List of California wildfires

About 75% of California's 20 most destructive wildfires—measured in terms of structures burned—have occurred since 2015.[1] Santa Ana winds in California expand fires and spread smoke over hundreds of miles, as in this October 2007 satellite image. The Rim Fire consumed more than 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of forest near Yosemite National Park, in 2013.

This is a partial and incomplete list of wildfires in the US state of California. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. Pre-1800, when the area was much more forested and the ecology much more resilient, 4.4-11.9 million acres (1.8-4.8 million hectares) of forest and shrubland burned annually.[2] California land area totals 99,813,760 or roughly 100 million acres, so since 2000, the area that burned annually has ranged between 90,000 acres, or 0.09%, and 1,590,000 acres, or 1.59% of the total land of California.[3] During the 2020 wildfire season alone, over 8,100 fires contributed to the burning of nearly 4.5 million acres of land.

## Causes

[edit]

Climate change in California has lengthened the fire season and made it more extreme from the middle of the 20th century.[4][5]

Since the early 2010s, wildfires in California have grown more dangerous because of the accumulation of wood fuel in forests, higher population, and aging and often poorly maintained electricity transmission and distribution lines, particularly in areas serviced by Pacific Gas and Electric.[6][7][8] United States taxpayers pay about US$3 billion a year to fight wildfires, and big fires can lead to billions of dollars in property losses.[9] At times, these wildfires are fanned or made worse by strong, dry winds, known as Diablo winds when they occur in the northern part of the state and Santa Ana winds when they occur in the south. However, from a historical perspective, it has been estimated that prior to 1850, about 4.5 million acres (17,000 km2) burned yearly, in fires that lasted for months, with wildfire activity peaking roughly every 30 years, when up to 11.8 million acres (47,753 km3) of land burned.[10][11] The much larger wildfire seasons in the past can be attributed to the policy of Native Californians regularly setting controlled burns and allowing natural fires to run their course, which prevented devastating wildfires from overrunning the state.[10] There are conservation issues that aren't allowing as many controlled burns necessary to lessen the damage for when a wildfire starts.[12]

## Effects

[edit]

More than 350,000 people in California live in towns sited completely within zones deemed to be at very high risk of fire. In total, more than 2.7 million people live in "very high fire hazard severity zones", which also include areas at lesser risk.[13]

On lands under CAL FIRE's jurisdictional protection (i.e. not federal or local responsibility areas), the majority of wildfire ignitions since 1980 have been caused by humans. The four most common ignition sources for wildfires on CAL FIRE-protected lands are, in order: equipment use, powerlines, arson, and lightning.[14]

A 2023 study found that these wildfires are affecting the California ecosystem and disrupting the habitats.[15][16] It found that in the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons 58% of the area affected by wildfires occurred in those two seasons since 2012.[15][16] These two fires destroyed 30% of the habitat of 50 species as well as 100 species that had 10% of their habitats burn. 5-14% of the species' habitats burned at a "high severity."[15][16]

## Statistics

[edit]

### Area burned per year

[edit]

Remains of houses destroyed in the Oakland firestorm of 1991 Satellite image from October, 2003 including Cedar Fire, one of the largest wildfires in California history

Starting in 2001, the National Interagency Fire Center began keeping more accurate records on the total fire acreage burned in each state.[17]

Year  | Fires  | Acres  | Hectares  | Ref

|
|
|
|

2000 | 7,622 | 295,026  | 119,393 | [18]
2001 | 9,458 | 329,126  | 133,193 | [19]
2002 | 8,328 | 969,890  | 392,500 | [20][21]
2003 | 9,116 | 1,020,460  | 412,970 | [22][23][24]
2004 | 8,415 | 264,988  | 107,237 | [25][26]
2005 | 7,162 | 222,538  | 90,058 | [27][28]
2006 | 8,202 | 736,022  | 297,858 | [29][30]
2007 | 9,093 | 1,520,362  | 615,269 | [18][31]
2008 | 6,255 | 1,593,690  | 644,940 | [18]
2009 | 9,159 | 422,147  | 170,837 | [32][33]
2010 | 6,554 | 109,529  | 44,325 | [34]
2011 | 7,989 | 168,545  | 68,208 | [35][36]
2012 | 7,950 | 869,599  | 351,914 | [37]
2013 | 9,907 | 601,635  | 243,473 | [38][39]
2014 | 7,865 | 625,540  | 253,150 | [40][41]
2015 | 8,745 | 893,362  | 361,531 | [42]
2016 | 6,986 | 669,534  | 270,951 | [43][44]
2017 | 9,560 | 1,548,429  | 626,627 | [45][46]
2018 | 8,527 | 1,975,086  | 799,289 | [47][48]
2019 | 7,860 | 259,823  | 105,147 | [49]
2020 | 9,639 | 4,397,809  | 1,779,730 | [50]
2021 | 8,835 | 2,568,948  | 1,039,616 | [51]
2022 | 7,490 | 362,455  | 146,680 | [52]
2023 | 7,127 | 324,917  | 131,489 | [53]
2024 | 8,024 | 1,050,012  | 424,925 | [54]
2025 |  |  |  |
2000-23 Mean | 8,243 | 974,894  | 394,526 |
2000-23 Median | 8,265 | 647,537  | 262,049 |

## Largest wildfires

[edit]

As of October 2, 2024[update], the 20 largest wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have been:[55]

| Fire Name (Cause) | County  | Acres (Hectares)  | Start date  | Structures  | Deaths

|
|
|
|
|
|

1\.  | August Complex (Lightning) | Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake, & Colusa | 1,032,648 (417,898) | August 2020 | 935  | 1
2\.  | Dixie (Powerlines) | Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta & Tehama | 963,309 (389,837) | July 2021 | 1,311  | 1
3\.  | Mendocino Complex (Human Related) | Colusa, Lake, Mendocino, & Glenn | 459,123 (185,800) | July 2018 | 280  | 1
4\.  | Park (Arson) | Butte, Plumas, Shasta, & Tehama | 429,603 (173,854) | July 2024 | 709  | 0
5\.  | SCU Lightning Complex (Lightning) | Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, & San Joaquin | 396,625 (160,508) | August 2020 | 225  | 0
6\.  | Creek (Undetermined) | Fresno & Madera | 379,895 (153,738) | September 2020 | 858  | 0
7\.  | LNU Lightning Complex (Lightning/Arson) | Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Lake, & Colusa | 363,220 (146,990) | August 2020 | 1,491  | 6
8\.  | North Complex (Lightning) | Butte, Plumas & Yuba | 318,935 (129,068) | August 2020 | 2,352  | 15
9\.  | Thomas (Powerlines) | Ventura & Santa Barbara | 281,893 (114,078) | December 2017 | 1,060  | 2
10\.  | Cedar (Human Related) | San Diego | 273,246 (110,579) | October 2003 | 2,820  | 15
11\.  | Rush (Lightning) | Lassen | 271,911 (110,038) (+43,666 (17,671) in Nevada)  | August 2012 | 0  | 0
12\.  | Rim (Human Related) | Tuolumne | 257,314 (104,131) | August 2013 | 112  | 0
13\.  | Zaca (Human Related) | Santa Barbara | 240,207 (97,208) | July 2007 | 1  | 0
14\.  | Carr (Human Related) | Shasta & Trinity | 229,651 (92,936) | July 2018 | 1,614  | 8
15\.  | Monument (Lightning) | Trinity | 223,124 (90,295) | August 2021 | 28  | 0
16\.  | Caldor (Bullet) | Alpine, Amador, & El Dorado | 221,835 (89,773) | August 2021 | 1,311  | 1
17\.  | Matilija (Undetermined) | Ventura | 220,000 (89,000) | September 1932 | 0  | 0
18\.  | River Complex (Lightning) | Siskiyou & Trinity | 199,359 (80,678) | July 2021 | 122  | 0
19\.  | Witch (Powerlines) | San Diego | 197,990 (80,120) | October 2007 | 1,650  | 2
20\.  | Klamath Theatre Complex (Lightning) | Siskiyou | 192,038 (77,715) | June 2008 | 0  | 2

## Deadliest wildfires

[edit]

As of January 28, 2025[update], the 20 deadliest wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have been:[56]

| Fire Name (Cause) | County  | Acres (Hectares)  | Start date  | Structures  | Deaths

|
|
|
|
|
|

1\.  | Camp (Powerlines) | Butte | 153,336 (62,053)  | November 2018 | 18,804  | 85
2\.  | Griffith Park (Unknown) | Los Angeles | 47 (19)  | October 1933 | 0  | 29
3\.  | Tunnel (Rekindle)  | Alameda | 1,600 (650)  | October 1991 | 2,900  | 25
4\.  | Tubbs (Electrical) | Napa & Sonoma | 36,807 (14,895)  | October 2017 | 5,643  | 22
5\.  | Eaton (Under Investigation) | Los Angeles | 14,021 (5,674)  | January 2025 | 9,418  | 18
6\.  | North Complex (Lightning) | Butte, Plumas & Yuba | 318,935 (129,068)  | August 2020 | 2,352  | 15
7\.  | Cedar (Human Related) | San Diego | 273,246 (110,579)  | October 2003 | 2,820  | 15
8\.  | Rattlesnake (Arson) | Glenn | 1,340 (540)  | July 1953 | 0  | 15
9\.  | Palisades (Under Investigation) | Los Angeles | 23,448 (9,489)  | January 2025 | 6,837  | 12
10\.  | Loop (Unknown) | Los Angeles | 2,028 (821)  | November 1966 | 0  | 12
11\.  | Hauser Creek (Human Related) | San Diego | 13,145 (5,320)  | October 1943 | 0  | 11
12\.  | Inaja (Human Related) | San Diego | 43,904 (17,767)  | November 1956 | 0  | 11
13\.  | Iron Alps Complex (Lightning) | Trinity | 105,855 (42,838)  | August 2008 | 10  | 10
14\.  | Redwood Valley (Power Lines) | Mendocino | 36,523 (14,780)  | October 2017 | 544  | 9
15\.  | Harris (Undetermined) | San Diego | 90,440 (36,600)  | October 2007 | 548  | 8
16\.  | Canyon (Unknown) | Los Angeles | 22,197 (8,983)  | August 1968 | 0  | 8
17\.  | Carr (Human Related) | Shasta & Trinity | 229,651 (92,936)  | July 2018 | 1,614  | 8
18\.  | LNU Lightning Complex (Lightning/Arson) | Napa, Sonoma, Yolo, Stanislaus & Lake | 363,220 (146,990)  | August 2020 | 1,491  | 6
19\.  | Atlas (Power Lines) | Napa & Solano | 51,624 (20,891)  | October 2017 | 781  | 6
20\.  | Old (Human Related) | San Bernardino | 91,281 (36,940)  | October 2003 | 1,003  | 6

## Most destructive wildfires

[edit]

As of January 28, 2025[update], the 20 most destructive wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have been:[57]

| Fire Name (Cause) | County  | Acres (Hectares)  | Start date  | Structures  | Deaths

|
|
|
|
|
|

1\.  | Camp (Power Lines) | Butte | 153,336 (62,053)  | November 2018 | 18,804 | 85
2\.  | Eaton (Under Investigation) | Los Angeles | 14,021 (5,674)  | January 2025 | 9,418 | 18
3\.  | Palisades (Under Investigation) | Los Angeles | 23,707 (9,594)  | January 2025 | 6,837 | 12
4\.  | Tubbs (Electrical) | Napa & Sonoma | 36,807 (14,895)  | October 2017 | 5,646 | 22
5\.  | Tunnel (Rekindle) | Alameda | 1,600 (650)  | October 1991 | 2,900 | 25
6\.  | Cedar (Human Related) | San Diego | 273,246 (110,579)  | October 2003 | 2,820 | 15
7\.  | North Complex (Lightning) | Butte, Plumas, & Yuba | 318,935 (129,068)  | August 2020 | 2,352 | 15
8\.  | Valley (Electrical) | Lake, Napa & Sonoma | 76,067 (30,783)  | September 2015 | 1,955 | 4
9\.  | Witch (Powerlines) | San Diego | 197,990 (80,120)  | October 2007 | 1,650 | 2
10\.  | Woolsey (Electrical) | Ventura | 96,949 (39,234)  | November 2018 | 1,643 | 3
11\.  | Carr (Human Related) | Shasta & Trinity | 229,651 (92,936)  | July 2018 | 1,614 | 8
12\.  | Glass (Undetermined) | Napa & Sonoma | 67,484 (27,310)  | September 2020 | 1,520 | 0
13\.  | LNU Lightning Complex (Lightning/Arson) | Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Lake, & Colusa | 363,220 (146,990)  | August 2020 | 1,491 | 6
14\.  | CZU Lightning Complex (Lightning) | Santa Cruz & San Mateo | 86,509 (35,009)  | August 2020 | 1,490 | 1
15\.  | Nuns (Powerline) | Sonoma | 54,382 (22,008)  | October 2017 | 1,355 | 3
16\.  | Dixie (Powerline) | Butte, Plumas, Lassen, & Tehama | 963,309 (389,837)  | July 2021 | 1,311 | 1
17\.  | Thomas (Powerline) | Ventura & Santa Barbara | 281,893 (114,078)  | December 2017 | 1,063 | 23
18\.  | Caldor (Bullet) | Alpine, Amador, & El Dorado | 221,835 (89,773)  | August 2021 | 1,003 | 1
19\.  | Old (Human Related) | San Bernardino | 91,281 (36,940)  | October 2003 | 1,003 | 6
20\.  | Jones(Undetermined) | Shasta | 26,200 (10,600)  | October 1999 | 954 | 1

## Areas of repeated ignition

[edit]

The summer 2008 wildfires were widespread and deadly, with at least 3,596 wildfires of various origins burning throughout Northern and Central California, for around four months

In some parts of California, fires recur with some regularity. In Oakland, for example, fires of various size and ignition occurred in 1923, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1946, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2002, and 2008.[58][59] Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Los Angeles County are other examples. Orange and San Bernardino counties share a border that runs north to south through the Chino Hills State Park, with the park's landscape ranging from large green coastal sage scrub, grassland, and woodland, to areas of brown sparsely dense vegetation made drier by droughts or hot summers. The valley's grass and barren land can become easily susceptible to dry spells and drought, therefore making it a prime spot for brush fires and conflagrations, many of which have occurred since 1914. Hills and canyons have seen brush or wildfires in 1914, the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and into today.[60]

On occasion, lightning strikes from thunderstorms may also spark wildfires in areas that have seen past ignition. Examples of this are the 1999 Megram Fire, the 2008 California wildfires,[citation needed] as well as the LNU and SCU Lightning Complex fires (both in 2020).

## See also

[edit]

* Climate of California

* List of California floods
* List of California tornadoes
* List of California hurricanes

* List of wildfires
* Wildfires in the United States

* List of Arizona wildfires
* List of New Mexico wildfires
* List of Oregon wildfires

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires" (PDF). from fire.ca.gov. CalFire. January 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2025. (Supplements December 2024 version with early 2025 data)
2. ^ Stephens, Scott L.; Martin, Robert E.; Clinton, Nicholas E. (November 15, 2007). "Prehistoric fire area and emissions from California's forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands". Forest Ecology and Management. 251 (3): 210. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2007.06.005. ISSN 0378-1127. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2020. "area burned annually in California varied from 1,814,614 to 4,838,293 ha (excluding the desert region in Southeastern California) during the prehistoric period. With the land area of California equaling 40,396,822 ha (CCDB, 2003), this results in 4.5–12.0% of the state's lands burning annually"
3. ^ "California Wildfire Emission Estimates | California Air Resources Board". ww2.arb.ca.gov. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
4. ^ "Climate change: What role is it playing in the California fires". www.bbc.com. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
5. ^ "Intensifying climate whiplash set the stage for devastating California fires". Los Angeles Times. January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
6. ^ BORUNDA, ALEJANDRA; ELLIOTT, KENNEDY (November 15, 2018). "See how a warmer world primed California for large fires". National Geographic. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
7. ^ "Twenty-first century California, USA, wildfires: fuel-dominated vs. wind-dominated fires". ResearchGate. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
8. ^ "Historical patterns of wildfire ignition sources in California ecosystems". ResearchGate. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
9. ^ "Wildfires are growing more costly". NBC News. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
10. ^ a b Rogers, Paul (August 23, 2020). "California fires: State, feds agree to thin millions of acres of forests - New plan would last 20 years, reshaping California's landscape". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020. "Before the Gold Rush in 1849, large parts of California burned every few decades. Lightning fires burned for months, and native tribes burned the land, clearing out dead vegetation. ... Stephens, the UC fire scientist, estimates that before the Gold Rush, roughly 4.5 million acres a year in California burned. By the 1950s and 1960s, that was down to about 250,000 acres a year."
11. ^ Weil, Elizabeth (August 28, 2020). "They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won't Anybody Listen?". ProPublica. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
12. ^ Writer, Katherine Fung Senior (January 9, 2025). "How red tape strangled California forest management before LA fires". Newsweek. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
13. ^ Ryan Sabalow; Phillip Reese; Dale Kasler (April 11, 2019). "Destined to Burn: California races to predict which town could be next to burn". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019 - via KRCR News.
14. ^ Boxall, Bettina (January 5, 2020). "Human-caused ignitions spark California's worst wildfires but get little state focus". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
15. ^ a b c "California wildfires altering ecosystems, disrupting wildlife habitats: Study". ABC News. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
16. ^ a b c Ayars, Jessalyn; Kramer, H. Anu; Jones, Gavin M. (November 28, 2023). "The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (48). doi:10.1073/pnas.2312909120. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 10691208. PMID 37983516.
17. ^ "Statistics". National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
18. ^ a b c "California Wildfires and Acres for all Jurisdictions" (PDF). CalFire. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
19. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2001" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
20. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2002" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
21. ^ "2002 Large Fires" (PDF). CAL FIRE. February 11, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
22. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2003" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
23. ^ "Large Fires 2003" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
24. ^ "Otay Fire". CAL FIRE. October 27, 2003. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
25. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2004" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
26. ^ "Large Fires 2004" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
27. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2005" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
28. ^ "Large Fires 2005" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
29. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2006" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
30. ^ "Large Fires 2006" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 18, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
31. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2007" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
32. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2009" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
33. ^ "Large Fires 2009" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
34. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2010" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
35. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2011" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
36. ^ "Large Fires 2011" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
37. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2012" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
38. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2013" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 11, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
39. ^ Ken Pimlott; John Laird; Edmond G. Brown Jr. (September 3, 2014). "2013 Wildfire Statistics" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
40. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2014" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
41. ^ Ken Pimlott (2015). "2014 Wildfire Activity Statistics" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 30, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
42. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2015" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
43. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2016" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
44. ^ Ken Pimlott (2017). "2016 Wildfire Activity Statistics" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
45. ^ "2017 Incident Archive". 2019. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
46. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2017" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
47. ^ "2018 Incident Archive". CAL FIRE. 2020. Archived from the original on September 5, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
48. ^ "2018 National Year-to-Date Report on Fires and Acres Burned" (PDF). NIFC. November 9, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
49. ^ "2019 Incident Archive". fire.ca.gov. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
50. ^ "2020 Incident Archive". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
51. ^ "2021 Incident Archive". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
52. ^ "2022 Incident Archive". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
53. ^ "2023 Incident Archive". CAL FIRE. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
54. ^ "2024 Incident Archive". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved August 16, 2024.
55. ^ "Top 20 Largest California Wildfires" (PDF). October 2, 2024.
56. ^ "Top 20 Deadliest California Wildfires" (PDF). January 28, 2025.
57. ^ "Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires" (PDF). January 28, 2025.
58. ^ "Oakland Hills Fire". Today in Montclair, 94611. March 6, 2012. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
59. ^ "History of Fires in the Oakland hills" (PDF). oaklandnet.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
60. ^ A 100 Year History of Wildfires Near Chino Hills State Park (PDF) (Report). Hills For Everyone. August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wildfires in California.

* Official California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) site

* v
* t
* e

California wildfires

Pre-2007|

* Santiago Canyon (1889)
* Berkeley (1923)
* Matilija (1932)
* Griffith Park (1933)
* Rattlesnake (1953)
* Harlow (1961)
* Bel Air (1961)
* Loop (1966)
* Laguna (1970)
* Clampitt (1970)
* Marble Cone (1977)
* Agoura-Malibu (1978)
* Panorama (1980)
* 49er (1988)
* Painted Cave (1990)
* Tunnel (1991)
* Fountain (1992)
* Cleveland (1992)
* Kinneloa (1993)
* Laguna (1993)
* Mount Vision (1995)
* Pendola (1999)
* Jones (1999)
* Storrie (2000)
* Poe (2001)
* Wolf (2002)
* Copper (2002)
* Biscuit (2002)
* McNally (2002)
* Curve (2002)
* Williams (2002)
* Old (2003)
* Simi (2003)
* Cedar (2003)
* Power (2004)
* Rumsey (2004)
* Topanga (2005)
* Sawtooth Complex (2006)
* Day (2006)
* Esperanza (2006)

2007|

* Island
* Angora
* Zaca
* Moonlight
* October 2007 wildfires
* Buckweed
* Harris
* Witch
* Santiago
* Rice
* Corral

2008|

* Summit
* Indians
* Basin Complex
* Klamath Theater Complex
* Gap
* Telegraph
* Sesnon
* Tea
* Sayre
* Freeway Complex

2009|

* Jesusita
* La Brea
* Lockheed
* Station
* Guiberson

2010|

* Bull
* West
* Crown

2011|

* Lion
* Comanche Complex

2012|

* Reading
* Chips
* Barry Point
* Rush
* Ponderosa

2013|

* Summit
* Springs
* Powerhouse
* Mountain
* Silver
* Rim
* Clover

2014|

* Colby
* Etiwanda
* May 2014 San Diego County wildfires
* Tomahawk
* Poinsettia
* Cocos
* Shirley
* Butts
* Bully
* Happy Camp Complex
* Meadow
* King
* Boles

2015|

* Round
* Lake
* North
* Wragg
* Rocky
* Mad River Complex
* Humboldt Complex
* Frog
* Rough
* Jerusalem
* Cuesta
* Butte
* Valley
* Tassajara

2016|

* Sherpa
* Border
* San Gabriel Complex
* Erskine
* Trailhead
* Sand
* Soberanes
* Cold
* Pilot
* Chimney
* Clayton
* Blue Cut
* Rey
* Bogart
* Canyon
* Loma

2017|

* Gate
* Holcomb
* Schaeffer
* Salmon August Complex
* Manzanita
* Winters
* Alamo
* Wall
* Whittier
* Garza
* Detwiler
* Empire
* Parker 2
* Young
* Pier
* Railroad
* Ponderosa
* Mud
* Slinkard
* Helena
* La Tuna
* Palmer
* Mission
* October 2017 Northern California wildfires
* Atlas
* Tubbs
* Canyon 2
* December 2017 Southern California wildfires
* Thomas
* Creek
* Rye
* Skirball
* Lilac

2018|

* Lions
* Lane
* Pawnee
* Waverly
* County
* Klamathon
* Valley
* Georges
* Ferguson
* Natchez
* Carr
* Cranston
* Mendocino Complex
* Whaleback
* Donnell
* Holy
* Hirz
* Delta
* Camp
* Woolsey

2019|

* Sand
* West Butte
* Tucker
* Mountain
* Tenaja
* Walker
* Taboose
* Lime
* Red Bank
* South
* Lone
* Sandalwood
* Saddleridge
* Nustar
* Kincade
* Tick
* Getty
* Easy
* Maria

2020|

* Quail
* Grant
* Crews
* Soledad
* Mineral
* 2020 Lassen County wildfires
* Gold
* Loyalton
* Red Salmon Complex
* Apple
* August 2020 lightning wildfires
* Lake
* Dome
* River
* CZU Lightning Complex
* SCU Lightning Complex
* August Complex
* LNU Lightning Complex
* North Complex
* SQF Complex
* Dolan
* Creek
* El Dorado
* Bobcat
* Slater/Devil
* Oak
* Glass
* Zogg
* Silverado
* Mountain View
* Bond

2021|

* Palisades
* Willow
* Lava
* Tennant
* Salt
* Beckwourth Complex
* Tamarack
* Dixie
* McFarland
* Monument
* River Complex
* McCash
* Antelope
* River
* Caldor
* French
* KNP Complex
* Windy
* Fawn

2022|

* Colorado
* Electra
* Washburn
* Oak
* McKinney
* Red
* Route
* Border 32
* Mill
* Fairview
* Mosquito
* SRF Lightning Complex

2023|

* Rabbit
* Deep
* Pika
* York

2024|

* Corral
* Lake
* Post
* Point
* Thompson
* Borel
* Basin
* Park
* Nixon
* Pedro
* Boise
* Coffee Pot
* Line
* Bridge
* Airport
* Mountain
* Franklin

2025|

* January 2025 Southern California wildfires
* Palisades
* Eaton

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Largest California wildfires

1. August Complex (2020) (1,032,648 acres, 4,178.98 km2)
2. Dixie (2021) (963,309 acres, 3,898.37 km2)
3. Mendocino Complex (2018) (459,123 acres, 1,858.00 km2)
4. Park (2024) (428,808 acres, 1,735.32 km2)
5. SCU Lightning Complex (2020) (396,624 acres, 1,605.08 km2)
6. Creek (2020) (379,895 acres, 1,537.38 km2)
7. LNU Lightning Complex (2020) (363,220 acres, 1,469.9 km2)
8. North Complex (2020) (318,935 acres, 1,290.68 km2)
9. Santiago Canyon (1889) (~300,000 acres, 1,200 km2)
10. Thomas (2017) (281,893 acres, 1,140.78 km2)
11. Cedar (2003) (273,246 acres, 1,105.79 km2)
12. Rush (2012) (271,911 acres, 1,100.38 km2 in California)
13. Rim (2013) (257,314 acres, 1,041.31 km2)
14. Zaca (2007) (240,207 acres, 972.08 km2)
15. Carr (2018) (229,651 acres, 929.36 km2)
16. Monument (2021) (223,124 acres, 902.95 km2)
17. Caldor (2021) (221,835 acres, 897.73 km2)
18. Matilija (1932) (220,000 acres, 890 km2)
19. River Complex (2021) (199,359 acres, 806.78 km2)
20. Witch (2007) (197,990 acres, 801.2 km2)

Note: The Santiago Canyon Fire dates before 1932, when reliable fire records began.

* v
* t
* e

Deadliest California wildfires

1. Camp (2018) (85 deaths)
2. Griffith Park (1933) (29 deaths)
3. Oakland firestorm of 1991 (1991) (25 deaths)
4. Tubbs (2017) (22 deaths)
5. Eaton (2025) (17 deaths)
6. North Complex (2020) (16 deaths)
7. Cedar (2003) (15 deaths)
8. Rattlesnake (1953) (15 deaths)
9. Loop (1966) (12 deaths)
10. Palisades (2025) (12 deaths)
11. Hauser Creek (1943) (11 deaths)
12. Inaja (1956) (11 deaths)
13. Iron Alps Complex (2008) (10 deaths)
14. Redwood Valley (2017) (9 deaths)
15. Harris (2007) (8 deaths)
16. Canyon (1968) (8 deaths)
17. Carr (2018) (8 deaths)
18. LNU Complex (2020) (6 deaths)
19. Atlas (2017) (6 deaths)
20. Old (2003) (6 deaths)
21. Decker (1959) (6 deaths)
22. Hacienda (1955) (6 deaths)

This list reflects information from this PDF

* v
* t
* e

Wildfires in the United States

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Territories|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* U.S. Virgin Islands

* Category
* Commons

Authority control databases: National |

* United States
* Israel

|

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