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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

Blue 217,552 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Chalk16,266 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Clover15,789 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Half15,130 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cub14,729 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Sesnon14,701 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Vinegar14,544 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Haypress13,665 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Mill13,512 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Caribou13,127 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Scotch13,008 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Noble12,985 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Shu Lightning-Deerlick Fire12,977 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Ironside-Iron Complex12,834 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Corral12,434 ac
2008 · perimeter dated July 21, 2008
Corral Fire12,434 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
South-Frey12,402 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Tehipite11,648 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Tehipite11,648 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Sayre11,260 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Walker11,173 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Westville11,090 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Dark10,390 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Gap9,545 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Government9,220 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Merrill8,339 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Peterson8,022 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Whiskey7,783 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Red Mountain Lightning7,513 ac
2008 · perimeter dated August 1, 2008
Red Mountain Lightning7,513 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Sugarloaf6,928 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Telephone6,911 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Grouse6,324 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Jack6,112 ac
2008 · perimeter dated September 16, 2008
Rich6,111 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Jack6,068 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Jack6,068 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cold5,599 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hardy Creek Lightning5,354 ac
2008 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Three4,923 ac
2008 · 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.