DisasterAtlasUSA

This is a record of past federal disaster declarations, not a forecast. Federal assistance figures are aid obligated under specific programs, not total damages. For current threats, check the National Weather Service and FEMA.

Home / Wildfires / California

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

What starts the fires in California

Every wildfire incident on record has a cause code. Counts are of incidents, not acres — lightning fires are fewer but tend to grow far larger.

By broad cause
Undetermined72%6.0M ac
Unknown18%5.5M ac
Human5%1.6M ac
Natural5%5.0M ac
Specific cause, where recorded
Lightning977
Recreation429
Equipment / vehicle use398
Debris / open burning153
Arson / incendiary100
Firearms36
Natural (other)18
Fireworks5
Railroad1

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, WFIGS incident records (WFIGS incident records, roughly 2014 to present). A specific cause is recorded for only some incidents; “Undetermined” and “Unknown” are the agency's own categories.

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

Honeydew11,794 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Canoe11,044 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Padua10,458 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Mountain10,331 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Ackley9,599 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Verdale8,474 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
West Kern7,971 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
West Kern7,971 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Bird_17,877 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Smoke7,784 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Roblar 26,892 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Spanish6,050 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Del_Puerto_25,909 ac
2003 · perimeter dated July 25, 2003
Sok5,774 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Chilcoot5,642 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Kibbie Cmplx Wfu5,570 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Devil5,444 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Tnf Chil5,428 ac
2003 · perimeter dated July 24, 2003
Jump4,894 ac
2003 · perimeter dated September 18, 2003
Deafy4,782 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Summit4,761 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Mudd4,337 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Canyon4,302 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Loma3,739 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Williams3,472 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Williams3,472 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Kibbiesupp2,800 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Unknown2,714 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Mountain2,633 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Dexter2,460 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Pass2,456 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hooker2,376 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Albanita2,223 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hauser2,039 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cooprstown2,010 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cooney1,928 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Locust1,899 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Grapevine1,831 ac
2003 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Grapevine1,831 ac
2003 · perimeter dated July 20, 2003
Tuolumne Wfu1,826 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.