| Structures damaged or destroyed, Forest Service | 2,455 | U.S. Forest Service, December 4, 2020 |
| People under evacuation orders or warnings | About 20,000 | SFGate, September 9, 2020 |
| Share of destroyed Berry Creek homes rebuilt | About 5 percent | Los Angeles Times, September 30, 2025 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the North Complex. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Sep 30, 2025‘Now there is nothing for us’: Towns disappear when wildfire survivors can’t rebuildLos Angeles Times
- Oct 29, 2020North Complex fire claims its 16th victim, Berry Creek man who was burned 6 weeks agoLos Angeles Times
- Sep 16, 2020Sheriff IDs 2 more people killed in Butte County wildfireKCRA
- Sep 15, 202015 fatalities confirmed. North Complex now among state’s top 5 deadliest firesLos Angeles Times
- Sep 11, 2020Death toll in North Complex West Zone Fire falls to 9The Mercury News
- Sep 11, 2020‘There was no fighting this fire,’ California survivor saysAssociated Press
- Sep 9, 2020As Bear Fire Tears Through Butte County, Berry Creek Residents Fear Their Town Is GoneCapRadio
Common questions about the North Complex
What caused the North Complex?
Lightning. The fires that became the North Complex were started by lightning on August 17, 2020 in the Plumas National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and CAL FIRE lists the same cause. One of them, the Bear Fire, began near Bucks Lake and burned in a remote river canyon for three weeks before a wind event on September 8 drove it into populated areas. No person, company or utility has been named as responsible for starting it.
Is there litigation over the North Complex?
No known litigation. Status as of October 1, 2026.
What areas did the North Complex affect?
The North Complex (Plumas, Butte & Yuba Counties) affected communities including Berry Creek, Feather Falls, Brush Creek, Clipper Mills, Forbestown.
How large was the North Complex?
318,935 acres, 2,352 structures destroyed, 16 fatalities, per public records as of 2026-10-01.
How many people died in the North Complex Fire?
The Butte County Sheriff and the U.S. Forest Service attribute 16 deaths to the 2020 North Complex Fire, most of them residents of Berry Creek. CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists show 15. The 16th person, a Berry Creek man burned on September 8, 2020, died in hospital on October 21, 2020.
How many acres and structures did the North Complex Fire burn?
The 2020 North Complex Fire burned 318,935 acres in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties, California. CAL FIRE's Top 20 lists show 2,352 structures destroyed; the Forest Service's final update lists 2,455 structures damaged or destroyed.
What caused the North Complex Fire?
Lightning. The fires that made up the 2020 North Complex were started by lightning on August 17, 2020 in the Plumas National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service and CAL FIRE. No utility or person was found to have caused it.
Is there a North Complex Fire lawsuit?
We have found no lawsuit over the 2020 North Complex Fire as of October 1, 2026. The fire was caused by lightning, so there is no utility defendant, and we found no reported claim against the U.S. Forest Service over its handling of the fire before it reached Berry Creek.
When did the North Complex Fire reach Berry Creek?
The North Complex Fire reached Feather Falls at about 8:20 PM on September 8, 2020 and was spotting into the Berry Creek area by 9:00 PM, according to CAL FIRE's 2020 Fire Siege report. Evacuation orders for Berry Creek had been issued at 3:16 PM that day.
Sources
- North Complex incident page, final update, U.S. Forest Service, Plumas National Forest, archived copy
- 2020 Fire Siege report, CAL FIRE
- Top 20 Most Destructive, Largest and Deadliest California Wildfires, linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- Disaster declaration DR-4558-CA, FEMA
- North Complex fire claims its 16th victim, Los Angeles Times
- Towns disappear when wildfire survivors can’t rebuild, Los Angeles Times
- Butte County Sheriff's Office: 3 dead, at least 12 missing in Bear Fire, SFGate
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.