Top 20 Largest California Wildfires
FIRE NAME (CAUSE)

DATE

COUNTY

ACRES

STRUCTURES

DEATHS

July 2018

Colusa County, Lake County,
Mendocino County & Glenn County

459,123

280

1

December 2017

Ventura & Santa Barbara

281,893

1,063

2

1

MENDOCINO COMPLEX
(Under Investigation)

2

THOMAS (Under Investigation)

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

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

11 MARBLE CONE (Lightning)

July 1977

Monterey

177,866

0

0

12 LAGUNA (POWERLINES)

September 1970

San Diego

175,425

382

5

June 2008

Monterey

162,818

58

0

14 DAY FIRE (Human Related)

September 2006

Ventura

162,702

11

0

15 STATION (Human Related)

August 2009

Los Angeles

160,557

209

2

November 2018

Butte

153,336

18,804

86

17 ROUGH (Lightning)

July 2015

Fresno

151,623

4

0

18 McNALLY (Human Related)

July 2002

Tulare

150,696

17

0

19 STANISLAUS COMPLEX (Lightning)

August 1987

Tuolumne

145,980

28

1

20 BIG BAR COMPLEX (Lightning)

August 1999

Trinity

140,948

0

0

13 BASIN COMPLEX (Lightning)

16 CAMP FIRE (Under Investigation)*

* Fire totals are likely to change.
*There is no doubt that there were fires with significant acreage burned in years prior to 1932, but those records are less reliable, and this list is meant to give an overview of
the large fires in more recent times.
**This list does not include fire jurisdiction. These are the Top 20 regardless of whether they were state, federal, or local responsibility.

12/12/2018