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2015 California wildfires
Reference[1]
Cost≥4.771 billion (2015 USD)[2][3]
Total fires8,745
Total area893,362 acres (3,615 km2)
InjuriesAt least 1
Fatalities2 firefighters and 7 civilians killed
Is seasonyes
Year2015
Season nameCalifornia wildfires

By the end of 2015 a total of 8,745 wildfires were recorded across the state of California, burning 893,362 acres (3,615 km2).[1] Approximately 3,159 structures were damaged or destroyed by wildfires, and at least 7 fatalities were recorded.

On September 11, after the Butte Fire exploded from a size of 32,000 acres (129 km2)[4] to 65,000 acres (263 km2), in the Amador and Calaveras counties, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency.[5]

Background

Further information: List of California wildfires

The timing of "fire season" in California is variable, depending on the amount of prior winter and spring precipitation, the frequency and severity of weather such as heat waves and wind events, and moisture content in vegetation. Northern California typically sees wildfire activity between late spring and early fall, peaking in the summer with hotter and drier conditions. Occasional cold frontal passages can bring wind and lightning. The timing of fire season in Southern California is similar, peaking between late spring and fall. The severity and duration of peak activity in either part of the state is modulated in part by weather events: downslope/offshore wind events can lead to critical fire weather, while onshore flow and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that hamper wildfire growth.[6][7]

Nationwide fire season

The National Interagency Fire Center reported in mid-August that the 2015 fire season had been the most destructive since 2011. Nationwide, three times as much land, for a total of 6,058,694 acres (24,519 km2), had been burned since the 2014 season.[8] By the end of August, in terms of the land area burned, the 2015 nationwide wildfire season had surpassed any other wildfire season in the last 10 years, with 7,825,559 acres (31,669 km2) burned.[9]

Fatalities

The season also proved to be a deadly one for firefighters battling the many blazes throughout the state. A United States Forest Service member from South Dakota died on July 31 from carbon monoxide poisoning, while battling the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest.[10] A second firefighter was killed on August 8 by a falling tree, while battling the Sierra Fire south of Echo Summit.[11] A 72-year-old disabled woman was killed in her home by the fast-moving Valley Fire.[12]

List of wildfires

Below is a list of all fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (400 ha) during the 2015 California wildfire season, as well as the fires that caused significant damage.[13] The information is taken from CAL FIRE's list of large fires, and other sources where indicated.

NameCountyAcresKm2Start dateContainment Date[a]NotesRef
RoundInyo7,000 acres28.3 km2February 6, 2015February 12, 2015[14]
HighwayRiverside1,049 acres4.2 km2April 18, 2015April 24, 2015[15]
LakeSan Bernardino31,359 acres126.9 km2June 17, 2015August 1, 2015[16]
Park HillSan Luis Obispo1,791 acres7.2 km2June 20, 2015June 24, 2015[17]
NorthSan Bernardino4,250 acres17.2 km2July 17, 2015July 21, 20157 houses and 44 vehicles destroyed[18]
WraggNapa8,051 acres32.6 km2July 22, 2015August 6, 2015[19]
RockyLake, Colusa, Yolo69,438 acres281.0 km2July 29, 2015August 14, 201596 structures destroyed[20]
Fork ComplexShasta36,503 acres147.7 km2July 30, 2015November 3, 2015[21][22]
River ComplexTrinity77,081 acres311.9 km2July 30, 2015October 29, 2015[23]
FrogLassen4,863 acres19.7 km2July 30, 2015August 20, 20151 firefighter killed[24]
Humboldt LightningHumboldt4,883 acres19.8 km2July 30, 2015August 19, 2015[25]
Mad River ComplexHumboldt73,137 acres296.0 km2July 30, 2015September 13, 2015includes Route Complex Fire[26]
RoughFresno151,623 acres613.6 km2July 31, 2015November 5, 2015[27]
DodgeLassen10,570 acres42.8 km2August 3, 2015August 17, 2015[28]
GasquetDel Norte30,361 acres122.9 km2August 3, 2015October 15, 2015Fires: Feeder (100%), Coon (100%),
Bear (100%) and Peak (100% containment)		[29]
JerusalemLake, Napa25,118 acres101.6 km2August 9, 2015August 25, 2015[30]
CabinGlendora1,723 acres7.0 km2August 14, 2015November 20, 20155 structures destroyed[31]
CuestaSan Luis Obispo2,446 acres9.9 km2August 16, 2015August 28, 2015[32]
TeslaAlameda2,700 acres10.9 km2August 19, 2015August 22, 2015[33]
ButteAmador70,868 acres286.8 km2September 9, 2015October 1, 20152 civilians fatalities
475 residences & 343 outbuildings destroyed		[34]
ValleyLake76,067 acres307.8 km2September 12, 2015October 15, 20154 civilian fatalities, 1,955 structures destroyed; 6th most destructive wildfire in modern California history (as of 2022)[35][36]
TassajaraMonterey1,086 acres4.4 km2September 19, 2015September 27, 20151 civilian fatality[37]
SolimarVentura1,388 acres5.6 km2December 25, 2015December 29, 20151 minor ankle injury[38][39]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[40]

References

  1. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2015". National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  2. ^ Geiling, Natasha (23 September 2016). "California fire becomes the most expensive in history". ThinkProgress. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  3. ^ Ken Pimlott (2016). "2015 Wildfire Activity Statistics". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on December 20, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  4. ^ Helsel, Phil (September 11, 2015). "California Town of 2,700 Warned Ahead of Explosive Wildfire". NBC News. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  5. ^ Serna, Joseph & Rocha, Veronica (September 11, 2015). "Brown declares state of emergency in 65,000-acre Gold Country fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  6. ^ "Weather: Fire Season Climatology (Northern California)". National Wildfire Coordinating Group. April 25, 2024. Archived May 13, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Toohey, Grace (June 22, 2024). "California wildfires have already burned 90,000 acres, and summer is just beginning". Los Angeles Times. Archived June 25, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Pydynowski, Kristina (August 10, 2015). "Heart of Already Busy California Wildfire Season is Yet to Come". AccuWeather. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  9. ^ "Year to date totals". National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  10. ^ Locke, Cathy (August 4, 2015). "Firefighter at Frog fire died of carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, autopsy shows". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  11. ^ Rocha, Veronica (August 9, 2015). "Firefighter, 21, Is 2nd Killed Battling Northern California Wildfires". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  12. ^ Kurtis Alexander; Kale Williams; Evan Sernoffsky (September 14, 2015). "Worry to horror: A caretaker's desperate attempt to get help for fire victim". SF Gate. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  13. ^ "Large Fires 2015". CAL FIRE. 2016. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Round Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  15. ^ "Highway Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  16. ^ "Lake Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  17. ^ "Park Hill Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "North Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  19. ^ "Wragg Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  20. ^ "Rocky Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  21. ^ "Fork Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  22. ^ Fire areas reopened on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
  23. ^ "River Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  24. ^ "Frog Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  25. ^ "Humboldt Lightning Fires". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  26. ^ "Mad River Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  27. ^ "Rough Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  28. ^ "Dodge Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  29. ^ "Gasquet Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  30. ^ "Jerusalem Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  31. ^ "Cabin Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  32. ^ "Cuesta Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  33. ^ "Tesla Fire". CALFIRE. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  34. ^ "Butte Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  35. ^ "Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires". Cal Fire. January 13, 2022. Archived March 20, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  36. ^ "Valley Fire". CAL FIRE. October 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  37. ^ "Tassajara Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  38. ^ "#SolimarFire Update 1250 Acres, Forward progress slowed significantly, 4 fixed wing tankers released, 1 minor injury (ankle), @VCFD". No. 680864261585813504. December 26, 2015.
  39. ^ "Solimar Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  40. ^ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-25.