Table Archive

Top 10 Deadliest California Wildfires (1)

Rank	Fire name and cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Power lines)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Electrical)	October 2017	Napa & Sonoma	36,807	5,643	22
5	North Complex (Lightning)	August 2020	Butte, Plumas, & Yuba	318,935	2,352	15
6	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
7	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
8	Loop (Unknown)	November 1966	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
9	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
10	Inaja (Human related)	November 1956	San Diego	43,904	0	11

(1) As of January 2024.

Source: Calfire.

Rank	Fire name and cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Power lines)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Electrical)	October 2017	Napa and Sonoma	36,807	5,636	22
5	North Complex (Lightning)	August 2020	Butte, Plumas and Yuba	318,935	2,852	15
6	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
7	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
8	Loop (Unknown)	November 1966	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
9	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
10	Inaja (Human related)	November 1956	San Diego	43,904	0	11

(1) As of October 2022.

Source: Calfire.

Rank	Fire name and cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Power lines)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Electrical)	October 2017	Napa and Sonoma	36,807	5,643	22
5	North Complex (Lightning)	August 2020	Butte, Plumas and Yuba	318,935	2,352	15
6	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
7	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
8	Loop (Unknown)	November 1966	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
9	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
10	Inaja (Human related)	November 1956	San Diego	43,904	0	11

(1) As of October 22, 2021.
(2) Numbers not final.

Source: Calfire.

Rank	Fire name and cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Power lines)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Electrical)	October 2017	Napa and Sonoma	36,807	5,643	22
5	North Complex (Under investigation) (2)	August 2020	Butte, Plumas and Yuba	318,930	2,352	15
6	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
7	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
8	Loop (Unknown)	November 1966	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
9	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
10	Inaja (Human related)	November 1956	San Diego	43,904	0	11

(1) As of April 28, 2021.
(2) Numbers not final.

Source: Calfire.

Rank	Fire name and cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Power lines)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Electrical)	October 2017	Napa and Sonoma	36,807	5,643	22
5	North Complex (Under investigation) (2)	August 2020	Butte, Plumas and Yuba	318,930	2,352	15
6	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
7	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
8	Loop (Unknown)	November 1956	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
9	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
10	Inaja (Human related)	November 1966	San Diego	43,904	0	11

(1) As of October 20, 2020.
(2) Numbers not final.

Source: Calfire.

Rank	Fire Name and Cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Power lines)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Electrical)	October 2017	Napa & Sonoma	36,807	5,643	22
5	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
6	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
7	Loop (Unknown)	November 1966	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
8	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
9	Inaja (Human related)	November 1956	San Diego	43,904	0	11
10	Iron Alps Complex (Lightning)	August 2008	Trinity	105,855	10	10

(1) As of August 8, 2019.

Source: CalFire.

Rank	Fire Name and Cause	Date	County	Acres	Structures	Deaths
1	Camp Fire (Under investigation)	November 2018	Butte	153,336	18,804	85
2	Griffith Park (Unknown)	October 1933	Los Angeles	47	0	29
3	Tunnel – Oakland Hills (Rekindle)	October 1991	Alameda	1,600	2,900	25
4	Tubbs (Under investigation)	October 2017	Napa and Sonoma	36,807	5,643	22
5	Cedar (Human related)	October 2003	San Diego	273,246	2,820	15
6	Rattlesnake (Arson)	July 1953	Glenn	1,340	0	15
7	Loop (Unknown)	November 1966	Los Angeles	2,028	0	12
8	Hauser Creek (Human related)	October 1943	San Diego	13,145	0	11
9	Inaja (Human related)	November 1956	San Diego	43,904	0	11
10	Redwood Valley (Under investigation)	October 2017	Trinity	105,855	10	10

Source: CalFire.