| Orleans Complex Fire | |
|---|---|
| Part of the2025 California wildfires | |
.jpg) Smoke from the Orleans Complex and the nearby Green Fire seen on satellite imagery | |
| Date(s) | July 3, 2025 (2025-07-03) – Present |
| Location | Orleans, California &Six Rivers National Forest |
| Coordinates | 41°24′20″N123°35′20″W / 41.40556°N 123.58889°W /41.40556; -123.58889 |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 22,117 acres (8,950 ha) |
| Impacts | |
| Non-fatal injuries | 3 firefighters |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Map | |
  Location in northern California | |
TheOrleans Complex Fire is a wildfire burning nearOrleans, California, inSix 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]
ARed flag warning, issued by theNational Weather Service, was impactful in the early days of the Orleans Complex Fire—indicating a volatile mix of hot temperatures, low relativehumidity, 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 mixedtimber and brush fuels with lowermoisture levels, thanks to lingering regionaldrought conditions.[citation needed]
Lightning was confirmed as the ignition source for the Complex, consistent with the lightning ignition patterns seen acrossNorthern 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]
The confirmed cause of the Orleans Complex Fire, including the Butler Fire, was lightning. This is consistent with the region’s history of dry thunderstorms during summer months, which often spark wildfires in forested areas. The fire’s rapid spread and difficult terrain made containment efforts extremely challenging.[6][7]
The Orleans Complex Fire was first reported on July 3, 2025, at around 6:00 pmPST.[2]
On July 19, at approximately 2:15 pmPST, a tree fell on three firefighters who were actively battling the Butler Fire. According to theU.S. Forest Service, the incident occurred during intense firefighting efforts in rugged terrain.
One firefighter was reported in critical condition, while the other two sustained serious but non-critical injuries.
All three were transported to Redding for medical treatment.
The incident prompted an internal investigation and highlighted the hazardous conditions crews were facing.[8][9]
The cause of the fire is confirmed to be lightning.[10]
On July 7, after the Butler Fire ignited inSix Rivers National Forest, the first evacuation orders were issued.[11]
Six Rivers National Forest andKlamath National Forests issued a joint closure order that affects the Nordheimer and Oak Bottom campgrounds.[12]
On July 15, the evacuation zone was expanded to include the entire community ofForks of Salmon.[11]
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