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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

Gorman2,516 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Five2,372 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Five2,372 ac
2005 · perimeter dated June 5, 2005
Harding2,266 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Soboba2,077 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Santa Cruz1,931 ac
2005 · perimeter dated November 15, 2005
Pioneer1,878 ac
2005 · perimeter dated June 20, 2005
Manton1,822 ac
2005 · perimeter dated August 29, 2005
Pine1,815 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Deer1,720 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Horseshoe1,535 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Horseshoe1,527 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Johnson1,383 ac
2005 · perimeter dated September 4, 2005
Johnson Fire1,383 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Crag1,185 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Munz1,184 ac
2005 · perimeter dated June 28, 2005
Patterson Vmp1,175 ac
2005 · perimeter dated September 25, 2005
Nine1,150 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Yorba Linda1,079 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Yorba Linda1,079 ac
2005 · perimeter dated July 8, 2005
Wapama Wfu1,057 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Wapama1,057 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Bailey1,025 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
San Timoteo1,015 ac
2005 · perimeter dated September 28, 2005
Townes1,005 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Townes1,004 ac
2005 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Rumsey38,763 ac
2004 · perimeter dated October 17, 2004
Power16,983 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cerrito16,447 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Pine16,272 ac
2004 · perimeter dated July 23, 2004
French12,995 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
French12,675 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Geysers12,244 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Crown11,754 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bear10,442 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Eagle8,946 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Mataguay8,762 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Freds7,558 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Gaviota7,198 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Foothill5,970 ac
2004 · perimeter dated July 25, 2004

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.