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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

Sugarloaf2,848 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Dougherty2,595 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Dougherty2,595 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Hummingbird2,383 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bass2,382 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Shell2,367 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Finley2,057 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Peach Hill1,992 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Roadside 3 4 5 61,854 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Delta1,783 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Sacrifice1,761 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Pate Valley1,761 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Telegraph1,635 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Seco1,565 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Piney Creek1,563 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Rey1,474 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Suey Ranch1,460 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Wagner Complex1,336 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Black Mountain1,324 ac
1985 · perimeter dated July 3, 1985
Rock Creek1,268 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Kendrick1,252 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Kendrick1,252 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Box Canyon (Pioneer)1,247 ac
1985 · perimeter dated October 14, 1985
Box Canyon (Pioneer) Fire1,247 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Thomas1,182 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Parsons1,146 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Adelaide1,142 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Unknown1,141 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bumb1,123 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Passionate Springs1,100 ac
1985
Oat1,090 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Sycamore1,088 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Garlinger1,078 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Murrer1,073 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Bartlett1,053 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Bartlett1,053 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Hidden Valley1,032 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Lost Bear1,018 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 21, 2021
Lost Bear1,018 ac
1985 · perimeter dated January 2, 2019
Gann1,004 ac
1985 · 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.