Carr Fire (2018)
Shasta County (Redding), California · Jul 23, 2018 – Aug 30, 2018
Produced one of the only documented true fire tornadoes in the U.S.Acres burned
229,651
Lives lost
8
Structures destroyed
1,614
Year
2018
Duration
~5 weeks
What happened
The Carr Fire swept into Redding in July 2018 and generated a rare, deadly fire tornado with winds over 140 mph. It killed eight people and destroyed more than 1,600 structures.
Cause
Vehicle mechanical failure (sparks)
Location
Shasta County (Redding), California
Key facts
- ▪Produced a documented fire tornado (~143 mph winds)
- ▪Sparked by a vehicle’s flat tire rim on pavement
- ▪8 deaths
- ▪Burned into the city of Redding
Replay the Carr Fire in the spread simulator
This centers the wildfire-spread simulator on the Carr Fire’s documented ignition point and replays its conditions on 2018-07-23 — the day’s strongest wind, temperature, and humidity from the open-meteo historical archive (which set the fire-day fuel moisture) — run through the same Rothermel surface-fire model used across FireRisk. Press ▶ Simulate to watch how fire tends to move under those conditions.
⚠️ Educational reconstruction — not the real fire perimeter
This is a simplified model of how fire spreads under the 2018 conditions, not the Carr Fire’s actual burned area, official progression, or a prediction of any current fire. It cannot account for real fuels, suppression, spotting, or how conditions changed hour to hour. For real-time fire information always follow Watch Duty, official agencies, and local authorities — and call 911 in an emergency.
Loading the 2018 fire-day conditions…
Reminder: an educational reconstruction of fire spread under the 2018 conditions — not the Carr Fire’s actual perimeter, an official record, or a forecast. Modeled spread, direction, and timing are illustrative only. Never rely on it for any safety decision.
Aftermath & what changed
The Carr Fire’s EF-3-strength fire tornado advanced the science of fire-generated vortices and underscored that even a mundane ignition can become catastrophic under extreme heat and fuels.
Could your home survive a fire like the Carr Fire?
Check your address for a 0–100 wildfire risk score, every fire recorded nearby, and the hardening steps that change the outcome.
Related major fires
Carr Fire FAQ
When was the Carr Fire and where did it burn?
The Carr Fire started Jul 23, 2018 in Shasta County (Redding), California, and was contained Aug 30, 2018.
How many acres did the Carr Fire burn?
The Carr Fire burned approximately 229,651 acres.
How many people died in the Carr Fire?
Approximately 8 people died in the Carr Fire.
What caused the Carr Fire?
Vehicle mechanical failure (sparks).
Figures are approximate and compiled from official agency reporting; totals for recent fires may still be revised. FireRisk.ai is an independent wildfire-risk service.