Butte Fire

{{Short description|2015 wildfire in Amador County, California}}

{{about|the 2015 wildfire in Amador and Calaveras counties|the 2018 wildfire in Butte County, California|Camp Fire (2018)}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}}

{{Infobox wildfire

| title = Butte Fire

| image = Butte Fire Lavallie 538A3541-001.jpg

| caption =

| cost ={{Unbulleted list|$74.7{{nbsp}}million|(equivalent to about ${{Inflation|US-GDP|74.7|2015|fmt=c|r=1}}{{nbsp}}million in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}})}}

| injuries =

| fatalities = 2

| reference = {{cite web|title=Butte Fire|url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2015/9/9/butte-fire/|website=CAL FIRE|access-date=September 16, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.kcra.com/california-wildfires/calaveras-coroner-2-deaths-confirmed-in-butte-fire/35308128 |title=Calaveras Coroner: 2 residents killed in Butte Fire |website=www.kcra.com |publisher=KCRA |date=September 16, 2015 |first=Shawn |last=Brouwer |access-date=September 16, 2015}}

| date = {{Unbulleted list|{{Start date|2015|09|09}} – |{{End date|2015|10|01}}|({{age in days|2015|09|09|2015|10|01|show unit=full}})}}

| location = {{Unbulleted list|Amador County,|California,|United States}}

| coordinates = {{coord|38.32974|-120.70418|display=inline,title}}

| pushpin_map = USA California

| pushpin_map_caption = Location of fire in California

| area = {{convert|70868|acre|ha sqmi km2|0}}

| buildings = {{ubl|475 residences|343 outbuildings|45 structures damaged}}

|image_map=2015 Butte Fire map.png|image_map_caption=The footprint of the Butte Fire}}

The Butte Fire was a rapidly moving wildfire during the 2015 California wildfire season that started on September 9 in Amador County, California. The fire burned {{Convert|70,868|acre|km2|0}}.

The fire started at 2:26 P.M. on Wednesday, September 9, just east of Jackson, when a tree came into contact with a power line, and quickly grew to over {{convert|14,500|acres|km2|0}} by that evening.{{ cite news | last=Cowan | first=Jason | title=Judge orders PG&E liable for damages in 2015 Butte Fire | url=http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_35fc2466-5249-11e7-9eae-a70d0b3972bc.html | access-date=2017-10-10 | publisher=Calaveras Enterprise | date=2017-06-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902234626/http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_35fc2466-5249-11e7-9eae-a70d0b3972bc.html | archive-date=2017-09-02 | url-status=live }} By Thursday, the fire had spread into Calaveras County and more than doubled in size over {{convert|32,000|acres|km2|0}}.{{cite news|last1=Helsel|first1=Phil|title=California Town of 2,700 Warned Ahead of Explosive Wildfire|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/western-wildfires/california-wildfire-grows-more-50-000-acres-amid-heat-drought-n426121|access-date=September 13, 2015|agency=NBC News|date=September 11, 2015}} Officials stated that the fire was expanding in all directions and that efforts were being hampered by difficult topography.

Early on Friday, September 11, Cal Fire issued a mandatory evacuation for all of San Andreas, as the fire exploded again to {{convert|64,000|acres|km2|0}}, but at 4:30 P.M. PDT, that order was lifted.{{cite news|last1=Heise|first1=Sarah|title=San Andreas residents prepare to leave as wildfire surges|url=http://www.kcra.com/california-wildfires/butte-fire-in-foothills-explodes-doubling-in-size-overnight/35218074|access-date=September 12, 2015|agency=KCRA|date=September 11, 2015}} Officials from the Amador County Unified School District chose to close all schools in the district on Friday as well. Later that day, as the fire continued to grow, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Amador and Calaveras counties.{{cite news|last1=Serna|first1=Joseph|last2=Rocha|first2=Veronica|title=Brown declares state of emergency in 65,000-acre Gold Country fire|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-butte-fire-california-20150911-story.html|access-date=September 12, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 11, 2015}}

On September 16, the Calaveras County coroner announced that the bodies of two people had been found in the Mokelumne Hill and Mountain Ranch areas.

The total cost of fighting the Butte Fire was estimated by the National Interagency Fire Center at $74.7 million.{{Cite report |url=https://www.nifc.gov/sites/default/files/NICC/2-Predictive%20Services/Intelligence/Annual%20Reports/2015/annual_report_2015_508.pdf |title=Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Annual Report 2015 |last=National Interagency Coordination Center |date=2016 |publisher=National Interagency Fire Center |access-date=March 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302024606/https://www.nifc.gov/sites/default/files/NICC/2-Predictive%20Services/Intelligence/Annual%20Reports/2015/annual_report_2015_508.pdf |archive-date=March 2, 2024 |url-status=live}}{{rp|pages=|page=9}}