Orleans Complex Fire

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Orleans Complex Fire
Part of the 2025 California wildfires
Smoke from the Orleans Complex and the nearby Green Fire seen on satellite imagery
Date(s)July 3, 2025 (2025-07-03) – Present
LocationOrleans, California & Six Rivers National Forest
Coordinates41°24′20″N 123°35′20″W / 41.40556°N 123.58889°W / 41.40556; -123.58889
Statistics
Burned area22,117 acres (8,950 ha)
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries3 firefighters
Ignition
CauseLightning
Map
Orleans Complex Fire is located in California
Orleans Complex Fire
Location in northern California

The Orleans Complex Fire is a wildfire burning near Orleans, California, in Six Rivers National Forest that began on July 3, 2025. The complex fire is made up of the Butler Fire and the Red Fire that both began in early July.[1] As of August 11, the fire had so far burned 22,117 acres (8,950 ha) and was 81% contained.[2]

Background

[edit]

A Red flag warning, issued by the National Weather Service, was impactful in the early days of the Orleans Complex Fire—indicating a volatile mix of hot temperatures, low relative humidity, and gusty outflow winds—conditions primed for extreme fire behavior.[3]

The Orleans Complex—comprising the Butler Fire and the Red Fire—both began in early July and quickly coalesced. The smoke plume was visible regionally by mid-July as they burned through mixed timber and brush fuels with lower moisture levels, thanks to lingering regional drought conditions.[citation needed]

Lightning was confirmed as the ignition source for the Complex, consistent with the lightning ignition patterns seen across Northern California that month.[citation needed] Over its first week, the fire expanded steadily—surpassing 15,700 acres burned with negligible containment—prompting widespread evacuation orders, road closures, and community alerts.[4][5]

Events

[edit]

July

[edit]

The Orleans Complex Fire was first reported on July 3, 2025, at around 6:00 pm PST.[2]

On July 19, 3 firefighters were hospitalized after a tree fell on them while battling the Butler Fire.[6][7]

Cause

[edit]

The cause of the fire is confirmed to be lightning. [8]

Impact

[edit]

Closures and evacuations

[edit]

On July 7, after the Butler Fire ignited in Six Rivers National Forest, the first evacuation orders were issued.[9]

Six Rivers National Forest and Klamath National Forests issued a joint closure order that affects the Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds.[10]

On July 15, the evacuation zone was expanded to include the entire community of Forks of Salmon.[9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Butler Fire jumps Salmon River, new evacuations ordered". KRCR. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Orleans Complex Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System". inciweb.wildfire.gov. July 20, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  3. ^ "Crews Continue Work on Orleans Complex as Red Flag Warning Issued". July 30, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  4. ^ "California wildfires: Three firefighters injured…". July 19, 2025.
  5. ^ "Two Northern California wildfires burn 16,000 acres…". July 13, 2025.
  6. ^ Sistek, Scott (July 19, 2025). "3 firefighters injured by falling tree while battling California wildfire". FOX Weather. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  7. ^ Horvath, Timea (July 18, 2025). "Three firefighters injured while fighting the Butler Fire". KRCR. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  8. ^ "Several evacuation zones have been downgraded for Butler Fire". www.kdrv.com. KDRV. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Map: Butler Fire evacuation zone expanded". Marin Independent Journal. July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  10. ^ Anderson, Will (July 17, 2025). "Orleans Complex: 10,949 acres burned, new evacuation orders as Butler Fire crosses river". Action News Now. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
[edit]