Big Basin Redwoods State Park
CZU August Lightning Complex Fire
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Like Nothing We Have Ever Experienced
Big Basin Redwoods State Park contains more than 18,000 acres of redwood forest including the largest ancient redwood grove south of San Francisco.
As the wildfire approached the park in August 2020, millions braced themselves for what was to come. Photographs began to emerge showing devastating structural losses including the destruction of the park’s historic headquarters, campgrounds, and our newly renovated Nature Museum scheduled to reopen in early 2021.
Thankfully, reports also indicated that most of the massive redwoods survived; however, the park’s infrastructure is gone. We are committed to helping to restore this beloved park and we need your help.
Join us in laying the groundwork for reimagining this iconic park. Together, we can help Big Basin Redwoods State Park recover and thrive once again.
Photo by Danny Halvorson
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© California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020. These images MAY NOT BE REDISTRIBUTED for commercial use, such as in commercial books, textbooks, poster...
Big Basin Speaks
On August 16th 2020, a rare, dry storm produced over 11,000 bolts of lightning, igniting hundreds of fires across California. Some of these fires merged and became known as the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. The CZU fire devastated Big Basin Redwoods State Park, a place dearly loved by so many around the world. We mark the one-year anniversary of full containment of this fire, allowing for meaningful recovery efforts to begin within Big Basin. The team of California State Parks staff who created this film want to lend a feeling of hope for the future by providing an artistic glimpse into the heart of Big Basin itself.
Downed trees at entrance of Highway 236. © California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020.
Damage at the park's amphitheater. © California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020.
Some of the tree foliage burned while others were undamaged. © California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020.
Damaged Gazos Bridge at North Escape Road. © California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020.
View of burned trees looking northwest from Eagle Repeater into the basin. © California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020.
Burned down Gatehouse. © California State Parks, all rights reserved. 2020.
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