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The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsibility totaling 31 million acres, as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. In addition, the department provides varied emergency services in 36 of the state's 58 counties via contracts with local governments. The department's current director is Joe Tyler, who was appointed March 4, 2022, by Governor of California Gavin Newsom.
By the end of 2019, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, 7,860 wildfires were recorded across the U.S. state of California, 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 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.
According to statistics published by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, a total of 7,127 wildfires burned a total of 324,917 acres in the U.S. state of California in 2023. This was below the state's five-year average of 1,722,059 acres (696,893 ha) burned during the same period. The 2023 fire season followed the 2022 season, during which the number of fires and the resulting burned acreage were both below average. Four fatalities were reported during the 2023 fire season.
By the end of 2024, a total of 8,024 wildfires burned a cumulative 1,050,012 acres (424,925 ha) throughout the U.S. state of California. The total number of wildfires was slightly higher than the five-year average, while the total number of acres burned was lower. Wildfires destroyed a total of 1,716 structures and killed one person in the state in 2024. This season had the most burned acres since the 2021 wildfire season.
The Park Fire was an extremely large wildfire in Northern California's Butte and Tehama counties. It ignited on July 24, 2024 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 $351 million.
The Borel Fire was a large and destructive wildfire started on July 24, 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. The fire was caused by a fatal car crash which caught fire and spread to the surrounding hillside. Keith Mulkey was driving the vehicle that started the Borel Fire, he had six DUI convictions and numerous alcohol related misdemeanor convictions.
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 2024 Wildcat Fire was a relatively large wildfire that burned in the Tonto National Forest, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. The fire burned 14,402 acres of land before being declared contained on June 3. It was the second-largest wildfire of the 2024 Arizona wildfire season, only behind the Freeman Fire.
A series of active major and non-major wildfires have been burning in Kern County, California since 2024. The fires began in the month of April and remain active. So far, in the year 2024, California saw one of its worse fire seasons in California compared to recent years. Due to the high amount of precipitation that had fallen the previous winter, there was an overabundance of dry fuels that make it easier for large fires to start. High winds were also present during the summer when fire season is mostly active in the state. This led to the wildfires in Kern County to be destructive and costly.
There is an ongoing series of wildfires in the U.S. state of California. A series of fires in Southern California, specifically in the Greater Los Angeles area, have caused at least 24 deaths, thousands of destroyed structures, evacuations, and widespread power outages in January 2025.
The Palisades Fire is a wildfire burning in the Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles County in Southern California which has killed at least ten people. As of January 13, 2025, at 11:13 a.m. PST, the fire had spread to 23,713 acres, destroying large areas of Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu. It is the first and largest of a series of wildfires in and around the city of Los Angeles being driven by an extreme Santa Ana wind event. On January 8, Wildfire Alliance statistics indicated that the fire is the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, surpassing the Sayre Fire in Sylmar in 2008 which destroyed 604 structures. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Since January 7, 2025, a series of 30 wildfires have affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and surrounding regions. As of January 17, 2025, two fires remain active, which are the two largest.
The Eaton Fire is an active wildfire burning in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County in Southern California. It began on the evening of January 7, 2025, in Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains. As of January 8, 2025, at 10:36 a.m. PST (UTC–8), the fire had spread to approximately 14,117 acres (5,713 ha). It is one of several fires being driven by the extremely powerful Santa Ana winds, along with the larger Palisades Fire. As of January 14, 2025, it is the fifth deadliest fire in California history, having killed 17 people.
The Hurst Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Sylmar area of the city of Los Angeles in Southern California. It was one of several fires driven by an extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event.
This is a list of wildfires across the United States during 2025, that have burned more than 1,000 acres, produced significant structural damage or casualties, or otherwise been notable. Acreage and containment figures may not be up to date.
References
- ↑ "Palisades Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved January 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Eaton Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved January 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Hurst Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
