Wikiwand AI

2019 California wildfires

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By the end of 2019, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, 7,148 wildfires were recorded across the U.S. state of California, totaling an estimated 277,285 acres (112,213 hectares) of burned land.[1] These fires caused 22 injuries, 3 fatalities, and damaged or destroyed 732 structures.[4] The 2019 California fire season was less active than that of the two previous years (2017 and 2018), which set records for acreage, destructiveness, and deaths.

Total fires7,148
Total area277,285 acres (112,213 ha)
Deaths3
Injuries22
Quick facts Statistics, Total fires ...
2019 California wildfires
Smoke from the Kincade Fire on October 24 as viewed from GOES-17
Statistics[1]
Total fires7,148
Total area277,285 acres (112,213 ha)
Impacts
Deaths3
Injuries22
Structures destroyed703[2]
CostUS$163 million (suppression efforts)[3]
Map

A map of wildfires in California in 2019, using Cal Fire data
← 2018
2020 →
Close

In late October, the Kincade Fire became the largest fire of the year, burning 77,758 acres (31,468 ha) in Sonoma County by November 6.

Massive preemptive public safety power shutoff events in 2019 were controversial. Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric preemptively shut off power to 800,000 electric customers to reduce the risk of wildfires by preventing electrical arcing in high winds from their above-ground power lines.[5][6] While large areas were without power for days, people in fire danger areas had trouble getting information, and life support equipment would not work without backup power.[7]

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.[8][9]

Early projections

Fire behavioral experts and climatologists warned that heavy rains from months early in the year had produced an excess of vegetation that would become an abundance of dry fuel later in the year as the fire season gets underway.[10] According to the US Forest Service and US Department of the Interior officials, early projections indicated that the fire season would possibly be worse than the year prior, stating that "if we're lucky, this year will simply be a challenging one." This assessment was written on the basis of noting that the state has recently been seeing consistently destructive fires more often than ever before.[11]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties:

More information Name, County ...
Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref
RefugeKern2,500May 7May 91 structure destroyed[13]
BoulderSan Luis Obispo1,127June 5June 5[14][15][16]
SandYolo2,512June 8June 177 structures destroyed, 2 injuries[17][18]
West ButteSutter1,300June 8June 10[19][20]
McMillanSan Luis Obispo1,764June 12June 14[19][21]
LonoakMonterey2,546June 25June 26Downed PG&E power line was the cause[22][23]
RockStanislaus2,422June 25June 27[24]
CowInyo, Tulare1,975July 25October 11Caused by lightning strike[25]
SpringsMono4,840July 26October 7Caused by lightning strike[26]
TuckerModoc14,150July 28August 15Unintentionally caused by vehicular traffic along California State Route 139[27][28][29][30]
W-1 McDonaldLassen1,020August 8August 11Caused by lightning strike[31][32]
GainesMariposa1,300August 16August 20[33]
MountainShasta600August 22August 2614 buildings destroyed, 7 damaged and 3 people injured[34]
Long ValleyLassen2,438August 24August 27[35]
R-1 RanchLassen3,380August 28September 5Caused by lightning strike[36]
TenajaRiverside1,926September 4September 14[37]
WalkerPlumas54,608September 4September 259 structures destroyed[38]
TabooseInyo10,296September 4November 21Caused by lightning strike[39]
LimeSiskiyou1,872September 4September 19Caused by lightning strike[40][41]
MiddleTrinity1,339September 5October 5Caused by lightning strike[42]
Red BankTehama8,838September 5September 13Caused by lightning strike; 2 buildings destroyed[43]
SouthTehama5,332September 5October 11Caused by lightning strike[44][45]
LoneModoc5,737September 5September 13Caused by lightning strike[46][47]
SpringsMono4,840September 6September 23Caused by lightning strike[48][49]
BriceburgMariposa5,563October 6October 241 structure destroyed[50][51]
SandalwoodRiverside1,011October 10October 14Trash in a garbage truck caught fire and spread to nearby brush
74 structures destroyed, 16 structures damaged, 2 civilian fatalities		[52][53]
CaplesEl Dorado3,435October 10November 1Caused by a controlled burn that went out of control[54]
SaddleridgeLos Angeles8,799October 10October 31Unconfirmed cause, but reported that high-voltage SCE transmission line malfunctioned near point of origin
25 structures destroyed, 88 structures damaged, 1 civilian fatality, 8 firefighter injuries		[55][56]
KincadeSonoma77,758October 23November 6Caused by electrical transmission lines located northeast of Geyserville owned and operated by PG&E[57]
374 structures destroyed, 40 structures damaged, 0 reported deaths, 2 firefighters injured		[58][59][60][61][62]
TickLos Angeles4,615October 24October 3122 structures destroyed, 27 structures damaged[63]
GettyLos Angeles745October 28November 6Caused by a tree branch that fell on a power line during high winds
12 homes destroyed, 5 homes damaged		[64][65][66]
EasyVentura1,806October 30November 2Threatened the area near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley and 3 buildings were destroyed [67][68][69][70]
HillsideSan Bernardino200October 31November 146 homes destroyed, 18 homes damaged[71]
MariaVentura9,999October 31November 5Brush fire broke out at around 6:15 p.m. October 31 on South Mountain in Santa Paula[72][73]
RanchTehama2,534November 3November 153 injuries, acreage reduced from 3,768 due to better mapping [74][75][76]
CaveSanta Barbara3,126November 25December 14Caused by arson,[77] acreage reduced from 4,330 due to better mapping[78][79][80][81][82]
Close

Other fires

Three people were injured during the Moose Fire (August 12–17).[83] Two people were injured and four structures were destroyed during the Country Fire (September 3–6).[84] Four people were injured during the Lopez Fire (September 21–27),[85] and one during the Electra Fire (September 25).[86] A small brush fire ignited in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles County on October 21. The fire burned 42 acres (17 hectares) within a few hours, forcing the evacuation of 200 homes.[87] Three firefighters suffered injuries, while one civilian was treated for respiratory illness.[87][88]

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    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.[12]

References

External links

Related Articles

Timelines

Top Qs

Fact Checks