Dixie Fire

2021 • PLUMAS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

963,309

ACRES BURNED

1,311

STRUCTURES DESTROYED

48

COS AT 2 YEARS

18%

REBUILT AT 4 YEARS

Summary

The Dixie Fire burned nearly 1 million acres — one of the largest fires in California history — and destroyed approximately 1,311 structures, including roughly 98% of Greenville, a small frontier community in Plumas County. Despite a PG&E compensation pathway, this is one of the slowest recoveries in our record. At four years, approximately 18% of residential structures had been rebuilt. Greenville is largely unrebuilt.

Why It Matters

Dixie represents the voice of the most forgotten fires. Frontier communities may be self-sufficient, but they often have low trust in government and low tolerance for outsiders who arrive with ready-made solutions. Recovery must respect local autonomy while still offering useful support. The fire also highlighted how federal tax treatment of wildfire settlements can become a recovery barrier.

“Never underestimate or overlook frontier fires.” - After the Fire USA

Two smiling people, one in a fire department shirt and one in a safety vest, stand together on a smoky street during the Dixie Fire.
Large sign reads FEATHER RIVER RELIEF for DIXIE FIRE evacuees. Meeting First Wednesday of the Month at 7pm.
Three people stand smiling in a rustic gift shop with wooden walls and a large screen showing a fourth person discussing the Dixie Fire.
A burned building from the Dixie Fire with a U.S. flag stands amid rubble, sunlight shining through a damaged archway.
Several people sit on stools around an outdoor bar as a bartender serves drinks on a sunny day, sharing stories about the Dixie Fire.
Smiling woman in an orange safety vest holds a plastic bag outside a building with large windows, assisting cleanup efforts after the Dixie Fire.

Quick Facts

Recovery Context

Structures Destroyed
1,311–1,329 (Greenville ~98% destroyed)
Acres Burned
963,309
Community Type
Frontier
Infrastructure
Limited
Loss Type
Town-scale — Greenville (housing + civic)
Demographics
Small, rural, aging; multigenerational families; former timber economy
Compensation Pathway
Yes — PG&E settlement outside Fire Victim Trust
Philanthropy Scale
Moderate
Key Constraint
Scale + isolation; small local government capacity; frontier recovery dynamics
COs at 2 Years
48
COs at 4 Years
145 (~18% of residential)
Claimant Status
Claimant Fire — PG&E settlement outside Fire Victim Trust

Recovery Status

48 COs issued at 2 years (2023)

145 COs at 4 years (2025) — approximately 18% of residential rebuilt

Greenville largely unrebuilt as of 2026

Recovery shaped by local autonomy — community determined to organize on its own terms

Sierra Institute supported cross-laminated timber and steel-sided resilient rebuilds

The Spot created a pop-up business district on a central lot while the town rebuilt

No consistent public rebuild dashboard maintained — recovery largely invisible to outside funders

Best Practices

What Worked: Field-tested by After the Fire USA

Frontier-led recovery model — the Dixie collaborative approach organized recovery locally and on community terms

Fire-resistant rebuilding — Sierra Institute supported CLT and steel-sided rebuilds including a roundhouse

Temporary economic infrastructure — The Spot created a pop-up business district, helping local businesses return while the town rebuilt

Our Work

After the Fire USA: Our Work in this community

After the Fire USA was invited in early by community leader Ken Donnell and connected with Supervisor Kevin Goss. State and national interference had complicated trust, leaving some local leaders wary of outside offerings. In response, After the Fire USA shifted to supporting from behind: maintaining relationships with trusted leaders, sharing information, identifying resources, and amplifying frontier recovery challenges. The most significant impact was federal tax advocacy. Dixie Fire survivors received a PG&E settlement outside the Fire Victim Trust, and After the Fire USA’s work on the federal tax bill helped ensure wildfire settlement funds would not be reduced by federal taxation. Supervisor Kevin Goss joined the organization in Washington, D.C., and Dixie leaders were invited into wildfire leadership convenings, including with lodging support where needed.

Links

Sierra Institute

https://sierrainstitute.us/

Policy Takeaways

Never underestimate or overlook frontier fires — they are the least visible and often the least served

Compensation alone does not drive recovery — frontier communities need state-level infrastructure support

Small local governments need external capacity support pre-positioned before the next fire

Federal tax treatment of wildfire settlements is a recovery policy issue — advocacy here has real survivor consequences

A public rebuild dashboard is a prerequisite for attracting funders and outside intervention — invisibility compounds slow recovery

Our Analytical Framework

No Two Fires Recover the Same Way

Structure loss counts tell you what burned. They don't tell you who was there, whether the infrastructure could support a rebuild, or whether survivors had any real path to compensation. After eight years across fifteen+ fires, we use a six-dimension framework to assess what recovery actually requires — and why copying one fire's playbook onto another can do more harm than good.

Explore Our Cross-Fire Insights