The Hill fire in the Santa Rosa Valley consumed over 4,000 acres, in addition to the Woolsey fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties-which consumed over 95,000 acres and over 400 structures (including numerous celebrity homes in Malibu). 28), making it the deadliest single fire in California's history. All the while, however, two other fires raged in southern California. As search efforts continued, the Camp fire reached a death toll of 88 (with over 200 unaccounted for as of Nov. The town of Paradise was completely devastated, forcing 27,000 people out of their homes with only short notice and destroying over 14,000 structures. 180 miles north of San Francisco) consumed 151,000 acres by November 26 after 17 days of battling to contain it. Starting on Novemthe Camp Fire in northern California (approx. Here are the worst fires in California history, ranked first by number of lives lost, then by acres. These incidents are harshly prosecuted, with the arsonist behind one of the most deadly fires in California history receiving the death penalty. Sometimes it's an act of nature, such as a lightning strike causing forest fires - but other times it's arson or carelessness. The deadliest fires often happen because of a combination of large fires, scorching hot weather, changes in wind direction, and the terrain the fire is spreading into.Įven with the hot, dry weather, and numerous warnings to not start fires in vulnerable areas, fires break out. Since then, advances in firefighting technology and tactics have made fires easier to contain, but often at terrible costs in lives, such as during several fires in the '50s and '60s. Things are getting so bad that the very idea of "fire season" is becoming an anachronism.īut wildfires aren't a new phenomenon, with massive blazes going back to the founding of the state, including maybe the worst ever in terms of acres burned, the Santiago Canyon Fire, taking place in 1889. Every fire season, from late summer until fall, seems to bring more blazes, more acres destroyed, and more money spent battling them. California wildfires have been among the most destructive in American history, and with the state in the teeth of a prolonged drought, they're only getting more numerous and more dangerous.
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