These are incomplete lists of the major and minor wildfires in Washington state history, along with total costs of the fires for the years starting in 2002. Wildfires are infrequent on the western side of the Cascade Crest, but a regular component of Eastern Washington ecology.
This list only includes "major fires" that destroyed over 5,000 acres (20 km2), incurred fatalities or damaged a significant amount of property. Older fires are increasingly underreported. For example, none of the wildfires of 1926–31 and 1943 that together destroyed more than 500,000 acres of the Colville National Forest are included. [1]
Year | Fire name | Complex name | County | Start date Cause | Size (acres) | Structures lost | Deaths | Injuries | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Beam Road Fire [2] | Yakima | June 15 | 8,542 acres (3,457 ha) | 0 | 0 | 0 | Contained June 19 Extinguished June 27 | ||
Big Horn Fire [3] [4] | Klickitat | July 22, unknown | 51,569 acres (20,869 ha) | 0 | 0 | 0 | Contained July 31 | |||
Black Canyon Fire [5] | Yakima | July 22, unknown | 9,211 acres (3,728 ha) [5] | 0 | 0 | 0 | Contained August 1 | |||
Cougar Creek Fire [6] [7] | Asotin & Garfield | July 15, unknown | 20,699 acres (8,377 ha) | 4 destroyed 5 damaged | 0 | 0 | ||||
Pioneer Fire [8] | Chelan | June 8, human caused | 36,763 acres (14,877 ha) | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stehekin ordered to evacuate on July 28 | |||
Retreat Fire [9] [10] | Yakima | July 23, cause unknown | 44,588 acres (18,044 ha) | 5 | 0 | 0 | Also called the Rimrock Retreat Fire, Closed US-12, caused evacuations and county-wide declaration of emergency | |||
Swawilla Fire [11] [12] | Ferry & Okanogan | July 17, Lightning | 53,462 acres (21,635 ha) | 2 outbuildings | 0 | 0 | Temporarily closed State Route 21 and Keller Ferry, evacuations of Keller and the Buffalo Lake area; August 1 a false news story was circulated about 28 homes being burned, Inciweb and NWCC debunked. | |||
2023 | Oregon Fire [13] | Spokane/Pend Oreille | 10,817 acres (4,377 ha) [13] | 384 [14] | 1 [14] | |||||
Gray Fire [15] | Spokane | 10,085 [15] [14] | 259 [14] | 1 [14] | ||||||
2020 | Cold Springs Canyon/Pearl Hill Fires | Labor Day fires and Inchelium Complex | Okanogan & Douglas | Over 410,000 [16] | 1 [17] | |||||
Whitney Fire | Lincoln | September 7 | 127,430 | |||||||
Year | Fire name | Complex name | County | Start date | Size (acres) | Structures lost | Deaths | Injuries | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 243 Command Fire [18] | Grant | June 3 | 20,380 acres (82.5 km2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | fully contained by June 10 | ||
Cold Creek Fire [19] | Benton | 42,000 acres (170 km2) | ||||||||
Pipeline Fire | Kittitas | 6,515 acres (26.37 km2) | ||||||||
Powerline Fire [20] | Grant | 7,800 acres (32 km2) | ||||||||
Williams Flats Fire | Okanogan | 44,446 acres (179.87 km2) | Largest wildfire of the 2019 season | |||||||
2016 | Hart Fire | Lincoln | 18,220 | 39 | 0 | |||||
Range 12 Fire [21] | Yakima | 177,210 | ||||||||
2016 Snake River Fire | Garfield | 11,452 acres (46.34 km2) | ||||||||
Spokane Complex Fire | Spokane Complex | Spokane | 7,251 acres (29.34 km2) | 10 | Formed from the Wellesley and Yale Road fires Contained August 12 | |||||
2015 | Black Canyon Fire [22] | Chelan Complex | Chelan | August 14 | 6,761 | |||||
Blue Creek Fire [23] | Walla Walla | July 20 | 6,004 | |||||||
Carpenter Road Fire [24] | Stevens | August 14 | 63,972 | 36 [25] | ||||||
Chelan Complex [26] | Chelan Complex | Chelan | August 14 | 88,985 | 44 [25] | The complex included the Antoine, Black Canyon, Cagle, McFarland Creek, and Reach fires | ||||
Cougar Creek Fire [27] | Yakima | August 10 | 53,523 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Douglas County Complex [n 1] | Douglas County Complex | Douglas | July 10 | 22,337 [28] | 0 | 0 | 0 | contained July 15 | ||
First Creek Fire [26] | Chelan | August 14 | 7,490 [25] | 19 [25] | ||||||
Goodell Fire [29] | Upper Skagit Complex | Skagit | August 10 | 7,111 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Graves Mountain fire [30] | Colville & Kettle | Ferry | August 14 | 8,557 | Largest and main fire of the Colville Complex Fires After containment of smaller fires, oversight was transferred to the Kettle Complex on Aug 31, 2015 [31] | |||||
Grizzly Bear Complex [32] | Grizzly Bear Complex | Columbia / Wallowa, Oregon | August 13 | 80,725 | 33 [25] | Complex started August 13 via 18 lightning-caused fires. All but the Bear Ridge Fire in the North burned together | ||||
Highway 8 Fire [33] | Klickitat | August 10 | 33,100 | |||||||
Lime Belt Fire [34] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | August 15 | 133,450 | ||||||
Newby Lake Fire [35] | Okanogan | July 4 | 5,065 [n 2] | |||||||
North Star Fire [36] | Ferry / Okanogan | 218,138 | ||||||||
Okanogan Complex [34] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | August 15 | 304,782 [37] | 195 [25] | 3 | Included the Lime Belt, Tunk Block, Twisp River and Nine Mile Fires. The Lime Belt Fire originated as three separate fires that burned together. On August 31, the Tunk Block fire was separated from this complex, as it was about to merge with the North Star Fire, leaving the complex with an area of 133,118 acres. | |||
Paradise Fire [38] | Jefferson | May 15 | 2,796 | 0 | 0 | A rare rainforest fire in the Olympic National Park finally extinguished in September | ||||
Renner Fire [30] | Kettle Complex | Ferry | August 11 | 13,775 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Saddle Lakes Fire [39] | Grant | June 28 | 14,357 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Sleepy Hollow Fire [40] | Chelan | June 28 | 2,950 | 33 | 0 | 4 | ||||
Stickpin Fire [30] | Kettle Complex | Ferry | August 11 | 53,828 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Tower Fire [41] | Kaniksu Complex | Pend Oreille | August 11 | 24,194 | ||||||
Tunk Block Fire [42] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | August 15 | 165,918 | ||||||
Twisp River Fire [34] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | August 15 | 11,222 | 3 | |||||
Wolverine Fire [43] | Chelan | August 13 | 65,512 | 4 [25] | ||||||
2014 | Carlton Complex fire | Carlton Complex | Okanogan | 256,108 [37] | 300 | 1 | Began as four separate lightning strike fires, (the Cougar Flat, French Creek, Gold Hike, and Stokes fires). The four merged and continued as one large fire complex | |||
Chiwaukum Creek Fire [44] | Chiwaukum Complex | Chelan | July 14 | 13,895 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Duncan Fire | Chelan | July 14 | 12,695 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Devil's Elbow Complex [n 3] | Devil's Elbow Complex | Ferry | August 2 | 26,349 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Mills Canyon Fire | Chelan | July 8 | 22,571 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Snag Canyon Fire | Kittitas | August 2 | 12,667 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Upper Falls Fire | Okanogan | August 2 | 8,118 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2013 | Colockum Tarps Fire [45] [46] | Chelan / Kittitas | July 27 | 80,184 | 5 | 0 | 3 | |||
Desmarais Fire [47] | Yakima | June 6 | 10,130 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
Mile Marker 28 Fire [48] | Klickitat | July 24 | 26,092 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||||
Wood Gulch Fire [49] | Klickitat | 5,400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2012 | Antoine 2 Fire [50] | Chelan / Okanogan | 6,837 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Apache Pass Fire [51] | Lincoln | 23,324 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Barker Canyon Complex [50] | Barker Canyon Complex | Douglas | 81,155 | 12 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Buffalo Lake Road Fire [50] [52] | Okanogan | 11,299 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||
Byrd Fire | Wenatchee Complex [53] | Chelan | 14,119 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Canyon Fire | Wenatchee Complex [53] | Chelan | 7,557 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Cascade Creek Fire [54] | Skamania / Yakima | 20,296 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||
Crane Road Fire [55] | Douglas | 12,500 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Goat Fire | Okanogan | 7,378 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Milepost 10 [56] | Douglas | 5,445 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Peavine Canyon Fire | Wenatchee Complex [53] | Chelan / Kittitas | 19,467 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Poison Canyon Fire | Wenatchee Complex [53] | Chelan | 5,910 | 0 | 0 | |||||
St Marys Mission Road Fire [50] | Okanogan | 17,031 | 10 | 0 | 4 | |||||
Table Mountain Fire [50] | Kittitas | 42,312 | 5 | 0 | 2 | |||||
Taylor Bridge Fire [50] | Kittitas | 23,500 | 272 | 0 | 2 | |||||
2011 | Monastery Fire [57] | Klickitat | 3,626 | 113 | 0 | 10 | ||||
Wishram II Fire [58] | Klickitat | 11,008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2010 | Baird Springs Fire [59] | Grant | 7,693 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Cowiche Mill Fire [60] | Yakima | 5,834 | 7 | 0 | 3 | |||||
Eureka Fire [61] | Walla Walla | 21,620 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Hubbard Fire [62] | Columbia | 11,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Swakane Fire [63] | Chelan | 19,291 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Year | Fire name | Complex name | County | Start date | Size (acres) | Structures lost | Deaths | Injuries | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Dry Creek Complex [50] | Dry Creek Complex | Benton / Yakima | 48,902 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |||
Oden Road Fire [50] | Okanogan | 9,607 | 14 | 0 | 3 | |||||
2008 | Badger Mountain Fire [50] | Chelan / Douglas | 15,023 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||||
Cold Springs Fire | Klickitat | 7,729 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Columbia River Road Fire [50] | Okanogan | 22,115 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||
Smith Lake Fire [64] | Douglas | 12,513 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Spokane Valley Fire [65] | Spokane | 1,008 | 21 | 0 | 1 | Over 20 buildings lost | ||||
Swanson Lake Fire [50] | Lincoln | 19,090 | 18 | 0 | 1 | |||||
2007 | Domke Lake Fire [50] | Okanogan / Wenatchee | 11,900 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||
Easy Street Fire [50] | Chelan | 5,209 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||
Les Blair Fire [66] | Benton | 6,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Manila Creek Fire [67] | Ferry | 26,805 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |||||
Overlook Fire [68] | Franklin / Grant | 27,071 | ||||||||
Six Prong Fire [69] | Horse Heaven Complex | Klickitat | 20,898 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
South Omak Lake Fire [70] | Okanogan | 10,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Tunk Grade Fire [50] | Okanogan | 15,540 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Wautoma Fire [71] | Benton | 69,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Wood Gulch Fire [69] | Horse Heaven Complex | Klickitat | 7,677 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2006 | Columbia Complex [72] | Columbia Complex | Columbia / Garfield | 109,402 | 28 | 0 | 11 | |||
Flick Creek Fire [73] | Chelan | 7,889 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||||
Highlands Fire [74] | Douglas | 5,506 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Rocky Ford Fire [75] | Grant | 5,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Tatoosh Fire [76] [77] | Tatoosh Complex | Okanogan / British Columbia | 47,787 [n 4] | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Tinpan Fire [79] | Chelan | 9,252 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |||||
Tripod Complex Fire [80] | Tripod Complex [n 5] | Okanogan | 175,184 | 2 | 0 | 7 | ||||
2005 | McClane Fire [81] | Franklin | 6,000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
School Fire | Columbia / Garfield | 51,892 | 215 | 0 | 1 | |||||
Walker Canyon Fire [82] | Walla Walla | 25,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Wall Lake Fire [83] | Lincoln | 5,400 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |||||
West Omak Lake Fire [84] | Okanogan | 11,325 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2004 | Deep Harbor Fire [85] | Pot Peak/Sisi Ridge Complex | Chelan | 28,500 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Pot Peak Fire [85] | Pot Peak/Sisi Ridge Complex | Chelan | 17,190 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||||
2003 | Fawn Peak Complex [86] | Fawn Peak Complex | Okanogan | 81,343 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||
Hatten Road Fire [87] | Lincoln | 5,460 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Juniper Dunes Fire [88] | Franklin | 5,200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
McGinnis Flats Fire [89] | Ferry | 2,245 | 2 | 1 | 1 | One reported death | ||||
Needles Fire [90] | Okanogan | 21,300 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||
Rattlesnake Canyon Fire [91] | Ferry | 10,560 | 11 | 0 | 2 | |||||
Togo Fire [92] | Ferry | 5,800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2002 | Deer Point Fire | Chelan / Okanogan | 43,375 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Pumphouse Fire [93] | Yakima | 10,412 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Quartz Mountain Complex [94] | Quartz Mountain Complex | Okanogan | 12,144 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2001 | Gamble Mills Fire [95] | Brewster & Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 5,550 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Mount Leona Fire [96] | Mount Leona Complex fires | Ferry | August 13 | 6,144 [97] | One subfire in the complex, the Sleepy Fire/Sleepy 91 Fire | |||||
Rex Creek Fire | Rex Creek Complex fires | Chelan / Okanogan | 50,000 | |||||||
St. Mary's Mission Fire [95] | Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 32,980 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Thirtymile Fire [85] | Okanogan | 9,324 | 0 | 4 | 14 | |||||
Virginia Lake Fire [95] | Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 36,680 | 9 | 0 | 1(+) | ||||
2000 | 24 Command Fire [50] | Benton | 192,000 | 36 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Alderdale Fire [1] [84] | Klickitat | 6,180 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Buffalo Lake Fire [84] | Okanogan | 9,300 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Cayuse Fire [84] | Okanogan | 5,460 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Goodnoe Hills Fire [1] [84] | Klickitat | 6,510 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
Mule Dry Fire [50] | Benton, Klickitat & Yakima | 76,800 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Rocky Hull Fire [84] | Okanogan | 9,404 | 37 | 0 | ||||||
Year | Fire name | Complex name | County | Start date | Size (acres) | Structures lost | Deaths | Injuries | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Cleveland Fire [84] | Klickitat | 18,500 | 11 | 0 | |||||
Rattle Snake Ridge Fire [1] | Yakima | 18,000 | ||||||||
1997 | Olympia Command Fire [1] | Benton | 5,500 | |||||||
Pow Wah Kee Fire [1] | August 3 | Asotin | 8,000 | |||||||
1996 | Baird Springs Fire [1] | Grant | August 2 | 14,000 | ||||||
Cold Creek Fire [50] | Benton / Yakima | 57,000 | ||||||||
1994 | Copper Butte Fire [96] | Ferry | 10,473 | |||||||
Rat Creek / Hatchery Creek Fire | Chelan | 43,000 | ||||||||
Tyee Creek Fire [98] [99] | Chelan | 135,000 | 37 | |||||||
1992 | Castlerock Fire [1] | Wenatchee | 3,500 [100] | 24 | ||||||
Skookum Fire [50] | Klickitat | 51,000 | ||||||||
1988 | Dinkelman Fire [50] | Chelan | 50,000 | |||||||
Limekiln Fire [101] | Asotin | 8,400 | ||||||||
South 17 Fire [96] | South 17 Complex | Ferry | 9740 | Included the Cody Butte Fire | ||||||
White Mountain Fire [96] | White Mountain Complex | Ferry | August 23 | 21,717 | Included the Sherman Fire | |||||
1987 | Hangman Hills Fire [50] | Spokane | 1,500 | 24 | 2 | Two deaths recorded for fire | ||||
1985 | Barker Mountain Fire [50] | Okanogan | 60,000 | |||||||
1979 | Salmon Creek Fire [1] | Okanogan | 7,000 | |||||||
1970 | Lightning Bust fire [50] | Chelan / Okanogan | 188,000 | |||||||
1951 | Great Forks Fire [102] | Clallam | 38,000 | 0 | ||||||
1934 | Aeneas Creek Fire [103] | Ferry | "Late july" | 21,000 acres (8,500 ha) | Not to be confused with the 2001 fire in the same area. | |||||
1929 | Camas fire [103] | Chelan | 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) | In the Chelan District | ||||||
Dollar Mountain Fire [103] | Ferry | August 4 | 98,000–142,000 acres (40,000–57,000 ha) | 1 | The northern Kettle River Ranges eastern slopes | |||||
Dole Valley fire [50] | Clark / Skamania | 227,500 acres (92,100 ha) | ||||||||
Toats Coulee Fire [50] | Okanogan | 80,000 acres (32,000 ha) | ||||||||
1919 | Sunset Fire [1] | Clark / Skamania | 26,900 acres (10,900 ha) | |||||||
1910 | Great Fire of 1910 [50] | Pend Oreille / Spokane | 150,000 acres (61,000 ha) | Unknown | 38 | Unknown | Western perimeter fires on one of the largest fires in United States history. The center of the burn was in Idaho and Montana | |||
1902 | Yacolt Burn [50] | Yacolt Burn | Clark / Skamania / Cowlitz | 238,900 acres (96,700 ha) | Unknown | 65+ | Unknown | A complex of several fires The majority was as one fire between Carson and Yacolt | ||
List of minor fires, burning over 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) and under 5,000 acres (20 km2) with no loss of life or significant numbers of structures.
Year | Fire name | Complex name | County | Start date | Size (acres) | Structures lost | Injuries | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Bridge Creek Fire | Ferry | July 19 | 3,998 acres (1,618 ha) | 1 | 0 | Contained August 4 | ||
2016 | Buck Creek | Chelan | July 22 | 1,987 acres (804 ha) | Lightning caused | ||||
2015 | 231 Fire | Stevens | 1,138 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Twenty-One Mile Grade fire | Ferry | 2,250 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2014 | Hansel Fire | Chelan | 1,016 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Little Bridge Fire | Okanogan | August 2 | 4,896 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Lone Mountain Fire | Chelan | July 14 | 2,770 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2012 | Cashmere Fire | Wenatchee Complex [53] | Chelan | 2,651 | 0 | 0 | |||
Highway 141 Fire [84] | Klickitat | 1,644 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2011 | Salmon Fire [50] | Okanogan | 1,631 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2010 | Highway 8 Fire [50] | Klickitat | 2,019 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2009 | Discovery Fire [50] | Okanogan | 4,120 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Rainbow Bridge Fire [50] | Chelan | 3,710 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2005 | Dirty Face Fire [84] | Chelan | 1,150 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Second Hud Fire [84] | Okanogan | 4,272 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Weather Station Fire [104] | Grant | 4,918 | 0 | 0 | |||||
2004 | Mud Lake Fire [84] | Yakima | 4,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Williams Butte Fire [105] | Williams Butte Complex | Chelan & Okanogan | 1,257 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2003 | Ahtanum Ridge Fire [106] | Yakima | 2,678 | 0 | 1 | ||||
Ayers Gulch Fire [107] | Asotin | 1,334 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Black Canyon Fire [108] | Stevens | 2,280 | 1 | 3 | |||||
Crystal Creek Fire [109] | Chelan | 1,584 | 0 | 5 | |||||
Isabel Fire [110] | Okanogan | 4,535 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Maple Fire [111] | Chelan | 2,500 | 0 | 2 | |||||
Noca Complex [112] | Noca Complex | Skagit & Whatcom | 3,382 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Paddle Fire [113] | Stevens | 1,324 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Shooting Range Fire [114] | Benton | 2,500 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Square Lake Fire [115] | Chelan | 1,097 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Watt Road Fire [116] | Spokane | 1,064 | 7 | 0 | |||||
2002 | Deer Mountain Fire | Chelan | 2,281 | 0 | 0 | ||||
2001 | Bailey Mountain Fire [95] | Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 3,164 | 0 | 0 | |||
Goose Lake Fire [95] | Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 1,283 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Libby Fire [84] | Okanogan | 3,830 | 0 | 0 | |||||
North Coppei Fire [84] | Columbia | 4,810 | 0 | 0 | |||||
Union Valley Fire [84] | Chelan | 4,700 | 0 | 0 | |||||
1999 | Malot Fire [84] | Okanogan | 2,808 | 0 | 0 | ||||
1997 | Red Lake Fire [84] | Stevens | 1,151 | 5 | 0 | ||||
1996 | Bowie Road Fire [84] | Spokane | 3,020 | 8 | 0 | ||||
1988 | Aeneas Creek Fire [101] [117] | Ferry | August 23 | 2,300 | Same area as the 21,000 acres (8,500 ha) Aeneas Creek Fire of 1934 [103] | ||||
Wildfire seasons are defined by Washington state law as lasting from April 15 through October 15 of each year, allowing for burn bans and other restrictions to be imposed on state lands by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources during that time. [118] According to a North American Seasonal Fire Assessment and Outlook report issued in June, 2019, the summer months represent peak fire season. [119]
Total fires | Total area burned | Structures lost | Fatalities | Injuries | Total cost | Notes | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acres | Hectares | ||||||||
2002 | 1,285 | 92,742 | 37,531 | [120] | |||||
2003 | 1,373 | 200,517 | 81,146 | [121] | |||||
2004 | 1,674 | 92,617 | 37,481 | [122] | |||||
2005 | 998 | 185,748 | 75,170 | [123] | |||||
2006 | 1,579 | 410,060 | 165,950 | [124] | |||||
2007 | 1,268 | 214,925 | 86,977 | [125] | |||||
2008 | 1,303 | 147,264 | 59,596 | [126] | |||||
2009 | 1,976 | 77,250 | 31,260 | [127] | |||||
2010 | 870 | 56,820 | 22,990 | [128] | |||||
2011 | 993 | 17,480 | 7,070 | [129] | |||||
2012 | 1,342 | 259,526 | 105,026 | [130] | |||||
2013 | 1,527 | 152,603 | 61,756 | [131] | |||||
2014 | 1,480 | 386,972 | 156,602 | 300 | 1 | [132] | |||
2015 | 2,013 | 1,137,664 | 460,396 | 3 | 4 | $253 million [133] | [134] | ||
2016 | 1,272 | 293,717 | 118,863 | [135] | |||||
2017 | 1,346 | 404,223 | 163,583 | [136] | |||||
2018 | 1,743 | 438,833 | 177,589 | [137] | |||||
2019 | 1,394 | 169,742 | 68,692 | [138] | |||||
2020 | 1,646 | 842,370 | 340,895 | 181 | 1 | [139] | |||
2021 | 1,863 | 674,222 | 272,848 | [140] | |||||
2022 | 1,492 | 173,659 | 70,277 | [141] | |||||
2023 | 1,707 | 151,316 | 61,235 | Preliminary data as of October [142] was higher than the end of the season reported numbers. | [143] | ||||
Sources: National Interagency Fire Center [144] |
In the summer of 2013, there were several major wildfires in Colorado in the United States. During June and July, record high temperatures and dry conditions fueled the fires all across the state. By July 24, 570 structures had been destroyed and 2 people died. Below is a list of the major fires of the year.
The Mendocino Complex Fire was a large complex of wildfires that burned in northern California for more than three months in 2018. It consisted of two wildfires, the River Fire and Ranch Fire, which burned in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa, and Glenn Counties in California, with the Ranch Fire being California's single-largest recorded wildfire at the time until the August Complex fire in 2020. The Ranch Fire burned eight miles northeast of Ukiah, and the River Fire burned six miles north of Hopland, to the south of the larger Ranch Fire. First reported on July 27, 2018, both fires burned a combined total of 459,123 acres (1,858 km2), before they were collectively 100% contained on September 18, though hotspots persisted until the complex was fully brought under control on January 4, 2019. The Ranch Fire alone burned 410,203 acres (1,660 km2), making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time until the August Complex fire that occurred in 2020. The Ranch Fire also surpassed the size of the 315,577-acre Rush Fire, which burned across California and Nevada, as well as the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889, which was previously believed to have been California's all-time largest wildfire.
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 2020 California wildfire season, part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season, was a record-setting year for wildfires in California. Over the course of the year, 8,648 fires burned 4,304,379 acres (1,741,920 ha), more than four percent of the state's roughly 100 million acres of land, making 2020 the largest wildfire season recorded in California's modern history. However, it is roughly equivalent to the pre-1800 levels which averaged around 4.4 million acres yearly and up to 12 million in peak years. California's August Complex fire has been described as the first "gigafire", burning over 1 million acres across seven counties, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. The fires destroyed over 10,000 structures and cost over $12.079 billion in damages, including over $10 billion in property damage and $2.079 billion in fire suppression costs. The intensity of the fire season has been attributed to a combination of more than a century of poor forest management and higher temperatures resulting from climate change.
The 2020 Utah wildfire season was a series of prominent wildfires throughout the state of Utah, lasting from June 1 through October 30, as defined by state law. Part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season, Utah saw record-breaking numbers of human-caused fires. The largest fire of the season, the East Fork Fire, burned an area of 89,568 acres. In total, the suppression costs for the fires amounted to at least $103 million.
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 Western United States experienced a series of major wildfires in 2020. Severe August thunderstorms ignited numerous wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington, followed in early September by additional ignitions across the West Coast. Fanned by strong, gusty winds and fueled by hot, dry terrains, many of the fires exploded and coalesced into record-breaking megafires, burning more than 10.2 million acres of land, mobilizing tens of thousands of firefighters, razing over ten thousand buildings, and killing at least 37 people. The fires caused over $19.884 billion in damages, including $16.5 billion in property damage and $3.384 billion in fire suppression costs. Climate change and poor forest management practices contributed to the severity of the wildfires.
The 2020 Colorado wildfire season was a series of significant wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Colorado as part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season. With a total of 665,454 acres (269,300 ha) burned, and the 3 largest fires in state history, it is Colorado's largest wildfire season on record.
The 2020 Lassen County wildfire season included seven large wildfires that burned entirely or in part in Lassen County. A total of 203,296 acres (82,271 ha) of land was burned in Lassen County, making it one of the larger clusters of fires in the 2020 California wildfire season.
The 2021 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the U.S. state of California. By the end of 2021 a total of 8,835 fires were recorded, burning 2,568,948 acres (1,039,616 ha) across the state. Approximately 3,629 structures were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires, and at least seven firefighters and two civilians were injured.
The 2021 Oregon wildfire season began in May 2021. More than 1,000 fires had burned at least 518,303 acres (209,750 ha) across the state as of July 21, 2021. As of August 1, it was expected that the fires might not be contained for months.
The 2021 Arizona wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the state of Arizona, United States. Wildfires across the state burned 524,428 acres (212,228 ha) of land in at least 1,773 fires throughout the state, fueled in part by a drought, hot temperatures, and thunderstorms producing dry lightning. At one point in late June, over 20 active wildfires were burning across the state.
The Sylvan Fire was a wildfire that started in the Sylvan Lake State Park in Colorado on June 20, 2021. The fire burned 3,792 acres (1,535 ha) and was fully contained on October 14, 2021.
The 2021 New Mexico wildfire season began in February 7, 2021. As of July 7, there have been at least 363 fires across the state that have burned at least 121,277 acres (49,079 ha).
The 2021 Colorado wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Colorado. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of July 1, 2021, at least 32,860 acres (13,300 ha) of land had burned in at least 337 wildland fires across the state. Hundreds of homes were burned, and the cities of Louisville and Superior were evacuated, during the Boulder County fires in late December.
The 2020 Maricopa County wildfires were a series of major and non-major wildfires that took place in Maricopa County, Arizona, from the month of May to the month of October. In the year 2020, Arizona saw one of its worst fire seasons in the states history. Due to the lack of precipitation needed in Arizona, the state fell into an ongoing drought from late 2020 and 2021. High winds were also present during the summer when fire season is mostly active in the state. These factors led to the wildfires in Maricopa County to be destructive and costly.
The 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire was the largest and most destructive wildfire in the history of New Mexico. The fire burned 341,471 acres between early April and late June in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in San Miguel, Mora, and Taos counties. It was the most significant fire of the record-breaking 2022 New Mexico wildfire season, as well as the largest wildfire of the year in the contiguous United States. The fire destroyed at least 903 structures, including several hundred homes, and damaged 85 more.
The 2024 Oregon wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires that have been burning throughout the U.S. state of Oregon.