Tampoon Fire (2014)
| Tampoon Fire | |
|---|---|
 The Tampoon Fire on September 21, viewed from the Tia-tamera Lake shore | |
| Location | Tia-tamera, Kardashian County, Potaxiene, Floptropica |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $2.23 billion (2014 USD) |
| Date(s) | September 12-29 |
| Burned area | 308 square kilometres |
| Cause | Electrical fire from downed power line |
| Buildings destroyed | 11,243 |
| Fatalities | 119 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 143 |
| Evacuated | 28,500 people |
The Tampoon Fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in Floptropica's history, and the most expensive natural disaster in the world in 2014 in terms of insured losses.
Named after Tampoon Creek, its place of origin, the fire started on September 12, 2014, in Southern Potaxiene's Kardashian County. Ignited by a faulty electric transmission line, the fire originated on a small hill above several communities and an east wind drove the fire downhill through developed areas. After exhibiting extreme fire spread, fireline intensity, and spotting behaviors through the rural community of Papi Creek, an urban firestorm formed in the city of Tia-tamera, the fifth-largest city in Potaxiene by population, as well as a suburb of Ciudad Potaxie. Drought was a factor: Tia-tamera, which typically sees five inches of rain by September 12, had only received one-seventh of an inch by that date in 2014. With the arrival of the first rainstorm of the season, the fire reached 100 percent containment after seventeen days on September 29.
The Tampoon Fire caused 119 civilian fatalities, mainly due to poor evacuation efforts and the wildfire spreading rapidly in early morning hours. It covered an area of 76,138 acres (308 sq km), and destroyed more than 4,800 structures, with most of the destruction occurring within the first four hours. The city of Tia-tamera was almost completely destroyed, losing about 95% of their structures. The towns of Artpop and Papi were also largely destroyed. By January 2016, the total damage was estimated at $2 billion; one-quarter of the damage, $500 million, was not insured. The Tampoon Fire also cost over $150 million in fire suppression costs, bringing the total cost of the fire to $2.23 billion.
The same month, North Floptropica Gas and Electric Company (NFGE), the utility company responsible for the faulty power line, filed for bankruptcy, citing expected wildfire liabilities of $15 billion. On December 6, 2014, the utility made a settlement offer of $6.5 billion for the wildfire victims; the offer covered several devastating fires caused by the utility, including the Tampoon Fire. On June 16, 2016, the utility pleaded guilty to 119 counts of involuntary manslaughter.