2004 California wildfires

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2004 California wildfires
North wildfire, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, summer 2004 (759821b3-013c-4f3c-918b-70427bd88d95).jpg
Manzanita burns in a small 2004 wildfire in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Date(s)
  • January 1 –
  • December 31, 2004
Statistics [1]
Total fires7,898 [1]
Total area311,024 acres (1,258.67 km2) [1]
Impacts
Deaths2 firefighters [2]
Damage>$296.9 million (2004 USD) [3]
Season
  2003
2005  

7,898 wildfires [1] burned 311,024 acres (1,258.67 square kilometres) in the US state of California in 2004. [1]

Contents

Background

The timing of "fire season" in California is variable, depending on the amount of prior winter and spring precipitation, the frequency and severity of weather such as heat waves and wind events, and moisture content in vegetation. Northern California typically sees wildfire activity between late spring and early fall, peaking in the summer with hotter and drier conditions. Occasional cold frontal passages can bring wind and lightning. The timing of fire season in Southern California is similar, peaking between late spring and fall. The severity and duration of peak activity in either part of the state is modulated in part by weather events: downslope/offshore wind events can lead to critical fire weather, while onshore flow and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that hamper wildfire growth. [4] [5]

List of wildfires

Below is a list of all fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) during the 2004 fire season. [2] The list is taken from CAL FIRE's list of large fires.

NameCountyAcresKm2Start DateContained DateNotes
Pleasure Fire Riverside 2,46410.0April 25, 2004April 26, 2004
India San Diego 2,0408.3May 2, 2004May 3, 2004
Eagle Riverside 8,83135.7May 2, 2004May 7, 200441 structures destroyed
Cerrito Riverside 16,46066.6May 3, 2004May 7, 200426 structures destroyed
Cachuma Santa Barbara 1,1274.6May 3, 2004May 7, 20041 structure destroyed
Cottonwood Riverside 1,8457.5May 12, 2004May 15, 2004
Gaviota Santa Barbara 7,44030.1June 5, 2004June 11, 20044 structures destroyed
Meadow Mariposa 5,06020.5June 27, 2004July 1, 2004
Bluff Shasta 3,30413.4June 28, 2004September 13, 2004Burned in Lassen Volcanic National Park [6]
Verbenia Riverside 3,83315.5July 11, 2004July 16, 2004
Gatos Fresno 1,3075.3July 11, 2004July 13, 2004
Pine Los Angeles 17,41870.5July 12, 2004July 21, 200415 structures destroyed, 1 firefighter fatality
Mataguary San Diego 8,64935.0July 13, 2004July 15, 20043 structures destroyed
State Melton Riverside 3,66714.8July 17, 2004July 20, 200420 structures destroyed
Foothill Los Angeles 6,00224.3July 17, 2004July 21, 2004
Pelican Stanislaus 1,5006.1July 19, 2004July 24, 2004
Crown Complex Los Angeles 18,02672.9July 20, 2004July 23, 20047 structures destroyed
Straylor Lassen 3,42213.8July 22, 2004July 29, 2004
Irongate Siskiyou 2,4009.7July 24, 2004July 26, 2004
Sims Trinity 4,03016.3July 28, 2004August 3, 20044 structures destroyed
East Los Angeles 1,3305.4August 7, 2004August 9, 2004
Copper Calaveras 3,44313.9August 8, 2004August 9, 2004
Kincaid Santa Clara 1,2465.0August 8, 2004August 10, 2004
Early Tuolumne 1,6706.8August 9, 2004August 11, 2004
Oregon Butte 2,0308.2August 11, 2004August 15, 20044 structures destroyed
Bear Shasta 10,84843.9August 11, 2004August 16, 200486 structures destroyed
Deep Tulare 3,14812.7August 12, 2004August 16, 2004
French Shasta 13,00552.6August 14, 2004August 20, 200430 structures destroyed
Geysers Lake 12,52550.7September 3, 2004September 8, 200421 structures destroyed
Pattison Calaveras 2,47610.0September 3, 2004September 5, 2004125 structures destroyed
Cement Napa 1,1004.5September 4, 2004September 4, 2004
Runaway San Bernardino 1,0074.1September 7, 2004September 9, 2004
Old Highway Mariposa 1,3475.5September 12, 2004September 15, 2004
Power Amador 16,80068.0October 6, 2004October 21, 2004
Rumsey Yolo 39,138158.4October 10, 2004October 16, 20046 structures destroyed
Freds El Dorado 7,70031.2October 13, 2004October 17, 2004

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "2004 Wildfire Activity Stats" (PDF). NIFC . February 14, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Large Fires 2004" (PDF). CAL FIRE . Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  3. "CDF 2004 Fire Season Summary" (PDF). CalFire. August 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  4. "Weather: Fire Season Climatology (Northern California)". National Wildfire Coordinating Group . April 25, 2024. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  5. Toohey, Grace (June 22, 2024). "California wildfires have already burned 90,000 acres, and summer is just beginning". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.