Current Table

Top 10 Largest California Wildfires (1)
Export To Excel

 

Rank Fire name (cause) Date County Acres Structures Deaths
1 August Complex (Lightning) August 2020 Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity,
Tehama, Glenn, Lake and Colusa		 1,032,648 935 1
2 Dixie (Powerlines) July 2021 Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta
and Tehama		 963,309 1,311 1
3 Mendocino Complex (Human related) July 2018 Colusa, Lake, Mendocino
and Glenn		 459,123 280 1
4 SCU Lightning Complex (Lightning) August 2020 Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Joaquin 396,625 225 0
5 Creek (Undetermined) September 2020 Fresno and Madera 379,895 858 0
6 LNU Lightning Complex (Lightning/arson) August 2020 Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Lake and Colusa 363,220 1,491 6
7 North Complex (Lightning) August 2020 Butte, Plumas and Yuba 318,893 2,352 15
8 Thomas (Powerlines) December 2017 Ventura and Santa Barbara 281,893 1,060 2
9 Cedar (Human related) October 2003 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15
10 Rush (Lightning) August 2012 Lassen 271,911 (2) 0 0

(1) As of October 2022.
(2) In additon to the 271,911 acres in California, there were an addition 43,666 acres in Nevada.

Source: Calfire.

 

Archived Tables

Top 10 Largest California Wildfires
Export To Excel

 

Rank Fire name and cause Date County Acres Structures Deaths
1 Mendocino Complex
(Under investigation)		 July 2018 Colusa County, Lake County,
Mendocino County and
Glenn County		 459,123 280 1
2 Thomas (Under investigation) December 2017 Ventura and Santa Barbara 281,893 1,063 2
3 Cedar (Human related) October 2013 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15
4 Rush (Lightning) August 2012 Lassen 271,911 CA/43,666 NV 0 0
5 Rim (Human related) August 2013 Tuolumne 257,314 112 0
6 Zaca (Human related) July 2007 Santa Barbara 240,207 1 0
7 Carr (Human related) July 2018 Shasta County, Trinity County 229,651 1,604 7
8 Matilija (Undetermined) September 1932 Ventura 220,000 0 0
9 Witch (Powerlines) October 2007 San Diego 197,990 1,650 2
10 Klamath Theater Complex
(Lightning)		 June 2008 Siskiyou 192,038 0 2

Source: CalFire.

 
Top 10 Largest California Wildfires (1)
Export To Excel

 

Rank Fire name and cause Date County Acres Structures Deaths
1 Mendocino Complex (Under investigation) July 2018 Colusa County, Lake County,
Mendocino County and Glenn County		 459,123 280 1
2 Thomas (Power lines) December 2017 Ventura and Santa Barbara 281,893 1,063 2
3 Cedar (Human related) October 2003 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15
4 Rush (Lightning) August 2012 Lassen 271,911 CA/43,666 NV 0 0
5 Rim (Human related) August 2013 Tuolumne 257,314 112 0
6 Zaca (Human related) July 2007 Santa Barbara 240,207 1 0
7 Carr (Human related) July 2018 Shasta County, Trinity County 229,651 1,604 8
8 Matilija (Undetermined) September 1932 Ventura 220,000 0 0
9 Witch (Power lines) October 2007 San Diego 197,990 1,650 2
10 Klamath Theater Complex (Lightning) June 2008 Siskiyou 192,038 0 2

(1) As of August 8, 2019.

Source: CalFire.

 
Top 10 Largest California Wildfires (1)
Export To Excel

 

Rank Fire name (cause) Date County Acres Structures Deaths
1 August Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake, and Colusa 1,032,264 935 1
2 Mendocino Complex (Under investigation) July 2018 Colusa, Lake, Mendocino and Glenn 459,123 280 1
3 SCU Lightning Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin 396,624 222 0
4 LNU Lightning Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Yolo and Solano 363,220 1,491 6
5 Creek Fire (Under investigation) (2) September 2020 Fresno and Madera 350,331 856 0
6 North Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Butte, Plumas and Yuba 318,930 2,352 15
7 Thomas (Power lines) December 2017 Ventura and Santa Barbara 281,893 1,063 2
8 Cedar (Human related) October 2003 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15
9 Rush (Lightning) August 2012 Lassen 271,911 CA/43,666 NV 0 0
10 Rim (Human related) August 2013 Tuolumne 257,314 112 0

(1) As of October 20, 2020.
(2) Numbers not final.

Source: Calfire.

 
Top 10 Largest California Wildfires (1)
Export To Excel

 

Rank Fire name (cause) Date County Acres Structures Deaths
1 August Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity,
Tehama, Glenn, Lake, and Colusa		 1,032,648 935 1
2 Mendocino Complex (Under investigation) July 2018 Colusa, Lake,Mendocino and Glenn 459,123 280 1
3 SCU Lightning Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda,
Contra Costa, and San Joaquin		 396,624 222 0
4 Creek Fire (Under investigation) (2) September 2020 Fresno and Madera 379,895 853 0
5 LNU Lightning Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Yolo and Solano 363,220 1,491 6
6 North Complex (Under investigation) (2) August 2020 Butte, Plumas and Yuba 318,935 2,352 15
7 Thomas (Power lines) December 2017 Ventura and Santa Barbara 281,893 1,063 2
8 Cedar (Human related) October 2003 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15
9 Rush (Lightning) August 2012 Lassen 271,911 CA / 43,666 NV 0 0
10 Rim (Human related) August 2013 Tuolumne 257,314 112 0

(1) As of April 28, 2021.
(2) Numbers not final.

Source: Calfire.

 
Top 10 Largest California Wildfires (1)
Export To Excel

 

Rank Fire name (cause) Date County Acres Structures Deaths
1 August Complex (Lightning) August 2020 Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake, and Colusa 1,032,648 935 1
2 Dixie (Under investigation) July 2021 Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Shasta, and Tehama 963,309 1,329 1
3 Mendocino Complex (Human related) July 2018 Colusa, Lake,Mendocino and Glenn 459,123 280 1
4 SCU Lightning Complex (Lightning) August 2020 Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin 396,624 222 0
5 Creek Fire (Undetermined) September 2020 Fresno and Madera 379,895 853 0
6 LNU Lightning Complex (Lightning/arson) August 2020 Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Yolo and Coluso 363,220 1,491 6
7 North Complex (Lightning) August 2020 Butte, Plumas and Yuba 318,935 2,352 15
8 Thomas (Power lines) December 2017 Ventura and Santa Barbara 281,893 1,063 2
9 Cedar (Human related) October 2003 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15
10 Rush (Lightning) August 2012 Lassen 271,911 CA /
43,666 NV		 0 0

(1) As of October 25, 2021.

Source: Calfire.