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[[File:The Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest near in California began on Aug. 17, 2013-0004.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|The [[Rim Fire]] consumed more than 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of forest near [[Yosemite National Park]], in 2013]]
[[File:The Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest near in California began on Aug. 17, 2013-0004.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|The [[Rim Fire]] consumed more than 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of forest near [[Yosemite National Park]], in 2013]]


This is a partial and incomplete list of [[California]] [[wildfire]]s. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. Pre-1800, when the area was much more forested and the ecology much more resilient, 4.4-11.9 million acres (1.8-4.8 million hectares) of forest and shrubland burned annually.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Stephens|first1=Scott L.|last2=Martin|first2=Robert E.|last3=Clinton|first3=Nicholas E.|date=2007-11-15|title=Prehistoric fire area and emissions from California's forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112707004379|journal=Forest Ecology and Management|language=en|volume=251|issue=3|page=210|doi=10.1016/j.foreco.2007.06.005|issn=0378-1127|quote=area burned annually in California varied from 1,814,614 to 4,838,293 ha (excluding the desert region in Southeastern California) during the prehistoric period. With the land area of California equaling 40,396,822 ha (CCDB, 2003), this results in 4.5–12.0% of the state’s lands burning annually|access-date=2020-08-24|archive-date=2018-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812111636/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112707004379|url-status=live}}</ref> California land area totals 99,813,760 or roughly 100 million acres, so since 2000, the area that burned annually has ranged between 90,000 acres, or 0.09%, and 1,590,000 acres, or 1.59% of the total land of California.<ref>{{Cite web|title=California Wildfire Emission Estimates {{!}} California Air Resources Board|url=https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/wildfire-emissions|access-date=2020-08-24|website=ww2.arb.ca.gov|archive-date=2020-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830060656/https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/wildfire-emissions|url-status=live}}</ref> During the [[2020 California wildfires|2020 wildfire season]] alone, over 8,100 fires contributed to the burning of nearly 4.5 million acres of land.
This is a partial and incomplete list of [[wildfire]]s in the US state of [[California]]. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. Pre-1800, when the area was much more forested and the ecology much more resilient, 4.4-11.9 million acres (1.8-4.8 million hectares) of forest and shrubland burned annually.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Stephens|first1=Scott L.|last2=Martin|first2=Robert E.|last3=Clinton|first3=Nicholas E.|date=2007-11-15|title=Prehistoric fire area and emissions from California's forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112707004379|journal=Forest Ecology and Management|language=en|volume=251|issue=3|page=210|doi=10.1016/j.foreco.2007.06.005|issn=0378-1127|quote=area burned annually in California varied from 1,814,614 to 4,838,293 ha (excluding the desert region in Southeastern California) during the prehistoric period. With the land area of California equaling 40,396,822 ha (CCDB, 2003), this results in 4.5–12.0% of the state’s lands burning annually|access-date=2020-08-24|archive-date=2018-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812111636/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112707004379|url-status=live}}</ref> California land area totals 99,813,760 or roughly 100 million acres, so since 2000, the area that burned annually has ranged between 90,000 acres, or 0.09%, and 1,590,000 acres, or 1.59% of the total land of California.<ref>{{Cite web|title=California Wildfire Emission Estimates {{!}} California Air Resources Board|url=https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/wildfire-emissions|access-date=2020-08-24|website=ww2.arb.ca.gov|archive-date=2020-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830060656/https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/wildfire-emissions|url-status=live}}</ref> During the [[2020 California wildfires|2020 wildfire season]] alone, over 8,100 fires contributed to the burning of nearly 4.5 million acres of land.


Since the early 2010s, wildfires in California are growing more dangerous because of the accumulation of wood fuel in forests, higher population and greater electricity transmission and distribution lines.<ref>{{cite web |last1=BORUNDA |first1=ALEJANDRA |last2=ELLIOTT |first2=KENNEDY |title=See how a warmer world primed California for large fires |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/climate-change-california-wildfire/ |website=National Geographic |date=15 November 2018 |access-date=22 November 2018 |archive-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215154708/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/climate-change-california-wildfire/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Twenty-first century California, USA, wildfires: fuel-dominated vs. wind-dominated fires|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334547958|access-date=2020-08-24|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical patterns of wildfire ignition sources in California ecosystems|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328788068|access-date=2020-08-24|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}</ref> [[United States]] [[taxation in the United States|taxpayers]] pay about [[United States dollar|US$]]3 billion a year to fight wildfires, and big fires can lead to billions of dollars in property losses.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/real-estate/wildfires-are-growing-growing-more-costly-n106266|title=Wildfires are growing more costly|date=2014-05-14|newspaper=[[NBC News]]|access-date=2019-10-07|archive-date=2020-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013190300/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/real-estate/wildfires-are-growing-growing-more-costly-n106266|url-status=live}}</ref> At times, these wildfires are fanned or made worse by strong, dry winds, known as [[Diablo wind]]s when they occur in the [[Northern California|northern part of the state]] and [[Santa Ana winds]] when they occur in the [[Southern California|south]]. However, from a historical perspective, it has been estimated that prior to 1850, about 4.5 million acres (17,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) burned yearly, in fires that lasted for months, with wildfire activity peaking roughly every 30 years, when up to 11.8 million acres (47,753&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup>) of land burned.<ref name="SJMN_1">{{cite news | url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/23/california-fires-state-feds-agree-to-thin-millions-of-acres-of-forests/ | title=California fires: State, feds agree to thin millions of acres of forests - New plan would last 20 years, reshaping California's landscape | last=Rogers | first=Paul | newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]] | date=2020-08-23 | access-date=2020-09-11 | quote=Before the Gold Rush in 1849, large parts of California burned every few decades. Lightning fires burned for months, and native tribes burned the land, clearing out dead vegetation. ... Stephens, the UC fire scientist, estimates that before the Gold Rush, roughly 4.5 million acres a year in California burned. By the 1950s and 1960s, that was down to about 250,000 acres a year. | archive-date=2020-09-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913035721/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/23/california-fires-state-feds-agree-to-thin-millions-of-acres-of-forests/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="why won't anybody listen">{{cite web |last1=Weil |first1=Elizabeth |title=They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won't Anybody Listen? |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/they-know-how-to-prevent-megafires-why-wont-anybody-listen |website=ProPublica |date=28 August 2020 |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=13 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913234007/https://www.propublica.org/article/they-know-how-to-prevent-megafires-why-wont-anybody-listen |url-status=live }}</ref> The much larger wildfire seasons in the past can be attributed to the policy of [[Indigenous peoples of California|Native Californians]] regularly setting [[controlled burn]]s and allowing natural fires to run their course, which prevented devastating wildfires from overrunning the state.<ref name="SJMN_1" />
Since the early 2010s, wildfires in California are growing more dangerous because of the accumulation of wood fuel in forests, higher population, and aging and often poorly maintained electricity transmission and distribution lines, particularly in areas serviced by [[Pacific Gas and Electric Company|Pacific Gas and Electric]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=BORUNDA |first1=ALEJANDRA |last2=ELLIOTT |first2=KENNEDY |title=See how a warmer world primed California for large fires |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/climate-change-california-wildfire/ |website=National Geographic |date=15 November 2018 |access-date=22 November 2018 |archive-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215154708/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/climate-change-california-wildfire/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Twenty-first century California, USA, wildfires: fuel-dominated vs. wind-dominated fires|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334547958|access-date=2020-08-24|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical patterns of wildfire ignition sources in California ecosystems|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328788068|access-date=2020-08-24|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}</ref> [[United States]] [[taxation in the United States|taxpayers]] pay about [[United States dollar|US$]]3 billion a year to fight wildfires, and big fires can lead to billions of dollars in property losses.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/real-estate/wildfires-are-growing-growing-more-costly-n106266|title=Wildfires are growing more costly|date=2014-05-14|newspaper=[[NBC News]]|access-date=2019-10-07|archive-date=2020-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013190300/https://www.nbcnews.com/business/real-estate/wildfires-are-growing-growing-more-costly-n106266|url-status=live}}</ref> At times, these wildfires are fanned or made worse by strong, dry winds, known as [[Diablo wind]]s when they occur in the [[Northern California|northern part of the state]] and [[Santa Ana winds]] when they occur in the [[Southern California|south]]. However, from a historical perspective, it has been estimated that prior to 1850, about 4.5 million acres (17,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) burned yearly, in fires that lasted for months, with wildfire activity peaking roughly every 30 years, when up to 11.8 million acres (47,753&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup>) of land burned.<ref name="SJMN_1">{{cite news | url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/23/california-fires-state-feds-agree-to-thin-millions-of-acres-of-forests/ | title=California fires: State, feds agree to thin millions of acres of forests - New plan would last 20 years, reshaping California's landscape | last=Rogers | first=Paul | newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]] | date=2020-08-23 | access-date=2020-09-11 | quote=Before the Gold Rush in 1849, large parts of California burned every few decades. Lightning fires burned for months, and native tribes burned the land, clearing out dead vegetation. ... Stephens, the UC fire scientist, estimates that before the Gold Rush, roughly 4.5 million acres a year in California burned. By the 1950s and 1960s, that was down to about 250,000 acres a year. | archive-date=2020-09-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913035721/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/23/california-fires-state-feds-agree-to-thin-millions-of-acres-of-forests/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="why won't anybody listen">{{cite web |last1=Weil |first1=Elizabeth |title=They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won't Anybody Listen? |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/they-know-how-to-prevent-megafires-why-wont-anybody-listen |website=ProPublica |date=28 August 2020 |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=13 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913234007/https://www.propublica.org/article/they-know-how-to-prevent-megafires-why-wont-anybody-listen |url-status=live }}</ref> The much larger wildfire seasons in the past can be attributed to the policy of [[Indigenous peoples of California|Native Californians]] regularly setting [[controlled burn]]s and allowing natural fires to run their course, which prevented devastating wildfires from overrunning the state.<ref name="SJMN_1" />


More than 350,000 people in California live in towns sited completely within zones deemed to be at very high risk of fire. In total, more than 2.7 million people live in "very high fire hazard severity zones", which also include areas at lesser risk.<ref name=rgj>{{cite news|author1=Ryan Sabalow|author2=Phillip Reese|author3=Dale Kasler|agency=The Sacramento Bee|title=Destined to Burn: California races to predict which town could be next to burn|date=April 11, 2019|url=https://krcrtv.com/news/local/destined-to-burn-california-races-to-predict-which-town-could-be-next-to-burn|access-date=2019-11-17|via=KRCR News|archive-date=2019-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117210741/https://krcrtv.com/news/local/destined-to-burn-california-races-to-predict-which-town-could-be-next-to-burn|url-status=live}}</ref>
More than 350,000 people in California live in towns sited completely within zones deemed to be at very high risk of fire. In total, more than 2.7 million people live in "very high fire hazard severity zones", which also include areas at lesser risk.<ref name=rgj>{{cite news|author1=Ryan Sabalow|author2=Phillip Reese|author3=Dale Kasler|agency=The Sacramento Bee|title=Destined to Burn: California races to predict which town could be next to burn|date=April 11, 2019|url=https://krcrtv.com/news/local/destined-to-burn-california-races-to-predict-which-town-could-be-next-to-burn|access-date=2019-11-17|via=KRCR News|archive-date=2019-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117210741/https://krcrtv.com/news/local/destined-to-burn-california-races-to-predict-which-town-could-be-next-to-burn|url-status=live}}</ref>
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On lands under CAL FIRE's jurisdictional protection (i.e. not federal or local responsibility areas), the majority of wildfire ignitions since 1980 have been caused by humans. The four most common ignition sources for wildfires on CAL FIRE-protected lands are, in order: equipment use, powerlines, arson, and lightning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boxall |first=Bettina |date=January 5, 2020 |title=Human-caused ignitions spark California's worst wildfires but get little state focus |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/story/2020-01-05/human-caused-ignitions-spark-california-worst-wildfires |url-status=live |access-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619094218/https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-01-05/human-caused-ignitions-spark-california-worst-wildfires |archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref>
On lands under CAL FIRE's jurisdictional protection (i.e. not federal or local responsibility areas), the majority of wildfire ignitions since 1980 have been caused by humans. The four most common ignition sources for wildfires on CAL FIRE-protected lands are, in order: equipment use, powerlines, arson, and lightning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boxall |first=Bettina |date=January 5, 2020 |title=Human-caused ignitions spark California's worst wildfires but get little state focus |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/environment/story/2020-01-05/human-caused-ignitions-spark-california-worst-wildfires |url-status=live |access-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619094218/https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-01-05/human-caused-ignitions-spark-california-worst-wildfires |archive-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref>


A 2023 study found that these wildfires are affecting the California ecosystem and disrupting the habitats.<ref name="abcnews.go.com">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=California wildfires altering ecosystems, disrupting wildlife habitats: Study |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/extreme-wildfires-disrupting-wildlife-ecosystems-california-researchers/story?id=105034054 |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ayars |first=Jessalyn |last2=Kramer |first2=H. Anu |last3=Jones |first3=Gavin M. |date=2023-11-28 |title=The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat |url=https://pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free |pmc=10691208 }}</ref> It found that in the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons 58% of the area affected by wildfires occurred in those two seasons since 2012.<ref name="abcnews.go.com"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ayars |first=Jessalyn |last2=Kramer |first2=H. Anu |last3=Jones |first3=Gavin M. |date=2023-11-28 |title=The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat |url=https://pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free |pmc=10691208 }}</ref> These two fires destroyed 30% of the habitat of 50 species as well as 100 species that had 10% of their habitats burn. 5-14% of the species' habitats burned at a "high severity."<ref>{{Cite web |title=California wildfires altering ecosystems, disrupting wildlife habitats: Study |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/extreme-wildfires-disrupting-wildlife-ecosystems-california-researchers/story?id=105034054 |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ayars |first=Jessalyn |last2=Kramer |first2=H. Anu |last3=Jones |first3=Gavin M. |date=2023-11-28 |title=The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat |url=https://pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free |pmc=10691208 }}</ref>
A 2023 study found that these wildfires are affecting the California ecosystem and disrupting the habitats.<ref name="abcnews.go.com">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=California wildfires altering ecosystems, disrupting wildlife habitats: Study |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/extreme-wildfires-disrupting-wildlife-ecosystems-california-researchers/story?id=105034054 |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ayars |first1=Jessalyn |last2=Kramer |first2=H. Anu |last3=Jones |first3=Gavin M. |date=2023-11-28 |title=The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free |pmid=37983516 |pmc=10691208 }}</ref> It found that in the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons 58% of the area affected by wildfires occurred in those two seasons since 2012.<ref name="abcnews.go.com"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ayars |first1=Jessalyn |last2=Kramer |first2=H. Anu |last3=Jones |first3=Gavin M. |date=2023-11-28 |title=The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free |pmid=37983516 |pmc=10691208 }}</ref> These two fires destroyed 30% of the habitat of 50 species as well as 100 species that had 10% of their habitats burn. 5-14% of the species' habitats burned at a "high severity."<ref>{{Cite web |title=California wildfires altering ecosystems, disrupting wildlife habitats: Study |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/extreme-wildfires-disrupting-wildlife-ecosystems-california-researchers/story?id=105034054 |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ayars |first1=Jessalyn |last2=Kramer |first2=H. Anu |last3=Jones |first3=Gavin M. |date=2023-11-28 |title=The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2312909120 |issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free |pmid=37983516 |pmc=10691208 }}</ref>


==Statistics==
==Statistics==
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|-
|[[2023 California wildfires|2023]] ||7,127||{{convert|324,917|acres|ha|disp=table}}||<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 Incident Archive|url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2023|website=CAL FIRE |access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref>
|[[2023 California wildfires|2023]] ||7,127||{{convert|324,917|acres|ha|disp=table}}||<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 Incident Archive|url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2023|website=CAL FIRE |access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref>
⚫
|-
|[[2024 California wildfires|2024]] ||7,934||{{convert|1,049,452|acres|ha|disp=table}}||<ref name="2024 CalFire">{{Cite web |title= 2024 Incident Archive |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024 |access-date=August 16, 2024 |website=www.fire.ca.gov |publisher=[[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]] (Cal Fire)}}</ref>
|-
|-
| {{sort|9998|'''2000-23 Mean'''}} ||8,243||{{convert|974,894|acres|ha|disp=table}}||
| {{sort|9998|'''2000-23 Mean'''}} ||8,243||{{convert|974,894|acres|ha|disp=table}}||
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|3.||[[Mendocino Complex Fire|Mendocino Complex]]||[[Mendocino County, California|Mendocino]], [[Lake County, California|Lake]], [[Colusa County, California|Colusa]], [[Glenn County, California|Glenn]]|| {{convert|459,123|acres|ha|disp=table}}|| {{dts|July 2018}} ||280||1||
|3.||[[Mendocino Complex Fire|Mendocino Complex]]||[[Mendocino County, California|Mendocino]], [[Lake County, California|Lake]], [[Colusa County, California|Colusa]], [[Glenn County, California|Glenn]]|| {{convert|459,123|acres|ha|disp=table}}|| {{dts|July 2018}} ||280||1||
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|4.||[[Park Fire|Park]]||[[Butte County, California|Butte]], [[Tehama County, California|Tehama]]|| {{convert|429603|acres|ha|disp=table}}|| {{dts|July 2024}} ||637||0||Largest caused by arson.
|4.||[[Park Fire|Park]]||[[Butte County, California|Butte]], [[Tehama County, California|Tehama]]|| {{convert|429603|acres|ha|disp=table}}|| {{dts|July 2024}} ||709||0||Largest caused by arson.
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|5.||[[SCU Lightning Complex fires|SCU Lightning Complex]]||[[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]], [[Alameda County, California|Alameda]], [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa]], [[San Joaquin County, California|San Joaquin]], [[Merced County, California|Merced]], [[Stanislaus County, California|Stanislaus]]|| {{convert|396,624|acres|ha|disp=table}} || {{dts|August 2020}}||222||0||
|5.||[[SCU Lightning Complex fires|SCU Lightning Complex]]||[[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]], [[Alameda County, California|Alameda]], [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa]], [[San Joaquin County, California|San Joaquin]], [[Merced County, California|Merced]], [[Stanislaus County, California|Stanislaus]]|| {{convert|396,624|acres|ha|disp=table}} || {{dts|August 2020}}||222||0||
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|{{dts|August 2020}}
|{{dts|August 2020}}
|2,352
|2,352
|15
|16
|14 of the dead were residents of [[Berry Creek]], with the remaining two being residents of the neighboring town of [[Feather Falls, California|Feather Falls]]. Both towns were nearly entirely destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Hayley |date=2020-10-29 |title=North Complex fire claims its 16th victim, Berry Creek man who was burned 6 weeks ago |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-29/north-complex-fire-claims-16th-victim |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |quote=Like Naing, most of the North Complex’s 15 other victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 79, lived in Berry Creek, which was nearly leveled by the flames. Two victims hailed from nearby Feather Falls.}}</ref>
⚫
|
|-
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|7.
|7.
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|{{dts|November 2018}}
|{{dts|November 2018}}
|18,804
|18,804
|85
|86
|Town of [[Paradise, California|Paradise]] destroyed<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paradise-california-camp-fire-town-destroyed-woolsey-fire-today-2018-11-09/|title=Wildfire destroys entire town as massive blazes tear through California|date=2018-11-09|newspaper=[[CBS News]]|access-date=2018-11-10|archive-date=2018-11-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118192958/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paradise-california-camp-fire-town-destroyed-woolsey-fire-today-2018-11-09/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Town of [[Paradise, California|Paradise]] destroyed<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paradise-california-camp-fire-town-destroyed-woolsey-fire-today-2018-11-09/|title=Wildfire destroys entire town as massive blazes tear through California|date=2018-11-09|newspaper=[[CBS News]]|access-date=2018-11-10|archive-date=2018-11-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118192958/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paradise-california-camp-fire-town-destroyed-woolsey-fire-today-2018-11-09/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|-
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In some parts of California, fires recur with some regularity. In [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], for example, fires of various size and ignition occurred in [[1923 Berkeley, California fire|1923]], 1931, 1933, 1937, 1946, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1980, 1990, [[Oakland firestorm of 1991|1991]], 1995, 2002, and 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://montclairoak.com/tag/oakland-hills-fire/|title=Oakland Hills Fire|website=Today in Montclair, 94611|date=6 March 2012|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213201253/https://montclairoak.com/tag/oakland-hills-fire/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=History of Fires in the Oakland hills|url=http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/fire/documents/webcontent/oak042168.pdf|website=oaklandnet.com|access-date=2014-03-24|archive-date=2014-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329005514/http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/fire/documents/webcontent/oak042168.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Orange County, California|Orange County]], [[Riverside County, California|Riverside County]], [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]], and [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]] are other examples. Orange and San Bernardino counties share a border that runs north to south through the [[Chino Hills State Park]], with the park's landscape ranging from large green [[coastal sage scrub]], [[grassland]], and [[woodland]], to areas of brown sparsely dense [[vegetation]] made drier by droughts or hot summers. The valley's grass and barren land can become easily susceptible to dry spells and drought, therefore making it a prime spot for brush fires and [[conflagration]]s, many of which have occurred since 1914. Hills and canyons have seen brush or wildfires in 1914, the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and into today.<ref>{{Cite report|title=A 100 Year History of Wildfires Near Chino Hills State Park|date=August 2012|publisher=Hills For Everyone|url=http://www.hillsforeveryone.org/projects/fire-files/A-100-Year-History-of-Wildfires-Near-CHSP.pdf|access-date=2014-03-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329012854/http://www.hillsforeveryone.org/projects/fire-files/A-100-Year-History-of-Wildfires-Near-CHSP.pdf|archive-date=2014-03-29}}</ref>
In some parts of California, fires recur with some regularity. In [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], for example, fires of various size and ignition occurred in [[1923 Berkeley, California fire|1923]], 1931, 1933, 1937, 1946, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1980, 1990, [[Oakland firestorm of 1991|1991]], 1995, 2002, and 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://montclairoak.com/tag/oakland-hills-fire/|title=Oakland Hills Fire|website=Today in Montclair, 94611|date=6 March 2012|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-date=13 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213201253/https://montclairoak.com/tag/oakland-hills-fire/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=History of Fires in the Oakland hills|url=http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/fire/documents/webcontent/oak042168.pdf|website=oaklandnet.com|access-date=2014-03-24|archive-date=2014-03-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329005514/http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/fire/documents/webcontent/oak042168.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Orange County, California|Orange County]], [[Riverside County, California|Riverside County]], [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]], and [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]] are other examples. Orange and San Bernardino counties share a border that runs north to south through the [[Chino Hills State Park]], with the park's landscape ranging from large green [[coastal sage scrub]], [[grassland]], and [[woodland]], to areas of brown sparsely dense [[vegetation]] made drier by droughts or hot summers. The valley's grass and barren land can become easily susceptible to dry spells and drought, therefore making it a prime spot for brush fires and [[conflagration]]s, many of which have occurred since 1914. Hills and canyons have seen brush or wildfires in 1914, the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and into today.<ref>{{Cite report|title=A 100 Year History of Wildfires Near Chino Hills State Park|date=August 2012|publisher=Hills For Everyone|url=http://www.hillsforeveryone.org/projects/fire-files/A-100-Year-History-of-Wildfires-Near-CHSP.pdf|access-date=2014-03-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329012854/http://www.hillsforeveryone.org/projects/fire-files/A-100-Year-History-of-Wildfires-Near-CHSP.pdf|archive-date=2014-03-29}}</ref>


On occasion, lightning strikes from [[thunderstorm]]s may also spark wildfires in areas that have seen past ignition. Examples of this are the 1999 Megram Fire, the [[2008 California wildfires]].{{citation needed|date = December 2017}}, as well as both the LNU and SCU Lightning Complex fires of 2020.
On occasion, lightning strikes from [[thunderstorm]]s may also spark wildfires in areas that have seen past ignition. Examples of this are the 1999 Megram Fire, the [[2008 California wildfires]],{{citation needed|date = December 2017}} as well as the LNU and SCU Lightning Complex fires (both in 2020).


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Climate of California]]
:* [[List of California floods]]
:* [[List of California tornadoes]]
:* [[List of California hurricanes]]
:* [[Climate change in California]]
* [[List of wildfires]]
* [[List of wildfires]]
* [[2012–13 North American drought]]
* [[Wildfires in the United States]]
* [[Wildfires in the United States]]
* [[Climate change in California]]
:* [[List of Arizona wildfires]]
:* [[List of New Mexico wildfires]]
:* [[List of Oregon wildfires]]

{{clear}}
{{clear}}


Latest revision as of 22:51, 17 December 2024

"California wildfire" redirects here. For the current fires in California, see 2024 California wildfires.

Santa Ana winds in California expand fires and spread smoke over hundreds of miles, as in this October 2007 satellite image
The Rim Fire consumed more than 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of forest near Yosemite National Park, in 2013

This is a partial and incomplete list of wildfires in the US state of California. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. Pre-1800, when the area was much more forested and the ecology much more resilient, 4.4-11.9 million acres (1.8-4.8 million hectares) of forest and shrubland burned annually.[1] California land area totals 99,813,760 or roughly 100 million acres, so since 2000, the area that burned annually has ranged between 90,000 acres, or 0.09%, and 1,590,000 acres, or 1.59% of the total land of California.[2] During the 2020 wildfire season alone, over 8,100 fires contributed to the burning of nearly 4.5 million acres of land.

Since the early 2010s, wildfires in California are growing more dangerous because of the accumulation of wood fuel in forests, higher population, and aging and often poorly maintained electricity transmission and distribution lines, particularly in areas serviced by Pacific Gas and Electric.[3][4][5] United States taxpayers pay about US$3 billion a year to fight wildfires, and big fires can lead to billions of dollars in property losses.[6] At times, these wildfires are fanned or made worse by strong, dry winds, known as Diablo winds when they occur in the northern part of the state and Santa Ana winds when they occur in the south. However, from a historical perspective, it has been estimated that prior to 1850, about 4.5 million acres (17,000 km2) burned yearly, in fires that lasted for months, with wildfire activity peaking roughly every 30 years, when up to 11.8 million acres (47,753 km3) of land burned.[7][8] The much larger wildfire seasons in the past can be attributed to the policy of Native Californians regularly setting controlled burns and allowing natural fires to run their course, which prevented devastating wildfires from overrunning the state.[7]

More than 350,000 people in California live in towns sited completely within zones deemed to be at very high risk of fire. In total, more than 2.7 million people live in "very high fire hazard severity zones", which also include areas at lesser risk.[9]

On lands under CAL FIRE's jurisdictional protection (i.e. not federal or local responsibility areas), the majority of wildfire ignitions since 1980 have been caused by humans. The four most common ignition sources for wildfires on CAL FIRE-protected lands are, in order: equipment use, powerlines, arson, and lightning.[10]

A 2023 study found that these wildfires are affecting the California ecosystem and disrupting the habitats.[11][12] It found that in the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons 58% of the area affected by wildfires occurred in those two seasons since 2012.[11][13] These two fires destroyed 30% of the habitat of 50 species as well as 100 species that had 10% of their habitats burn. 5-14% of the species' habitats burned at a "high severity."[14][15]

Statistics

[edit]

Area burned per year

[edit]
Remains of houses destroyed in the Oakland firestorm of 1991
Satellite image from October, 2003 including Cedar Fire, one of the largest wildfires in California history

Starting in 2001, the National Interagency Fire Center began keeping more accurate records on the total fire acreage burned in each state.[16]

Year Fires Acres Hectares Ref
2000 7,622 295,026 119,393 [17]
2001 9,458 329,126 133,193 [18]
2002 8,328 969,890 392,500 [19][20]
2003 9,116 1,020,460 412,970 [21][22][23]
2004 8,415 264,988 107,237 [24][25]
2005 7,162 222,538 90,058 [26][27]
2006 8,202 736,022 297,858 [28][29]
2007 9,093 1,520,362 615,269 [17][30]
2008 6,255 1,593,690 644,940 [17]
2009 9,159 422,147 170,837 [31][32]
2010 6,554 109,529 44,325 [33]
2011 7,989 168,545 68,208 [34][35]
2012 7,950 869,599 351,914 [36]
2013 9,907 601,635 243,473 [37][38]
2014 7,865 625,540 253,150 [39][40]
2015 8,745 893,362 361,531 [41]
2016 6,986 669,534 270,951 [42][43]
2017 9,560 1,548,429 626,627 [44][45]
2018 8,527 1,975,086 799,289 [46][47]
2019 7,860 259,823 105,147 [48]
2020 9,639 4,397,809 1,779,730 [49]
2021 8,835 2,568,948 1,039,616 [50]
2022 7,490 362,455 146,680 [51]
2023 7,127 324,917 131,489 [52]
2024 7,934 1,049,452 424,698 [53]
2000-23 Mean 8,243 974,894 394,526
2000-23 Median 8,265 647,537 262,049

A 2015 study[54] addressed whether the increase in fire risk in California is attributable to climate change.[55]

Largest wildfires

[edit]

The 20 largest wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.[56]

Name County Acres Hectares Start date Structures Deaths Notes
1. August Complex Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity, Shasta 1,032,648 417,898 August 2020 935 1
2. Dixie Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama 963,309 389,837 July 2021 1,329 1 Largest single-source wildfire in California history.[57]
3. Mendocino Complex Mendocino, Lake, Colusa, Glenn 459,123 185,800 July 2018 280 1
4. Park Butte, Tehama 429,603 173,854 July 2024 709 0 Largest caused by arson.
5. SCU Lightning Complex Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Merced, Stanislaus 396,624 160,508 August 2020 222 0
6. Creek Fresno, Madera 379,895 153,738 September 2020 856 0
7. LNU Lightning Complex Colusa, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo 363,220 146,990 August 2020 1,491 6
8. North Complex Plumas, Butte 318,935 129,068 August 2020 2,352 15
9. Santiago Canyon Orange, Riverside, San Diego 300,000 120,000 September 1889 0 0 The fire dates before 1932, when reliable fire records began.
10. Thomas Ventura, Santa Barbara 281,893 114,078 December 2017 1,063 23 Fatalities (2 direct, 21 indirect) attributed to the fire include 1 firefighter and 1 civilian directly, 22 deaths in later mudslides, with 1 never recovered.[58]
11. Cedar San Diego 273,246 110,579 October 2003 2,820 15
12. Rush Lassen 271,911 110,038 August 2012 0 0 This fire burned an additional 43,666 acres (17,671.0 ha) in Nevada, for a total of 315,577 acres (127,709.5 ha).[59][60]
13. Rim Tuolumne 257,314 104,131 August 2013 112 0
14. Zaca Santa Barbara 240,207 97,208 July 2007 1 0
15. Carr Shasta, Trinity 229,651 92,936 July 2018 1,614 8
16. Monument Trinity 223,124 90,295 July 2021 50 0
17. Caldor El Dorado, Amador, Alpine 221,835 89,773 August 2021 1,003 1
18. Matilija Ventura 220,000 89,000 September 1932 0 0
19. River Complex Siskiyou, Trinity 199,343 80,671 July 2021 122 0
20. Witch San Diego 197,990 80,120 October 2007 1,650 2

Deadliest wildfires

[edit]

The 20 deadliest wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.[61]

Name County Acres Hectares Start date Structures Deaths Notes
1. Camp[62][63][64] Butte 153,336 62,050 November 2018 18,804 85 Caused by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
2. Griffith Park Los Angeles 47 19 October 1933 0 29 Deaths were RFC workers fighting the fire
3. Tunnel Alameda 1,600 650 October 1991 2,900 25
4. Thomas Ventura, Santa Barbara 281,893 114,078 December 2017 1,063 23 Fatalities (2 direct, 21 indirect) attributed to the fire include 1 firefighter and 1 civilian directly, 22 deaths in later mudslides, with 1 never recovered.[58]
5. Tubbs Napa, Sonoma 36,807 14,895 October 2017 5,643 22
6. North Complex Plumas, Butte 318,935 129,068 August 2020 2,352 16 14 of the dead were residents of Berry Creek, with the remaining two being residents of the neighboring town of Feather Falls. Both towns were nearly entirely destroyed.[65]
7. Cedar San Diego 273,246 110,579 October 2003 2,820 15
8. Rattlesnake Glenn 1,340 540 July 1953 0 15 All deaths were firefighters trying to outrun the fire
9. Loop Los Angeles 2,028 821 November 1966 0 12 All deaths were members of the El Cariso Hotshots
10 Hauser Creek San Diego 13,145 5,320 October 1943 0 11
11. Inaja San Diego 43,904 17,767 November 1956 0 11
12. Iron Alps Complex Trinity 105,855 42,838 August 2008 10 10
13. Redwood Valley Mendocino 36,523 14,780 October 2017 544 9
14. Harris San Diego 90,440 36,600 October 2007 548 8
15. Canyon Los Angeles 22,197 8,983 August 1968 0 8
16. Carr Shasta, Trinity 229,651 92,936 July 2018 1,614 8
17. LNU Lightning Complex Colusa, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo 363,220 146,990 August 2020 1,491 6
18. Atlas Napa, Solano 51,624 20,891 October 2017 781 6
19. Old San Bernardino 91,281 36,940 October 2003 1,003 6
20. Decker Riverside 1,425 577 August 1959 1 6

Most destructive wildfires

[edit]

The 20 most destructive wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.[66]

Name County Acres Hectares Start date Structures Deaths Notes
1. Camp[62][63][64] Butte 153,336 62,050 November 2018 18,804 86 Town of Paradise destroyed[67]
2. Tubbs Napa, Sonoma 36,807 14,895 October 2017 5,643 22
3. Tunnel Alameda 1,600 650 October 1991 2,900 25
4. Cedar San Diego 273,246 110,579 October 2003 2,820 15
5. North Complex Plumas, Butte 318,935 129,068 August 2020 2,352 15 Towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls mostly destroyed[68][69]
6. Valley Lake, Napa, Sonoma 76,067 30,783 September 2015 1,955 4
7. Witch San Diego 197,990 80,120 October 2007 1,650 2
8. Woolsey Ventura, Los Angeles 96,949 39,234 November 2018 1,643 3
9. Carr Shasta, Trinity 229,651 92,936 July 2018 1,614 8
10. Glass Napa, Sonoma 67,484 27,310 September 2020 1,520 0
11. LNU Lightning Complex Colusa, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo 363,220 146,990 August 2020 1,491 6
12. CZU Lightning Complex Santa Cruz, San Mateo 86,509 35,009 August 2020 1,490 1
13. Nuns Sonoma 54,382 22,008 October 2017 1,355 3
14. Dixie Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama 963,309 389,837 July 2021 1,329 1 Town of Greenville mostly destroyed
15. Thomas Ventura, Santa Barbara 281,893 114,078 December 2017 1,063 23 2 direct, 22 indirect deaths were caused by the Montecito mudslides
16. Caldor El Dorado, Amador, Alpine 221,835 89,773 August 2021 1,003 1 Town of Grizzly Flats mostly destroyed
17. Old San Bernardino 91,281 36,940 October 2003 1,003 6
18. Butte Amador, Calaveras 70,868 28,679 September 2015 965 2
19. Jones Shasta 26,200 10,600 October 1999 954 1
20. August Complex Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity, Shasta 1,032,649 417,898 August 2020 935 1

Areas of repeated ignition

[edit]
The summer 2008 wildfires were widespread and deadly, with at least 3,596 wildfires of various origins burning throughout Northern and Central California, for around four months

In some parts of California, fires recur with some regularity. In Oakland, for example, fires of various size and ignition occurred in 1923, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1946, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2002, and 2008.[70][71] Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Los Angeles County are other examples. Orange and San Bernardino counties share a border that runs north to south through the Chino Hills State Park, with the park's landscape ranging from large green coastal sage scrub, grassland, and woodland, to areas of brown sparsely dense vegetation made drier by droughts or hot summers. The valley's grass and barren land can become easily susceptible to dry spells and drought, therefore making it a prime spot for brush fires and conflagrations, many of which have occurred since 1914. Hills and canyons have seen brush or wildfires in 1914, the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and into today.[72]

On occasion, lightning strikes from thunderstorms may also spark wildfires in areas that have seen past ignition. Examples of this are the 1999 Megram Fire, the 2008 California wildfires,[citation needed] as well as the LNU and SCU Lightning Complex fires (both in 2020).

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Stephens, Scott L.; Martin, Robert E.; Clinton, Nicholas E. (November 15, 2007). "Prehistoric fire area and emissions from California's forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands". Forest Ecology and Management. 251 (3): 210. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2007.06.005. ISSN 0378-1127. Archived from the original on August 12, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2020. area burned annually in California varied from 1,814,614 to 4,838,293 ha (excluding the desert region in Southeastern California) during the prehistoric period. With the land area of California equaling 40,396,822 ha (CCDB, 2003), this results in 4.5–12.0% of the state's lands burning annually
  2. ^ "California Wildfire Emission Estimates | California Air Resources Board". ww2.arb.ca.gov. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  3. ^ BORUNDA, ALEJANDRA; ELLIOTT, KENNEDY (November 15, 2018). "See how a warmer world primed California for large fires". National Geographic. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  4. ^ "Twenty-first century California, USA, wildfires: fuel-dominated vs. wind-dominated fires". ResearchGate. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. ^ "Historical patterns of wildfire ignition sources in California ecosystems". ResearchGate. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  6. ^ "Wildfires are growing more costly". NBC News. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Rogers, Paul (August 23, 2020). "California fires: State, feds agree to thin millions of acres of forests - New plan would last 20 years, reshaping California's landscape". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020. Before the Gold Rush in 1849, large parts of California burned every few decades. Lightning fires burned for months, and native tribes burned the land, clearing out dead vegetation. ... Stephens, the UC fire scientist, estimates that before the Gold Rush, roughly 4.5 million acres a year in California burned. By the 1950s and 1960s, that was down to about 250,000 acres a year.
  8. ^ Weil, Elizabeth (August 28, 2020). "They Know How to Prevent Megafires. Why Won't Anybody Listen?". ProPublica. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
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  13. ^ Ayars, Jessalyn; Kramer, H. Anu; Jones, Gavin M. (November 28, 2023). "The 2020 to 2021 California megafires and their impacts on wildlife habitat". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (48). doi:10.1073/pnas.2312909120. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 10691208. PMID 37983516.
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  50. ^ "2021 Incident Archive". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
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