The SCU Lightning Complex (2020) was a California wildfire in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties, with 396,625 acres, 225 structures destroyed, 0 deaths on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. No known litigation. Status as of October 2, 2026.
The SCU Lightning Complex burned about 396,600 acres of the Diablo Range across five counties in August and September 2020. It is fifth on CAL FIRE's list of the largest California wildfires. It burned mostly remote rangeland: 225 structures were destroyed and nobody died.
It was started by lightning. A dry thunderstorm on August 16, 2020 lit at least 18 separate fires east of San Jose, and they merged over the following week.
Because the cause was natural, there is no company or person to hold responsible, and we found no lawsuit over the fire. PG&E's and Edison's filings with the SEC do not mention it, and the Public Utilities Commission lists no investigation of it.
The losses that drew the most attention were to ranching. A University of California Cooperative Extension adviser estimated $60 million in losses to ranchers in the coast range, counting forage, fencing, livestock and stock ponds, according to the Modesto Bee; a later University of California report put damage at nearly $26 million, according to CBS San Francisco. CAL FIRE lit backfires in Henry W. Coe State Park and on surrounding ranch land during the fight. We found no claim or lawsuit arising from those operations.
CAL FIRE publishes two figures for structures destroyed: 225 on its incident page, annual statistics and Top 20 list, and 222 in its 2020 Fire Siege report. Its acreage figures differ by one acre, 396,624 and 396,625.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2020-08-16 |
| Containment date | 2020-10-01 |
| Region / counties | Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus |
| Acreage | 396,625 |
| Structures destroyed | 225 |
| Structures damaged | 26 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Last verified | 2026-10-02 |
Cause
Lightning. CAL FIRE lists the cause of the SCU Lightning Complex as lightning in its annual statistics and on its Top 20 list. Its 2020 Fire Siege report says a dry lightning event swept the region in the early morning of Sunday, August 16, 2020, and that at least 18 fires were identified in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. No person, company or utility has been named as responsible.
What happened
The fires started on the morning of August 16, 2020 and were managed as one complex in three zones, called Deer, Canyon and Calaveras. More than 20,000 residents had been evacuated by August 21, according to CBS San Francisco. The fire reached Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, where one vacant residence was destroyed and most structures were saved. No one died. CAL FIRE's incident page lists six injuries and records containment on October 1, 2020.
SCU Lightning Complex timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
A dry lightning storm starts at least 18 fires in the Diablo Range.
Source: CAL FIRE, 2020 Fire Siege report
The fire reaches Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton; one vacant residence is destroyed.
Source: The Mercury News
FEMA approves a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the fire in Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties.
Federal major disaster DR-4558-CA is declared for the California wildfires.
Source: FEMA
CAL FIRE announces backfire operations in Henry W. Coe State Park and surrounding ranch lands.
Source: CBS San Francisco
Santa Clara County is added to the federal declaration for Individual Assistance.
Source: FEMA, Federal Register
CAL FIRE records the complex as contained.
Source: CAL FIRE
Litigation status
No known litigation. Status as of October 2, 2026.
We found no lawsuit, government claim or cost recovery action over the SCU Lightning Complex in the public sources we searched as of October 2, 2026. The fire was caused by lightning, so there is no utility defendant, no regulatory enforcement case and no criminal case. We searched federal court records on CourtListener, which returned no case about the fire; PG&E's and Edison's annual and quarterly reports, which do not mention it; the Public Utilities Commission's wildfire investigations page, which has no entry for it; and the archives of the Mercury News, East Bay Times, Modesto Bee, San Francisco Chronicle and Bay Area television stations. The superior court indexes of the five counties and the state Government Claims Program 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
- SCU Lightning Complex incident record , CAL FIRE
- 2020 Fire Siege report , CAL FIRE
- California; Amendment No. 5 to Notice of a Major Disaster Declaration, adding Santa Clara County , Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Register
- FM-5338-CA, SCU Lightning Complex Fire, Fire Management Assistance declaration , 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 | 396,625 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Rank among largest California wildfires | 5th | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Structures destroyed | 225 | CAL FIRE, October 21, 2022 |
| Structures destroyed, 2020 Fire Siege report | 222 | CAL FIRE, December 31, 2020 |
| Structures damaged | 26 | CAL FIRE, October 21, 2022 |
| Deaths | 0 | CAL FIRE, October 2, 2024 |
| Injuries | 6 | CAL FIRE, October 21, 2022 |
| Residents evacuated by August 21, 2020 | More than 20,000 | CBS San Francisco, August 21, 2020 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the SCU Lightning Complex. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Sep 29, 2020FEMA Aid Approved For Santa Clara Co. Residents Impacted By SCU Lightning FiresCBS San Francisco
- Sep 13, 2020Crews on edge of containing massive SCU Lightning Complex, third-largest wildfire in recorded California historyThe Mercury News
- Sep 13, 2020SCU Complex: Over 396,000 Acres Burned, Containment Now at 98%NBC Bay Area
- Sep 13, 2020Fire officials nearing full containment of SCU complex fireKTVU
- Sep 3, 2020When could Bay Area’s biggest fires be contained? Cal Fire updates its estimates as Labor Day nearsSan Francisco Chronicle
- Aug 31, 2020Del Puerto Canyon wildfire surveys estimate ranching losses from SCU Lightning ComplexThe Modesto Bee
- Aug 27, 2020SCU Lightning Complex Update: 'Fire To Fight Fire' In Henry Coe State Park; Gusty Winds, Low Humidity Challenge CrewsCBS San Francisco
- Aug 26, 2020In California’s largest wildfire, one ‘brother’ barely saves anotherThe Mercury News
- Aug 25, 2020SCU Lightning Complex: Wildfire Spares Historic Lick Observatory Atop Mt. Hamilton Thanks To Brave Team WorkCBS San Francisco
- Aug 20, 2020Dramatic video: Lick Observatory amid the flamesThe Mercury News
Common questions about the SCU Lightning Complex
What caused the SCU Lightning Complex?
Lightning. CAL FIRE lists the cause of the SCU Lightning Complex as lightning in its annual statistics and on its Top 20 list. Its 2020 Fire Siege report says a dry lightning event swept the region in the early morning of Sunday, August 16, 2020, and that at least 18 fires were identified in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. No person, company or utility has been named as responsible.
Is there litigation over the SCU Lightning Complex?
No known litigation. Status as of October 2, 2026.
What areas did the SCU Lightning Complex affect?
The SCU Lightning Complex (Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties) affected communities including Mount Hamilton, San Antonio Valley, Del Puerto Canyon, Henry W. Coe State Park.
How large was the SCU Lightning Complex?
396,625 acres, 225 structures destroyed, 0 fatalities, per public records as of 2026-10-02.
What caused the SCU Lightning Complex?
Lightning. CAL FIRE lists lightning as the cause of the 2020 SCU Lightning Complex in the Diablo Range east of San Jose, California. A dry lightning storm on August 16, 2020 started at least 18 fires that merged into the complex.
How big was the SCU Lightning Complex?
The 2020 SCU Lightning Complex burned about 396,625 acres in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, California. It ranks fifth on CAL FIRE's list of the largest California wildfires. It destroyed 225 structures and caused no deaths.
Is there an SCU Lightning Complex lawsuit?
We have found no lawsuit over the 2020 SCU Lightning Complex as of October 2, 2026. The fire was caused by lightning, so there is no utility defendant, and searches of federal court records and Bay Area news archives returned no case over the fire.
Was Lick Observatory damaged in the SCU Lightning Complex?
The 2020 SCU Lightning Complex burned onto the grounds of Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California. According to the Mercury News, fire crews saved most of the structures, one vacant residence was destroyed, and others had smoke and water damage.
When was the SCU Lightning Complex contained?
CAL FIRE's incident page records the SCU Lightning Complex as contained on October 1, 2020, 46 days after it started on August 16, 2020. Its annual statistics give September 15, 2020.
Sources
- SCU Lightning Complex incident record, CAL FIRE
- 2020 Fire Siege report, CAL FIRE
- Top 20 Largest California Wildfires and annual statistics, linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- Disaster declaration DR-4558-CA, FEMA
- Amendment No. 5 to the major disaster declaration, Federal Register
- FM-5338-CA, SCU Lightning Complex Fire, FEMA
- Wildfire staff investigations, California Public Utilities Commission
- Del Puerto Canyon wildfire surveys estimate ranching losses from SCU Lightning Complex, The Modesto Bee
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.