| Basin Complex Fire | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Basin Fire Burn Area at Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park, on September 1. | |
| Date(s) |
|
| Location | Monterey County, California |
| Statistics[1][2] | |
| Burned area | 162,818 acres (659 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | None reported |
| Non-fatal injuries | None reported |
| Damage | $120 million (2008 USD) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Lightning |
The Basin Complex Fire was a massive wildfire near Big Sur that ignited on June 21, 2008, and was the result of a lightning strike. It eventually grew to 162,818 acres (658.90 km2), becoming the second-largest wildfire of the 2008 California wildfire season and burning most of the Ventana Wilderness. State and federal officials spent more than $120 million to fight the fire, making it the most expensive fire in California history up to that point and the second most expensive in U.S. history, exceeded only by the Biscuit Fire in 2002.[3] Eventually, the Thomas Fire surpassed the Basin Complex Fire in firefighting costs as well.
- ^ "Top 20 Largest California Wildfires" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ "Inciweb: Basin Complex". InciWeb. Archived from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Basin Complex Fire (Reposted)". Western Institute for Study of the Environment. W.I.S.E. Fire Tracking. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2011.