The Sugar Fire, part of California’s larger Beckwourth Complex Fire, began on July 2 and expanded dramatically over the past weekend. Flames were pushed by strong winds into the town of Doyle, near the Nevada border, destroying multiple structures. The Beckwourth Complex is the state’s largest fire incident so far this year, burning more than 130 square miles in Plumas County. With an ongoing drought and record high temperatures, officials worry that this year’s fire season may be even worse than last year’s historic season. Noah Berger, a photographer with the Associated Press, spent time near Doyle this weekend documenting the scale and ferocity of the blaze, as well as some of the firefighters working hard to contain it.
Scenes From California’s Sugar Fire
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![A house is seen completely engulfed in flames.]()
Read moreFire consumes a home as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, tears through Doyle, California, on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
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![A young deer sprints across a road as the Sugar Fire burns in California's Plumas National Forest.]()
Read moreA young deer sprints across a road as the Sugar Fire burns in California's Plumas National Forest on July 8, 2021. #
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![A large plume of white smoke rises high into the sky, among clouds, above a forest.]()
Read moreSeen from Truckee, California, a smoke plume about 50 miles away rises from the Sugar Fire on July 9, 2021. #
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![About 10 firefighters stand together near a wildfire, under a smoky sky.]()
Read moreFirefighters from Cal Fire's Placerville station monitor the Sugar Fire in Doyle on July 9, 2021. #
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![Embers blow across a field, with burning trees in the background.]()
Read moreEmbers blow across a field as the Sugar Fire burns in Doyle on July 9, 2021. #
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![Firefighters move through a field near a large wildfire.]()
Read moreFirefighters battle the Sugar Fire in Doyle on July 9, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
![A wooden power pole is seen on fire.]()
Read moreA power pole burns as the Sugar Fire tears through central Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
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![Two firefighters spray water on a roadside fire, beside a fire truck.]()
Read moreFirefighters battle the Sugar Fire in Plumas National Forest on July 8, 2021. #
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![A person clears dry brush from a large field as thick smoke hangs in the sky above.]()
Read moreDavid Garfield clears a fire break around his home in Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
![Smoke and flames rise above a forested hillside.]()
Read morePlumes of smoke and fire rise above Frenchman Lake as the Sugar Fire burns in Plumas National Forest on July 8, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
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![An aircraft drops fire retardant over a forested hill.]()
Read moreAn air tanker drops retardant, to limit the spread of the Sugar Fire, on July 9, 2021. #
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![A firefighter stands beside a vehicle, watching a large fire in trees nearby.]()
Read moreFirefighter Kyle Jacobson monitors the Sugar Fire on July 9, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
![A firefighter moves in front of several burning structures.]()
Read moreHomes burn as the Sugar Fire enters the town of Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
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![The interior of a building consumed by flames]()
Read moreFire consumes a structure in Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
![A house burns, seen behind several parked trucks.]()
Read moreA home catches fire in the town of Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
![A firefighter sprays water on burning houses.]()
Read moreA firefighter sprays water while trying to stop the Sugar Fire from spreading to neighboring homes in Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
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![An SUV burns beside a house on fire.]()
Read moreFlames consume a vehicle in Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP -
![A person stands watching smoke rise from a large wildfire on a nearby hillside.]()
Read moreA truck driver who hauls fire equipment watches as the Sugar Fire burns on a hillside in Doyle on July 10, 2021. #
Noah Berger / AP
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