Maranghides, A.
, Link, E.
, Brown, C.
, Walton, W.
, Mell, W.
and Hawks, S.
(2023),
A Case Study of the Camp Fire - Notification, Evacuation, Traffic, and Temporary Refuge Areas (NETTRA), Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2252, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=936322 (Accessed May 12, 2026)
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
A Case Study of the Camp Fire - Notification, Evacuation, Traffic, and Temporary Refuge Areas (NETTRA)
Published
Author(s)
, , , , William Mell, Steven Hawks
Abstract
The 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, California quickly impacted the communities of Concow, Paradise, and Magalia, triggering widespread evacuation of 40000 people. The fire became the most deadly and destructive fire in California history, resulting in 85 fatalities and more than 18000 destroyed structures. After a preliminary reconnaissance, it was determined that abundant data was available to support an in-depth case study of this devastating wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire to be better prepared for future incidents. This portion of the greater case study focuses on the life safety aspects of the Camp Fire incident: notification, evacuation, traffic, temporary refuge areas, rescues, and fatalities (collectively, NETTRA). Over 2600 NETTRA observations and data points were integrated into a spatiotemporal database. Analysis of this data used the foundation of the previously reconstructed fire progression timeline to provide important context to the NETTRA components. Details and the timeline of requested evacuation notifications are presented with respect to fire progression. The evacuation timeline was assessed via traffic observations throughout the region. The rapid and widespread impact of fire on the communities complicated evacuation efforts due to high traffic volume, road closures due to fire and debris, and direct fire exposures to evacuating civilians in numerous burnover events. A total of 31 temporary refuge areas were implemented during the incident, involving more than 1200 civilians. Further, 198 specific evacuation assistance / rescue events were identified, including at least 1000 civilians. The unique analysis and reconstruction of the NETTRA components of this WUI fire will help at-risk communities prepare for and respond to future incidents.Citation
Technical Note (NIST TN) - 2252
Report Number
2252
NIST Pub Series
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
Download Paper
Keywords
burnover, California, community hazard reduction, disaster resilience, emergency notification, entrapment, evacuation, fire, Paradise, public safety, TRA, wildfire, wildland-urban interface, WUI
Citation
Issues
If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].
Created July 18, 2023