The 2014 Washington wildfires were a series of 1,480 wildfires that burned 386,972 acres (1,566 km2) over the course of 2014. The first occurred primarily on the east side of the Cascade Range in Chelan and Okanogan counties. The fires burned private land, state land, and within the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests, ultimately covering over 350,000 acres. The first fire began on July 8 near the Entiat River. On July 14 a lightning storm started dozens more fires across the eastern Cascade Range. Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency, activating the Washington National Guard. More lightning strikes later in the summer started additional fires.
The 2015 wildfire season was the largest in Washington state history, with more than one million acres burning across the state from June to September. As many as 3,000 firefighters including 800 Washington National Guard members were deployed to fight the fires. The 17th Field Artillery Brigade of the United States Army also deployed 200 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis–McChord to help fight the fires.
The Okanogan Complex Fire was a wildfire affecting Okanogan County in north-central Washington state. It was composed of five fires that were caused by lightning strikes on August 15, 2015, with two of the fires near Conconully merging days later on August 19. At its peak, it burned over 304,782 acres (123,341 ha) of land and forced the evacuations of numerous towns, including Conconully, Twisp and Winthrop. Over 1,250 firefighters were deployed to the Okanogan Complex. Three United States Forest Service firefighters were killed in an accident near Twisp on August 19. Traditional methods of containing such wildfires, such as creating bulldozer lines, were not readily available due to the irregular terrain and because an inversion layer trapped smoke in the valley, making it difficult to fly in water by helicopter.
The 2018 Washington wildfire season officially began June 1, 2018. A statewide state of emergency was declared by Governor Jay Inslee on July 31.
The Sand Fire was a wildfire that burned in the area of Rumsey northwest of Guinda in Yolo County, California in the United States. The fire started on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at County Road 41 and Highway 16 and burned 2,512 acres (1,017 ha) as well as seven structures. The fire was fully contained as of 7:27 am on June 15, 2019. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The fire was the first major incident of the season, in what fire officials claimed to be an indicator of the fire season to come.
The Left Hand Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest, 17 miles northwest of Naches, in the state of Washington in the United States. The fire, which started July 23, 2019, was caused by a lightning strike. As of September 3, the fire had burned 3,406 acres (1,378 ha) and was 92 percent contained.
The 2020 Washington wildfire season officially began in March 2020. The season was a part of the 2020 Western United States wildfires. By September, wildfires had burned over 713,000 acres, 181 homes had been lost, and one death occurred as a result. The 2020 fire season saw more individual fires than in any other recorded year.
The Lake Fire was a wildfire that burned during the 2020 California wildfire season in the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County in the state of California in the United States. The fire, which was first reported on August 12, 2020, burned 31,089 acres (12,581 ha) near Lake Hughes. It was fully contained on September 28. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The fire has damaged 3 structures, destroyed 12 structures and 21 outbuildings, and injured 4 firefighters.
The North Complex Fire was a massive wildfire complex that burned in the Plumas National Forest in Northern California in the counties of Plumas and Butte. 21 fires were started by lightning on August 17, 2020; by September 5, all the individual fires had been put out with the exception of the Claremont and Bear Fires, which merged on that date, and the Sheep Fire, which was then designated a separate incident. On September 8, strong winds caused the Bear/Claremont Fire to explode in size, rapidly spreading to the southwest. On September 8, 2020, the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls were immediately evacuated at 3:15 p.m. PDT with no prior warning. By September 9, 2020, the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls had been leveled, with few homes left standing. The fire threatened the city of Oroville, before its westward spread was stopped. The fire killed 16 people and injured more than 100. Among the 16 fatalities was a 16-year-old boy. The complex burned an estimated 318,935 acres (129,068 ha), and was 100% contained on December 3. The fire was managed by the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with Cal Fire, with the primary incident base in Quincy. The North Complex Fire is the eighth-largest in California's history, and was the deadliest fire in the 2020 California wildfire season.
The 2021 Washington wildfire season officially began in March 2021. By late April, all of Eastern Washington had been classified by the United States Drought Monitor as "abnormally dry" with moderate to severe drought conditions. The state had more than 630 wildfires by the first week of July, on par with the state's record 2015 wildfire season.
The Tamarack Fire was a wildfire that burned 68,637 acres (27,776 ha), primarily in the Mokelumne Wilderness in Alpine County, California, Douglas County, Nevada and Lyon County, Nevada, as part of the 2021 California wildfire season.
The Tennant Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, California, in the United States as part of the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire was first reported just east of Highway 97, three miles northwest of Bray, California on June 28, 2021. The fire was contained on July 12, 2021. The fire burned 10,580 acres (4,282 ha), destroyed five structures, and caused evacuations in Macdoel, California. The cause remains under investigation. The Tennant Fire was one of three fires burning at the same time in the Lake Shasta region, the others being the Lava Fire and the Salt Fire.
The McFarland Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest north of Wildwood in Trinity County, Shasta County, and Tehama County, California in the United States. Started by a lightning strike, the fire was first reported on July 29, 2021 on McFarland Ridge south of Highway 36. As of September 16, 2021, the fire had burned 122,653 acres (49,636 ha) and destroyed 46 structures.
The Beckwourth Complex was a wildfire complex that burned in the Plumas National Forest in Plumas and Lassen counties. The two major fires of the complex, the Dotta Fire and the Sugar Fire, started on June 30 and July 2 northeast of Beckwourth, California. Started by lightning strikes, the two fires collectively burned 105,670 acres (42,763 ha). The complex resulted in the evacuation of numerous residential areas and the closure of portions of Plumas National Forest. In the community of Doyle, California, 33 homes were destroyed.
The 2022 Washington wildfire season officially began in March 2022. As of August 4, 2022, there have been four large wildfires that have burned 30,800 acres (12,500 ha) across the US state of Washington. This season started quieter than normal due to unusually colder weather that kept Eastern and Southeastern Washington burning index's largely below normal into July. As of October 2022, a total of 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) of land in the state was burned – the fewest number of acres burned since 2012.
The 2024 Washington wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires that have been burning throughout the U.S. state of Washington.
The Eagle Bluff Fire was an active wildfire that burned in the United States and Canada near Oroville, Washington, United States and Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada. The fire began near Oroville, Washington, at about 2:00 pm PT on July 29, 2023. As of August 8, 2023 the fire burned a total of 34,049 acres (13,779 ha) between Canadian and US soil. The cause of the fire is still unknown and under an active investigation.
The Sourdough Fire was a wildfire in Whatcom County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It was reported on July 29, 2023, near Sourdough Mountain in North Cascades National Park and was likely caused by an earlier lightning strike. The fire caused the closure of the North Cascades Highway and evacuations of recreational facilities and three Seattle City Light hydroelectric dams in the area. As of September 15, 2023, the Sourdough Fire had been estimated to have burned 6,369 acres (2,577 ha) and was 25 percent contained.
The Gray Fire was a wildfire in Spokane County, Washington, United States. It began near Medical Lake at about 12:27 pm on August 18, 2023. As of September 1, 2023, the fire had burned 10,085 acres (4,081 ha) and was 100% contained. In addition to burning 259 structures, the death of one person was determined to be connected to the fire.
