Cal fire map5/29/2023 ![]() Towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls mostly destroyed Ģ direct, 22 indirect deaths were caused by the Montecito mudslides The 20 most destructive wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. ĥ1 identified from Paradise, 11 from Magalia, 7 from Concow, 1 from Chico, remaining not publicly identified as of February 2019ĭeaths were RFC workers fighting the fireĪll deaths were firefighters trying to outrun the fireĪll deaths were members of the El Cariso Hotshots ![]() The 20 deadliest wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. ![]() The fire dates before 1932, when reliable fire records began.įatalities (2 direct, 21 indirect) attributed to the fire include 1 firefighter and 1 civilian directly, 22 deaths in later mudslides, with 1 never recovered. Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Merced, Stanislaus Largest single source wildfire in California history Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity, Shasta The 20 largest wildfires according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. YearĪ 2015 study addressed whether the increase in fire risk in California is attributable to climate change. Starting in 2001, the National Interagency Fire Center began keeping more accurate records on the total fire acreage burned in each state. Satellite image from October, 2003 including Cedar Fire, one of the largest wildfires in California history The four most common ignition sources of large California wildfires since 1980 have been equipment generating sparks (chainsaws, grinders, mowers, etc.), overhead power lines, arsonists, and lightning. ![]() In total, more than 2.7 million people live in "very high fire hazard severity zones", which also include areas at lesser risk. More than 350,000 people in California live in towns sited completely within zones deemed to be at very high risk of fire. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. During the 2020 wildfire season alone, over 8,100 fires contributed to the burning of nearly 4.5 million acres of land. 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. Pre-1800, when the area was much more forested and the ecology much more resilient, 4.4 million acres (1.8 million hectares) of forest and shrubland burned annually. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. This is a partial and incomplete list of California wildfires. The Rim Fire consumed more than 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) of forest near Yosemite National Park, in 2013
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