9 Deadliest Wildfires in California History

Chris HuntAbout the Author: Hi! I'm Chris Hunt, and I wrote this article. With years of experience as a former firefighter and knowledge of combustible materials, I have personally researched and compiled the information presented here. Please note that the content provided is solely my opinion and should not be construed as professional advice. Additionally, I do not guarantee the quality or performance of any of the products featured. Please be sure to review the website's Disclaimer, Terms and Conditions before using the site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (without additional cost or expense to you).

California is famous for its horrendous summer fire conditions.

The temperature is often dry and hot during the year, creating the perfect conditions for wildfires.

Californian wildfires are usually sparked by lightning storms moving through the region, fallen power lines, and human factors (both intentional and unintentional).

They expand by the north’s firm and dry Diablo winds and the Santa Ana’s from the south.

Fires in California are concerning due to the increasing number of people living in fire-prone areas and the increasing likelihood of extreme weather events caused by climate change.

California has only kept accurate records of fires since 1932, so fires before they are not part of this list.

Escaping a Wildfire

Here is a list of the worst wildfires in California’s recent history, ranked by deaths.

Further reading: 14 Most Common Causes of House Fires

Deadliest Californian Wildfires

1. Camp Fire (2018)

Date: 8 – 25 November 2018
Location: Butte County, affecting Paradise, CA.
Size: 153,336 acres
Deaths: 85
Buildings Razed: 18,804
Cause: Faulty Powerlines

Facts: The Camp Fire was a swift but deadly fire named after the fire’s location. The fire ripped through neighboring communities, including Concow, and approached the built-up area of Paradise, CA.

It was the most expensive natural disaster of 2018 globally, topping $16.5 billion. In addition, it was the most deadly fire in the United States in 100 years, eclipsed only by the Cloquet fire of 1918, killing over 450 people.

Many people may remember the Camp Fire due to the widely criticized response of President Donald Trump. First, he claimed that the forest floor should have been ‘raked’ to prevent the fire. Presumably, he meant that more hazard-reduction burns should have taken place. But, unfortunately, he messed up the town name, calling it ‘Pleasure’ instead of ‘Paradise.’ Oops!

2. Griffith Park (1933)

Date: 3 October 1993
Location: Griffith Park
Size: 47 acres
Deaths: 29
Buildings Razed: 0
Cause: Unknown

Facts: The facts about exactly how the Griffith Park fire occurred are unknown. However, it occurred within Griffith Park when over 3,000 men were clearing brush and creating trails for the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.

Workers dropped what they were doing to attend to the fire. However, no one had previous firefighting training, which led to chaos. Without water, the workers attempted to quell the fire with shovels. Even when trained firefighters arrived, they found it very difficult to fight the fire due to the many disorganized people working to put it out.

Finally, tragedy struck when winds changed direction and overran the workers attempting to fire.

3. Tunnel Fire (1991)

Date: October 19 – 20, 1991
Location: Oakland Hills
Size: 1,520 acres
Deaths: 25
Buildings Razed: 2,842 houses plus 437 apartments
Cause: Unknown.

Facts: The Tunnel Fire, known as the Oakland Firestorm, is remarkable because of the fire’s winds. A fire that produces its weather system is known as a ‘firestorm’ and is a common characteristic of mega-fires in Australia, such as the Black Saturday (2009) and Gospers Mountain (2019) fires.

The fire was initially expanded in Oakland by the infamously dry and hot Diablo winds coming from the Diablo Valley. Then, cooler coastal air from the coast led to unpredictable atmospheric conditions, leading to a firestorm. At its peak, this fire was destroying one building every 11 seconds.

4. Tubbs Fire (2017)

Date: October 8 – 31, 2017
Location: Napa, Sonoma, and Lake Counties
Size: 36,807 acres
Deaths: 22
Buildings Razed: 5,643
Cause: Electrical malfunction

Facts: The Tubbs fire destroyed a remarkable 5,643 buildings. Most of these were houses in Santa Rosa devastated by the blaze. Remarkably, this was one of many simultaneous blazes which burned in the horrendous 2017 California fire season. Most of the fire’s spread occurred on 9 October, although many days before it was under control.

Perhaps the most remarkable story from this fire was about the Safari West Wildlife Preserve. Its 76-year-old owner, Peter Lang, single-handedly fought off the fire. He did not have a portable firefighting pump and used a fire hose. His efforts very well may have saved over 1,000 animals within the reserve.

5. Laguna Fire (1970)

Date: 22 September to 4 October 1970
Location: San Diego Country
Size: 175,425 acres
Deaths: 16
Buildings Razed: 382
Cause: Fallen power lines

Facts: The Laguna fire is the Kitchen Creek or Boulder Oaks fire. By size, it is the 12th largest fire in California’s modern history (at the time, it was the 3rd largest). The Santa Ana winds fanned this fire. Unfortunately, the strength of these winds grounded all but one firefighting aircraft, hampering firefighting efforts significantly. The fire burned for 12 days and killed 16 people.

Raging Wildfire

6. Rattlesnake Fire (1953)

Date: 9 July 1953
Location: Grindstone Canyon
Size: 1,300 acres
Deaths: 15
Buildings Razed: 0
Cause: Arson

Facts: The Rattlesnake Fire of 1953 was caused by an arsonist who deliberately lit two fires. The first fire was rapidly contained, while the second ran away up Rattlesnake Canyon. Firefighters fought the fire from below when, just before 10 pm, the fire turned and began to rush toward the firefighters.

Nine firefighters fled uphill, while 15 fled downhill. All firefighters who ran downhill died of burning as they tried to escape.

7. Cedar Fire (2003)

Date: 25 October – 4 November 2003
Location: San Diego County
Size: 273,246 acres
Deaths: 15
Buildings Razed: 2,820
Cause: Deliberately lit by a lost hunter

Facts: a hunter lit the Cedar fire, who was hoping the fire would catch the attention of rescuers. He lost control of it! The fire spread rapidly, fanned by 60 miles per hour (ca. 97 km/h) winds.

When firefighters brought the fire under control, it devastated several communities. It killed 15 people, including one firefighter. The man who lit the fire was sentenced to 6 months in a work furlough program, 40 days of community service, a $9600 fine, and five years of probation.

His punishment was made worse because he initially lied about deliberately setting the fire.

8. Loop Fire (1966)

Date: 1 November 1966
Location: Angeles National Forest
Size: acres
Deaths: 10 – 12
Buildings Razed: 0
Cause: Faulty electrical wires

Facts: When a fire occurred in the Angeles National Forest, firefighters attempted to create control lines to halt the fire. Unfortunately, during the final section of the control operation, the Loop fire gusted toward the firefighters at a remarkable rate and overcame them.

The fire moved straight up the 2,200-foot chimney canyon in less than one minute to engulf the firefighters. Reports of deaths from this fire vary. However, we know ten firefighters died on the spot, while one or two died in the hospital in the coming days.

9. Carr Fire (2018)

Date: 23 July – 30 August 2018
Location: Shasta and Trinity Counties
Size: 229,651 acres
Deaths: 8
Buildings Razed: 1,604
Cause: Flat tire leading to sparks on asphalt

Facts: The Carr fire got its name because it began on Carr Powerhouse Road in Shasta County, CA. Coincidentally, a car was responsible for causing it. The car’s tire went flat, causing the tire’s rim to scrape against the asphalt and create sparks.

The fire killed three firefighters and five civilians. It is remarkable for the enormous 18,000 ft (5.49 km) tall fire whirl and wind speeds that exceeded 143 miles per hour (ca. 230 km/h). In addition, four civilian deaths were due to inability (due to lack of access to a vehicle) or refusal to evacuate from properties that came under attack from the fire.

Final Thoughts

From the above fires, we can deduce that the most deadly wildfires in California occur in October and November. Note that some of the largest fires in the California area have happened in the past 20 – 30 years. Still, due to enhanced firefighter and public safety measures, firefighters are less likely to be overcome by fires nowadays.

In addition, we are much more aware now of the risks of fires suddenly changing directions with wind changes.

What to do Next: Create a Fire Safety Plan