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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

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

Pilgrim2,081 ac
1995 · perimeter dated July 21, 1995
Lopez1,924 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Forestgate1,862 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Elk1,836 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Nees1,829 ac
1995 · perimeter dated May 8, 1995
Excelsior1,819 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Orestimba1,773 ac
1995 · perimeter dated October 22, 1995
Pony1,710 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Rocky1,704 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Poway1,681 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Castle Wf1,647 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Castle Wf1,647 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bald Mountain1,507 ac
1995 · perimeter dated October 27, 1995
Reche1,482 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Tar Springs West1,444 ac
1995
Orestimba1,386 ac
1995
Sherwood1,337 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hwy 621,317 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Nichols1,264 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Freeway No Ii1,234 ac
1995 · perimeter dated October 5, 1995
Freeway Fire No Ii1,234 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Wyle Vmp #31,177 ac
1995
Rouse1,151 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Keller1,140 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Crowder1,063 ac
1995 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hwy 4150,729 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cottonwood48,057 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Barkley43,905 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Jack #128,207 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Steckel27,085 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Palm19,422 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Devils12,962 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Badger8,508 ac
1994 · perimeter dated July 21, 1994
Specimen8,378 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Crystal7,392 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bailey7,084 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Fort Piute6,350 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Lucas #46,221 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Second5,779 ac
1994 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Big Creek5,703 ac
1994 · 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.