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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

Meadow5,636 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Meadow Wfu5,031 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Sims4,036 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Verbenia3,831 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Melton3,693 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hwy 4 #23,445 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cooper3,445 ac
2004 · perimeter dated August 9, 2004
Bluff3,414 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Bluff3,414 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Straylor3,293 ac
2004 · perimeter dated July 29, 2004
Dana3,162 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Deep3,144 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Pattison2,483 ac
2004 · perimeter dated September 5, 2004
Pleasure2,456 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Irongate2,243 ac
2004 · perimeter dated December 31, 2004
Irongate2,242 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Oregon1,955 ac
2004 · perimeter dated August 15, 2004
Hetchy1,936 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Hetchy1,936 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cottonwood1,819 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Early1,725 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Frazier1,564 ac
2004 · perimeter dated May 7, 2004
Pelican1,459 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
East1,337 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Old Hwy/Mpud 1491,335 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Kincaid1,225 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Runway1,194 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Gatos1,145 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cachuma1,115 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cement1,007 ac
2004 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cedar270,686 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Simi107,570 ac
2003 · perimeter dated October 25, 2003
Simi Fire107,570 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Old91,428 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Piru63,726 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Paradise56,546 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Grand Prix50,618 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Mine/Otay44,734 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Coyote18,705 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Annie18,210 ac
2003 · 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.