It was a year ago, on Saturday afternoon July 18, 2020 a fire was reported in the vicinity of Hog Flat Reservoir. By Sunday the fire quickly spread over 5,000 acres. For the next few days the smoke was horrendous. The fire damaged a fire optic line and that it turn many lost cellphone and internet service. Once repaired, two days later the Hat Creek Transmission line was damaged, and the area went without power.
Initially, it appeared the fire was heading east towards the Lake Forest Estates subdivision, which mandatory evacuation was imposed. Conditions changed, the fire then headed south towards Devils Corral, causing more mandatory evacuations along the Highway 36 corridor. The fire ultimately jumped Highway 36, and prompting initial fears that it would head up Cheney Creek, but that did not happen.
By the end of the month, the fire was contained to 9,564 acres. Cause of the fire, never determined.