2015 California wildfires
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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.
| 2015 California wildfires | |
|---|---|
Smoke from the 2015 California wildfires as seen from space, on August 18, 2015 | |
| Statistics[1] | |
| Total fires | 8,745 |
| Total area | 893,362 acres (3,615 km2) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 2 firefighters and 7 civilians killed |
| Non-fatal injuries | At least 1 |
| Damage | ≥4.771 billion (2015 USD)[2][3] |
| Map | |
 A map of wildfires in California in 2015, using Cal Fire data | |
| Season | |
← 2014
2016 → | |
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
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.
| Name | County | Acres | Km2 | Start date | Containment Date[a] | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Inyo | 7,000 | 28.3 | February 6, 2015 | February 12, 2015 | [15] | |
| Highway | Riverside | 1,049 | 4.2 | April 18, 2015 | April 24, 2015 | [16] | |
| Lake | San Bernardino | 31,359 | 126.9 | June 17, 2015 | August 1, 2015 | [17] | |
| Park Hill | San Luis Obispo | 1,791 | 7.2 | June 20, 2015 | June 24, 2015 | [18] | |
| North | San Bernardino | 4,250 | 17.2 | July 17, 2015 | July 21, 2015 | 7 houses and 44 vehicles destroyed | [19] |
| Wragg | Napa | 8,051 | 32.6 | July 22, 2015 | August 6, 2015 | [20] | |
| Rocky | Lake, Colusa, Yolo | 69,438 | 281.0 | July 29, 2015 | August 14, 2015 | 96 structures destroyed | [21] |
| Fork Complex | Shasta | 36,503 | 147.7 | July 30, 2015 | November 3, 2015 | [22][23] | |
| River Complex | Trinity | 77,081 | 311.9 | July 30, 2015 | October 29, 2015 | [24] | |
| Frog | Lassen | 4,863 | 19.7 | July 30, 2015 | August 20, 2015 | 1 firefighter killed | [25] |
| Humboldt Lightning | Humboldt | 4,883 | 19.8 | July 30, 2015 | August 19, 2015 | [26] | |
| Mad River Complex | Humboldt | 73,137 | 296.0 | July 30, 2015 | September 13, 2015 | includes Route Complex Fire | [27] |
| Rough | Fresno | 151,623 | 613.6 | July 31, 2015 | November 5, 2015 | [28] | |
| Dodge | Lassen | 10,570 | 42.8 | August 3, 2015 | August 17, 2015 | [29] | |
| Gasquet | Del Norte | 30,361 | 122.9 | August 3, 2015 | October 15, 2015 | Fires: Feeder (100%), Coon (100%), Bear (100%) and Peak (100% containment) | [30] |
| Jerusalem | Lake, Napa | 25,118 | 101.6 | August 9, 2015 | August 25, 2015 | [31] | |
| Cabin | Glendora | 1,723 | 7.0 | August 14, 2015 | November 20, 2015 | 5 structures destroyed | [32] |
| Cuesta | San Luis Obispo | 2,446 | 9.9 | August 16, 2015 | August 28, 2015 | [33] | |
| Tesla | Alameda | 2,700 | 10.9 | August 19, 2015 | August 22, 2015 | [34] | |
| Butte | Amador | 70,868 | 286.8 | September 9, 2015 | October 1, 2015 | 2 civilians fatalities 475 residences & 343 outbuildings destroyed | [35] |
| Valley | Lake | 76,067 | 307.8 | September 12, 2015 | October 15, 2015 | 4 civilian fatalities, 1,955 structures destroyed; 6th most destructive wildfire in modern California history (as of 2022)[36] | [37] |
| Tassajara | Monterey | 1,086 | 4.4 | September 19, 2015 | September 27, 2015 | 1 civilian fatality | [38] |
| Solimar | Ventura | 1,388 | 5.6 | December 25, 2015 | December 29, 2015 | 1 minor ankle injury[39] | [40] |
Gallery of maps
- Maps of significant wildfires in 2015 in California
See also
Notes
- 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.[14]
