As the recent Northern California fire reshuffles the list of the state’s largest wildfires, the Park fire has now become California’s fourth largest by area burned on record as of Aug. 2.
More than half of the fires were caused by human activities, including arson and power line issues, while the remainder were ignited by lightning.
Before 2018, the largest recorded wildfire in California was the 1889 Santiago Canyon fire, which scorched approximately 470 square miles across Orange, San Diego, and Riverside counties, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. However, California’s official fire records don’t start until 1932.
1. August Complex 2020
Stretched across seven northern counties, the largest fire ever recorded in California covered more than 1,600 square miles—about 1 percent of the state’s land and an area larger than the state of Rhode Island.Dozens of smaller fires, ignited by lightning strikes in mid-August 2020, merged to form the massive inferno and burned together over the course of four months.
The Doe fire, the main blaze of the August Complex, alone surpassed the 2018 Mendocino Complex, establishing new records as both the largest single wildfire and the most extensive fire complex ever recorded in the state.
The fire swept through the Coast Range, destroying 935 buildings and impacting thousands of residents across Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity, and Shasta counties, including parts of the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity, and Six Rivers national forests, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
One person died in this fire.
2. Dixie Fire 2021
Named after the nearby Dixie Road, the fire started in July 2021 and burned 1,500 square miles over the course of three months.
Cal Fire reported that a power line caused the fire. It was the largest single-source wildfire in recorded state history—unlike complex wildfires with multiple ignition points—and the second-largest wildfire overall.
The state faced severe drought conditions in 2020 and 2021, with the latter year recording the hottest summer in its history. These factors made it even more challenging to control and extinguish the fire.
The fire destroyed 1,311 buildings and affected Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen, and Tehama counties.
3. Mendocino Complex 2018
Starting in July 2018, the Mendocino Complex fires burned nearly 720 square miles, about half the size of Rhode Island, across Colusa, Lake, Mendocino, and Glenn counties.The Ranch fire—the largest blaze in the Mendocino Complex and previously considered the largest single fire until the Dixie fire—was caused by a spark when a ranch owner hammered a metal stake into the ground to block an underground yellow jacket nest that he had accidentally disturbed, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The complex destroyed 280 structures and resulted in one death.
4. Park Fire 2024
By Aug. 2, the arson-caused Park fire in Northern California had surged to more than 620 square miles, ranking it as one of the fastest-growing fires in the state’s history.Primarily affecting Tehama and Butte counties, the blaze that started on July 24 was 24 percent contained and had ravaged more than 540 homes and structures as of Aug. 2. More than 6,300 firefighters were battling it.
Ronnie Dean Stout II, a 42-year-old Chico resident, was suspected of starting the fire by pushing his mother’s burning car into a ravine at a city park in Chico on July 24.
More than 80 percent of the fire occurred in Tehama County, a remote region with about 65,000 residents.
“This is a significant impact to our department and our county,” Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain said on July 29. “The entire eastern portion of our county is on fire.”
No fatalities were reported.
5. SCU Lightning Complex 2020
Part of the 2020 wildfire season, this fire burned about 620 square miles near the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley. Cal Fire reported that the fire was caused by lightning.6. Creek Fire 2020
The Creek fire, which burned nearly 594 square miles in Central California’s Sierra National Forest, was another significant blaze during the 2020 wildfire season. The cause of the fire is unknown, according to Cal Fire.The fire occurred in September, joining several other major fires that had started the month before.
Tens of thousands of residents in Fresno and Madera counties were forced to evacuate because of the fire, which also required helicopter rescues by the California National Guard for hundreds of people trapped at Mammoth Pool Reservoir. More than 850 buildings were destroyed.
7. LNU Lightning Complex 2020
The complex consisted of three fires affecting much of Northern California’s wine country, including Napa, Solano, Lake, Sonoma, and Yolo counties. Lightning and arson caused the fires.The 560-square-mile fire, which burned near several large cities in the area, destroyed 1,491 structures and resulted in six deaths.
8. North Complex 2020
Originating from numerous small fires sparked by lightning in August 2020, the complex burned nearly 500 square miles—about the size of Los Angeles—within the Plumas National Forest in Northern California.9. Thomas Fire 2017
The Thomas fire burned about 440 square miles in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties—making it the largest wildfire recorded in the state at the time.At its peak, the fire forced more than 100,000 residents to evacuate.
The fire, caused by power lines, resulted in damage to 1,060 structures and claimed the lives of two people.
10. Cedar Fire 2003
The massive fire burned nearly 427 square miles in San Diego County, making it the only wildfire on the list that occurred more than 10 years ago. Cal Fire reported the cause of the fire as human-related.The fire destroyed 2,820 buildings and killed 15 people, including one firefighter, making it the sixth-deadliest and fourth-most destructive wildfire in state history.
The Deadliest
The largest fire isn’t necessarily the deadliest, however.The 2018 Camp fire in Butte County, which burned 153,336 acres—about 15 percent of the August Complex’s total range—was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history, causing 85 deaths and destroying 18,804 structures, according to Cal Fire.
The 1933 Griffith Park fire in Los Angeles County comes in second with 29 fatalities, and the 1991 Tunnel fire in Alameda County ranks third with 25 deaths. The 2017 Tubbs fire in Napa and Sonoma counties claimed 22 lives.
The North Complex and Cedar fires, both on the list of the 10 largest fires, are tied for fifth place with 15 fatalities each.
