# Butte Fire

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2015 wildfire in Amador County, California

This article is about the 2015 wildfire in Amador and Calaveras counties. For the 2018 wildfire in [Butte County, California](/source/Butte_County%2C_California), see [Camp Fire (2018)](/source/Camp_Fire_(2018)).

Butte Fire Date September 9, 2015 (2015-09-09) – October 1, 2015 (2015-10-01) (22 days) Location Amador County, California, United States Coordinates 38°19′47″N 120°42′15″W / 38.32974°N 120.70418°W / 38.32974; -120.70418 Statistics Burned area 70,868 acres (28,679 ha; 111 sq mi; 287 km2) Impacts Deaths 2 Cost $74.7 million (equivalent to about $96.3 million in 2024) Map The footprint of the Butte Fire Location within California

The **Butte Fire** was a rapidly moving wildfire during the [2015 California wildfire season](/source/2015_California_wildfire_season) that started on September 9 in [Amador County](/source/Amador_County%2C_California), [California](/source/California).[1] The fire burned 70,868 acres (287 km2).

The fire started at 2:26 P.M. on Wednesday, September 9, just east of [Jackson](/source/Jackson%2C_California), when a tree came into contact with a power line. Over the next hours, it grew to over 14,500 acres (59 km2). The next day, it had reached 32,000 acres (129 km2).[3] Officials stated that the fire was expanding in all directions and that efforts were being hampered by difficult [topography](/source/Topography).[3]

Early on Friday, September 11, [Cal Fire](/source/Cal_Fire) issued a mandatory evacuation for all of [San Andreas](/source/San_Andreas%2C_California), as the fire exploded again to 64,000 acres (259 km2), but at 4:30 P.M. PDT, that order was lifted.[4] Officials from the [Amador County Unified School District](/source/Amador_County_Unified_School_District) chose to close all schools in the district on Friday as well.[4] Later that day, as the fire continued to grow, [Governor Jerry Brown](/source/Governor_Jerry_Brown) declared a [state of emergency](/source/State_of_emergency) in [Amador](/source/Amador_County%2C_California) and [Calaveras](/source/Calaveras_County%2C_California) counties.[5]

On September 16, the Calaveras County coroner announced that the bodies of two people had been found in the [Mokelumne Hill](/source/Mokelumne_Hill) and [Mountain Ranch](/source/Mountain_Ranch) areas.[2]

The total cost of fighting the Butte Fire was estimated by the [National Interagency Fire Center](/source/National_Interagency_Fire_Center) at $74.7 million.[6]: 9

## Wildfire victim claims

Building burned down by the Butte Fire

On June 22, 2017, Sacramento Judge Allen Sumner ruled that because "...the Butte Fire was caused by a public improvement as deliberately designed and constructed by [Pacific Gas and Electric Company](/source/Pacific_Gas_and_Electric_Company)," the company is liable for all property damages caused by the fire.[7]

On July 1, 2020, the PG&E [Fire Victim Trust](/source/Camp_Fire_(2018)#Fire_Victim_Trust) (FVT) was established as part of the reorganization plan[8] of the [2019 bankruptcy of PG&E](/source/Camp_Fire_(2018)#PG&E_bankruptcy) to administer the claims of the wildfire victims.[9][10] Also on July 1, PG&E funded the Fire Victim Trust (FVT) with $5.4 billion in cash and 22.19% of stock in the reorganized PG&E, which covers most of the obligations of its settlement for the wildfire victims.[11][12][13] PG&E has two more payments totaling $1.35 billion in cash, scheduled to be paid in January 2021 and January 2022, to complete its obligations to the wildfire victims.[14]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cdf_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cdf_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-cdf_1-2) ["Butte Fire"](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2015/9/9/butte-fire/). *[CAL FIRE](/source/CAL_FIRE)*. Retrieved April 12, 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-KCRA_20150916_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-KCRA_20150916_2-1) Brouwer, Shawn (September 16, 2015). ["Calaveras Coroner: 2 residents killed in Butte Fire"](https://www.kcra.com/california-wildfires/calaveras-coroner-2-deaths-confirmed-in-butte-fire/35308128). *www.kcra.com*. KCRA. Retrieved September 16, 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nbc-warning_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nbc-warning_3-1) Helsel, Phil (September 11, 2015). ["California Town of 2,700 Warned Ahead of Explosive Wildfire"](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/western-wildfires/california-wildfire-grows-more-50-000-acres-amid-heat-drought-n426121). [NBC News](/source/NBC_News). Retrieved September 13, 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kcra_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kcra_4-1) Heise, Sarah (September 11, 2015). ["San Andreas residents prepare to leave as wildfire surges"](https://www.kcra.com/california-wildfires/butte-fire-in-foothills-explodes-doubling-in-size-overnight/35218074). [KCRA](/source/KCRA). Retrieved September 12, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Serna, Joseph; Rocha, Veronica (September 11, 2015). ["Brown declares state of emergency in 65,000-acre Gold Country fire"](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-butte-fire-california-20150911-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. Retrieved September 12, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** National Interagency Coordination Center (2016). [Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Annual Report 2015](https://www.nifc.gov/sites/default/files/NICC/2-Predictive%20Services/Intelligence/Annual%20Reports/2015/annual_report_2015_508.pdf) (PDF) (Report). [National Interagency Fire Center](/source/National_Interagency_Fire_Center). [Archived](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) (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cause_and_court_decision_7-0)** Cowan, Jason (June 28, 2017). ["Judge orders PG&E liable for damages in 2015 Butte Fire"](http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_35fc2466-5249-11e7-9eae-a70d0b3972bc.html). Calaveras Enterprise. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170902234626/http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_35fc2466-5249-11e7-9eae-a70d0b3972bc.html) from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pc_031720_pp_8-0)** PG&E (March 17, 2020). ["Disclosure Statement to the Plan"](https://restructuring.primeclerk.com/pge/Home-DownloadPDF?id1=MzM5MzQx&id2=0) (PDF download). *Prime Clerk*. pp. 24–29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bw_082120_9-0)** ["PG&E Fire Victim Trust Begins Accepting Online Claims From California Wildfire Victims"](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200821005088/en/). *[businesswire](/source/Businesswire)*. August 21, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fvt_faq_081720_10-0)** ["Fire Victim Trust - Frequently Asked Questions"](https://www.firevictimtrust.com/Docs/FAQs.pdf) (PDF). *firevictimtrust.com*. August 17, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nyt_070120_11-0)** Penn, Ivan (July 1, 2020). ["PG&E, Troubled California Utility, Emerges From Bankruptcy"](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/business/energy-environment/pge-bankruptcy-ends.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cns_070120_12-0)** Iovino, Nicholas (July 1, 2020). ["PG&E Emerges From Chapter 11 Bankruptcy"](https://www.courthousenews.com/pge-emerges-from-chapter-11-bankruptcy/). *[Courthouse News Service](/source/Courthouse_News_Service)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-prn_070120_13-0)** ["Fire Victim Trust Funded July 1st"](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fire-victim-trust-funded-july-1st-301087017.html). *[PR Newswire](/source/PR_Newswire)*. July 1, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cns_061220_14-0)** Iovino, Nicholas (June 12, 2020). ["PG&E Boosts Stock for Fire Victims in Bankruptcy Case"](https://www.courthousenews.com/pge-boosts-stock-for-fire-victims-in-bankruptcy-case/). *[Courthouse News Service](/source/Courthouse_News_Service)*.

v t e California wildfires Pre-2007 Santiago Canyon (1889) Berkeley (1923) Matilija (1932) Griffith Park (1933) Rattlesnake (1953) Harlow (1961) Bel Air (1961) Loop (1966) Laguna (1970) Clampitt (1970) Marble Cone (1977) Agoura-Malibu (1978) Panorama (1980) 49er (1988) Painted Cave (1990) Tunnel (1991) Fountain (1992) Cleveland (1992) Kinneloa (1993) Laguna (1993) Mount Vision (1995) Pendola (1999) Jones (1999) Storrie (2000) Poe (2001) Wolf (2002) Copper (2002) Biscuit (2002) McNally (2002) Curve (2002) Williams (2002) Old (2003) Simi (2003) Cedar (2003) Power (2004) Rumsey (2004) Topanga (2005) Sawtooth Complex (2006) Day (2006) Esperanza (2006) 2007 Island Angora Zaca Moonlight October 2007 wildfires Buckweed Harris Witch Santiago Rice Corral 2008 Summit Indians Basin Complex Klamath Theater Complex Gap Telegraph Sesnon Tea Sayre Freeway Complex 2009 Jesusita La Brea Lockheed Station Guiberson 2010 Bull West Crown 2011 Lion Comanche Complex 2012 Reading Chips Barry Point Rush Ponderosa 2013 Summit Springs Powerhouse Mountain Silver Rim Clover 2014 Colby Etiwanda May 2014 San Diego County wildfires Tomahawk Poinsettia Cocos Shirley Butts Bully Happy Camp Complex Meadow King Boles 2015 Round Lake North Wragg Rocky Mad River Complex Humboldt Complex Frog Rough Jerusalem Cuesta Butte Valley Tassajara 2016 Sherpa Border San Gabriel Complex Erskine Trailhead Sand Soberanes Cold Pilot Chimney Clayton Blue Cut Rey Bogart Canyon Loma 2017 Gate Holcomb Schaeffer Salmon August Complex Manzanita Winters Alamo Wall Whittier Garza Detwiler Empire Parker 2 Young Pier Railroad Ponderosa Mud Slinkard Helena La Tuna Palmer Mission October 2017 Northern California wildfires Atlas Tubbs Canyon 2 December 2017 Southern California wildfires Thomas Creek Rye Skirball Lilac 2018 Lions Lane Pawnee Waverly County Klamathon Valley Georges Ferguson Natchez Carr Cranston Mendocino Complex Whaleback Donnell Holy Hirz Delta Camp Woolsey 2019 Sand West Butte Tucker Mountain Tenaja Walker Taboose Lime Red Bank South Lone Sandalwood Saddleridge Nustar Kincade Tick Getty Easy Maria 2020 Quail Grant Crews Soledad Mineral 2020 Lassen County wildfires Gold Loyalton Red Salmon Complex Apple August 2020 lightning wildfires Lake Dome River CZU Lightning Complex SCU Lightning Complex August Complex LNU Lightning Complex North Complex SQF Complex Dolan Creek El Dorado Bobcat Slater/Devil Oak Glass Zogg Silverado Mountain View Bond 2021 Palisades Willow Lava Tennant Salt Beckwourth Complex Tamarack Dixie McFarland Monument River Complex McCash Antelope River Caldor French KNP Complex Windy Fawn 2022 Colorado Electra Washburn Oak McKinney Red Route Border 32 Mill Fairview Mosquito SRF Lightning Complex 2023 Rabbit Deep Pika York 2024 Corral Lake Post Point Thompson SQF Lightning Complex Borel Basin Park Nixon Pedro Boise Coffee Pot Line Bridge Airport Horseshoe Mountain Franklin 2025 January 2025 Southern California wildfires Palisades Eaton Madre Orleans Complex Gifford Canyon Pickett Little TCU September Pack 2026 Sandy Fire Santa Rosa Island Fire Category

v t e Wildfires in 2015 Africa 2015 Western Cape fire season America 2015 California wildfires 2015 Washington wildfires 2015 Canadian wildfires 2015 Oregon wildfires Round Lake North Wragg Frog Rough Jerusalem Cuesta Butte Valley Tassajara Asia 2015 Southeast Asian haze Europe 2015 Russian wildfires Oceania 2015 Pinery bushfire 2015–16 Australian bushfire season 2015 Western Cape fire season 2015 Sampson Flat bushfires ◀ 2014 2016 ▶

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Butte Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte_Fire) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte_Fire?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.