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

Callbox1,232 ac
1992 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cement1,222 ac
1992
Cement Fire1,222 ac
1992 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Banning1,197 ac
1992
Smud #11,179 ac
1992 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Cactus1,109 ac
1992 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Sebastain1,078 ac
1992 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Unknown1,039 ac
1992 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Geysers5,771 ac
1991 · perimeter dated October 20, 1991
Geysers Fire5,771 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bear Mtn. #15,556 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 31, 1991
Ill3,592 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Ill3,102 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Frog Creek3,043 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Lion2,849 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Grey Lodge2,643 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Beaty #52,412 ac
1991 · perimeter dated October 22, 1991
Blue Mountain2,299 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Pieta Creek Vmp2,234 ac
1991 · perimeter dated October 18, 1991
Road 262,094 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Deadhorse Res. #H2,052 ac
1991
Frog1,731 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Tunnel1,623 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Barrett1,609 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Stockton1,505 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Red House1,404 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 29, 1991
Brown1,327 ac
1991 · perimeter dated October 24, 1991
Frog Creek1,312 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Van Gorden Vmp1,253 ac
1991 · perimeter dated October 1, 1991
Diamond H Vmp1,167 ac
1991 · perimeter dated September 16, 1991
Lodge #11,120 ac
1991 · perimeter dated February 19, 1991
Rock1,109 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bear1,082 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Lp 911,082 ac
1991 · perimeter dated November 25, 1991
Unknown1,009 ac
1991 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Roseburg 911,004 ac
1991 · perimeter dated November 16, 1991
Campbell131,504 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Finley35,862 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Stormy22,883 ac
1990 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Los Padres20,540 ac
1990 · perimeter dated September 1, 1990

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.