2014 saw several notable wildfires igniting in California, especially during the month of May, when multiple fires were ablaze concurrently in Southern California, and during September, when several massive wildfires were burning in Northern California. In the context of the 2012–13 North American drought, as well as powerful Santa Ana winds, weather conditions were ideal for wildfires. A total of 7,865 wildfires ignited throughout the year, which burned at least 625,540 acres (2,531.5 km2) of land. The wildfires caused a total of 146 injuries and 2 fatalities, in addition to causing at least $204.05 million in damage.
The May 2014 San Diego County wildfires were a swarm of 20 wildfires that erupted during May 2014, in San Diego County, California, during severe Santa Ana Wind conditions, historic drought conditions, and a heat wave. The main event during mid-May was preceded by a precursor fire that ignited on May 5. The Bernardo Fire has been declared accidental, and officials believe the Cocos Fire was intentionally set. The causes of the other fires are still under investigation by multiple agencies, and a joint task force was formed to coordinate the investigations and facilitate communications. Six injuries and one fire-related fatality were reported.
The October 2007 California wildfires, also known as the Fall 2007 California firestorm, were a series of about thirty wildfires that began igniting across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and approximately 972,147 acres of land was burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border, surpassing the October 2003 California wildfires in scope, which were estimated to have burned 800,000 acres (3,200 km2). The wildfires killed a total of 14 people, with nine of them dying directly from the fires; 160 others were injured, including at least 124 firefighters. At their height, the raging fires were visible from space. These fires included the vast majority of the largest and deadliest wildfires of the 2007 California wildfire season. The only wildfire in 2007 that surpassed any of the individual October 2007 fires in size was the Zaca Fire.
A series of 29 wildfires ignited across Southern California in December 2017. Six of the fires became significant wildfires, and led to widespread evacuations and property losses. The wildfires burned over 307,900 acres (1,246 km2), and caused traffic disruptions, school closures, hazardous air conditions, and power outages; over 230,000 people were forced to evacuate. The largest of the wildfires was the Thomas Fire, which grew to 281,893 acres (1,140.78 km2), and became the largest wildfire in modern California history, until it was surpassed by the Ranch Fire in the Mendocino Complex, in the following year.
The 2019 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the U.S. state of California as part of the 2019 wildfire season. By the end of the year, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, 7,860 fires were recorded, totaling an estimated of 259,823 acres of burned land. These fires caused 22 injuries, 3 fatalities, and damaged or destroyed 732 structures. The 2019 California fire season was less active than that of the two previous years, which set records for acreage, destructiveness, and deaths.
The Apple Fire was a wildfire that burned during the 2020 California wildfire season in Cherry Valley south of Oak Glen and north of Beaumont and Banning in Riverside County, California in the United States. The fire ignited on Friday, July 31, 2020 as three separate smaller blazes within the rural canyons along Oak Glen Road before merging and rapidly expanded to 1,900 acres (769 ha) and destroyed at least one home and two outbuildings in the Cherry Valley area. It now covers at least 33,424 acres (13,526 ha) and created "a plume of smoke so massive that it generated its own winds." The fire was sparked by a diesel-burning vehicle that emitted burning carbon. The fire was named after one of the roadways close to the ignition site, which is named Apple Tree Lane.
The 2020 Loyalton Fire was a large wildfire in Lassen, Plumas and Sierra counties in California and Washoe County in Nevada. After it was ignited by lightning on August 14, 2020, the fire burned 47,029 acres (19,032 ha) in the Tahoe National Forest and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest before it was fully contained on August 26. The Loyalton Fire was notable for generating three fire tornadoes on August 15, necessitating first-of-their-kind warnings by the National Weather Service.
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. Twenty-one 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. 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 River Fire was a destructive 2021 wildfire that burned 2,619 acres (1,060 ha) near Colfax in Nevada County and Placer County, California. The fire broke out on August 4, 2021, and burned 2,619 acres (1,060 ha) before it was fully contained on August 13, 2021. The River Fire destroyed 142 structures, damaged 21 more, and resulted in four injuries to firefighters and civilians. It was the fifth most destructive fire of California's 2021 wildfire season. The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but it was determined to have been of human origin by investigators who traced the ignition to a campground by the Bear River west of Colfax.
The Caldor Fire was a large wildfire that burned 221,835 acres in the Eldorado National Forest and other areas of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Amador, and Alpine County, California, in the United States during the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire was first reported on Saturday, August 14, 2021, and was fully contained on Thursday, October 21, 2021. The Caldor Fire destroyed 1,005 structures and damaged 81 more, primarily in the US Highway 50 corridor and in the community of Grizzly Flats, 2/3 of which was destroyed by the fire.
The Oak Fire was a destructive wildfire that burned north of the community of Bootjack in Mariposa County, California and in the Sierra National Forest, during the 2022 California wildfire season. The fire was reported on July 22, 2022, and burned 19,244 acres (7,788 ha) before being fully contained on September 2, 2022. On June 16, 2023, a 71-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson for starting the fire.
The Mosquito Fire was California's largest wildfire in 2022. The fire began on September 6, burned 76,788 acres in Placer and El Dorado counties in September and October, and was pronounced fully contained on October 22. It affected the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests and destroyed 78 structures in the rural communities of Michigan Bluff, Foresthill, and Volcanoville. The fire suppression effort cost more than $180 million, and at its peak involved more than 3,700 firefighters. The precise cause of the fire is not known, but the possible role of Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) equipment is the subject of multiple civil lawsuits and a Forest Service investigation. The Mosquito Fire was one of 7,477 wildfires in California in 2022, which burned a combined 331,358 acres (134,096 ha).
The Route Fire was a wildfire that burned during the 2022 California wildfire season, along Interstate 5 near the community of Castaic in Los Angeles County, California during a dramatic state-wide heatwave in late August and early September, 2022. At least seven firefighters sustained heat-related injuries, while two structures were destroyed and 5,208 acres (2,108 ha) burned.
The Park Fire was a massive wildfire in Northern California's Butte and Tehama counties. It ignited on July 24 in an alleged act of arson in the city of Chico's Bidwell Park in Butte County. Defying initial fire suppression efforts, the Park Fire grew rapidly over the following days, burning into the Ishi Wilderness and the Lassen National Forest. Thousands of people in foothill communities evacuated, Lassen Volcanic National Park closed to the public, and hundreds of buildings were destroyed. The fire burned a total of 429,603 acres before being fully contained on September 26, 2024. Fire suppression operations cost $310 million.
The Borel Fire was a large and destructive wildfire started in July 2024 that burned south of Lake Isabella in Kern County, California. The fire burned a total of 59,288 acres before being contained on September 15, 2024. The fire was determined to be caused by a fatal car accident which caught fire and spread to the surrounding hillside.
The Nixon Fire was a sizable wildfire that burned in Riverside county in Southern California. It ignited on July 29, 2024, in the census-designated place of Aguanga in Riverside County. As of August 7, 2024, it has burned 5,222 acres and is 100 percent contained.
The Six Rivers (SRF) Lightning Complex fires were a series of related wildfires that burned in the Six Rivers National Forest in California from August to November 2022 as part of the 2022 California wildfire season. The fire complex consisted of 12 fires located in Humboldt and Trinity counties.
The Corral Fire was a sizeable wildfire that rapidly burned 14,168 acres across San Joaquin County in the U.S. state of California. It was active from June 1 to June 6, 2024, and was 100% contained as of August 2024. It was the first fire of the 2024 California wildfire season to burn more than 2,000 acres, and was the largest wildfire of the season until the Post Fire began 9 days after the Corral Fire was declared contained.
The Airport Fire was a wildfire that burned 23,526 acres (9,521 ha) in the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California in September and October 2024. The fire destroyed 160 structures in Orange and Riverside counties and caused 21 non-fatal injuries. At its peak, 20,780 structures were threatened by the fire.
The Bridge Fire is an active destructive wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, currently burning in Southern California's Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The fire began on September 8. As of October 4, 2024, the fire has burned 55,518 acres and is 99 percent contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is the third-largest wildfire of California's 2024 fire season and the largest active wildfire in California with 4,409 structures still threatened by the fire. The fire is also threatening the area of Jackson Lake, with mandatory evacuation orders in place. As of September 18, the fire has affected at least 100 structures total.
