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California Large Wildfire History

Since 1980, 2,299 wildfires of 1,000 acres or more have been mapped in California, 36 of them above 100,000 acres. The largest burned 501,082 ac; together they cover about 26,054,017 ac.

Fires by decade

'80
'90
'00
'10
'20

Largest in California

Biscuit · 2002501,082 acRanch · 2018410,203 acRanch · 2018410,202 acRanch · 2018410,201 acRush · 2012315,512 acRush · 2012307,083 acThomas · 2017281,791 acThomas · 2017281,790 acCedar · 2003270,686 acRim · 2013256,916 ac

All mapped large fires

Breckenridge Complex25,223 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Lion20,682 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Lion20,682 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Canyon14,585 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Canyon14,585 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 29, 2019
Eagle13,993 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Reed5,900 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
John5,800 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 29, 2019
John5,800 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Motor5,230 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Antelope5,069 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Antelope5,069 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 29, 2019
North3,439 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Quinn3,139 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Indian3,069 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 29, 2019
Indian3,069 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Knob2,710 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Black2,578 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Great2,134 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Great2,134 ac
2011 · perimeter dated February 3, 2020
Cattle2,130 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Annie2,076 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Annie2,076 ac
2011 · perimeter dated May 25, 2018
652,004 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cougar1,791 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Baker1,711 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Wells1,708 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Wells1,708 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Soda1,534 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Grouse Vmp1,488 ac
2011 · perimeter dated October 1, 2011
Ruth1,457 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Scorpion1,418 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Blue Oak Plot 21,300 ac
2011 · perimeter dated October 18, 2011
Mammoth1,193 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hill1,159 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Stage1,130 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Stage1,130 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 29, 2019
Milton1,123 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cove1,121 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 29, 2019
Cove1,121 ac
2011 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, Interagency Fire Perimeter History. Only fires with a mapped perimeter of 1,000 acres or more appear; the state is inferred from the responsible unit code. A record of past fires is not a forecast. See About the Data.