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California Wildfire History
2/7/2018 (Permalink)
Raging California Wildfire
Recently, the Thomas fire became California’s largest wildfire on record, burning approximately 300,000 acres.
The massive fire, raged for weeks through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, has claimed just over 1,000 structures and San Diego fire engineer Cory Iverson died fighting the fire in December.
Here’s a look at how the blaze compares with four other major wildfires in the state’s history:
1. Thomas Fire
2017
Burned 300,000 Acres
2. Cedar fire — 273,246 acres
October 2003
County: San Diego
Cause: Human-related
Structures destroyed: 2,820
Deaths: 15
3. Rush fire — 272,200 acres*
August 2012
County: Lassen
Cause: Lightning
Structures destroyed: 0
Deaths: 0
* 271,911 acres burned in California; 43,666 burned in Nevada
4. Rim fire — 257,314 acres
August 2013
County: Tuolumne
Cause: Human-related
Structures destroyed: 112
Deaths: 0
5. Zaca fire — 240,207 acres
July 2007
County: Santa Barbara
Cause: Human-related
Structures destroyed: 1
Deaths: 0
Source: LA Times