2021 California wildfires

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By the end of 2021, a total of 7,396 wildfires burned 2,569,386 acres (1,039,794 ha) across the U.S. state of California.[2] Approximately 3,629 structures were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires, and three firefighters died during the wildfire season.[3]

Date(s)
January 14 – December 16
Total fires7,396
Total area2,569,386 acres (1,039,794 ha)
Deaths3
Quick facts Date(s), Statistics ...
2021 California wildfires
Smoke from multiple wildfires in California
Date(s)
January 14 – December 16
Statistics[1]
Total fires7,396
Total area2,569,386 acres (1,039,794 ha)
Impacts
Deaths3
Non-fatal injuries22
Structures destroyed3,846
DamageUnknown
Map
A map of wildfires in California in 2021, using Cal Fire data
A map of wildfires in California in 2021, using Cal Fire data
Season
← 2020
2022 →
Close

The wildfire season in California experienced an unusually early start amid an ongoing drought and historically low rainfall and reservoir levels.[4] In January 2021 alone, 297 fires burned 1,171 acres (4.74 km2) on nonfederal land according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which is almost triple the number of fires and more than 20 times the acreage of the five-year average for January.[5][4] The January fires were exacerbated by unseasonably strong Santa Ana winds, and some of them burned in the same areas as previous fires like the CZU Lightning Complex.[6]

The long term trend is that wildfires in the state are increasing due to climate change in California.[7][8] The 2021 wildfire season was exceptionally severe in California, although it did not approach the extent of the previous year's wildfire season, which was the largest season in the state's recorded history. By July 11 of that year, more than three times as many acres had burned compared to the previous year, with drought, extreme heat, and reduced snowpack contributing to the severity of the fires.[9][10][11] The state also faced an increased risk of post-wildfire landslides.[12][13]

As of August 18, 2021, the state of California was facing "unprecedented fire conditions" as multiple fires including the Dixie Fire, McFarland Fire, Caldor Fire, and others, raged on.[14] The USDA Forest Service temporarily closed all of California's national forests at the end of August to mitigate the impact of potential fires.[15]

On October 18, 2021, much of the state—particularly Northern California, where the majority of the significant fires had been located—received its first major precipitation since the start of the wildfire season.[16] This significantly lowered wildfire risk in the region.

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.[17][18]

Impact

Fire cloud produced by the Dixie Fire, which became the largest single (non-complex) wildfire in California history by August 6, 2021
Firefighters setting a prescribed fire on January 27, 2021 near Ant Canyon in Kern County
Fire retardant and smoldering brush in the Tumbleweed Fire north of Los Angeles in July 2021

PG&E and other utility companies preemptively spent billions of dollars to reduce the risk of wildfires and avoid an year similar to the previous year's fire season.[6][19] Firefighters have also set prescribed fires to prevent other fires burning.[20][21][22][23] During evacuations from the Lava Fire, an illegal marijuana farmer was shot and killed by police after brandishing a firearm at authorities, while "defending his farm".[24][25]

A 2023 study found that these wildfires are affecting the California ecosystem and disrupting the habitats.[26][27] It found that in the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons 58% of the area affected by wildfires occurred in those two seasons since 2012.[26][28] These two fires destroyed 30% of the habitat of 50 species as well as 100 species that had 10% of their habitats burn. 5-14% of the species' habitats burned at a "high severity."[26][29]

List of wildfires

The Government of California's video about COVID-19 protocols in place at wildfire evacuation centers
Aerial view from the northwest of the Tiltill Fire's smoke plume, just north of the Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite

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
Owens Kern1,512May 1May 7Unknown cause[31][32][33]
Southern San Diego5,366May 2May 64 structures destroyed[34][32]
Palisades Los Angeles1,202May 14May 26Human-caused, suspected arson; 1 firefighter injured[35]
Sargents Monterey1,100May 30June 2Unknown cause[36]
Sierra San Diego1,000June 9June 12[37][38]
Willow Monterey2,877June 17July 12Unknown cause[39]
Mojave San Bernardino2,490June 17June 26Caused by lightning[40][41]
Nettle Tulare1,265June 18July 2[42][43][44][45]
Henry Alpine1,320June 24July 27Caused by lightning[46]
Lava Siskiyou26,409June 25September 3Caused by lightning; 23 structures destroyed; 1 structure damaged; 6 firefighters injured[47][48]
Shell Kern1,984June 27July 2Caused by a car fire[49][50]
Tennant Siskiyou10,580June 28July 12Unknown cause; 9 structures destroyed[51][52]
Salt Shasta12,660June 30July 19Caused by hot material falling off of a vehicle; 43 structures destroyed[53][54]
East Fork Alpine1,136July 1July 11Caused by lightning[55][56]
Beckwourth Complex Plumas, Lassen105,670July 3September 22Caused by lightning; includes the Dotta Fire and the Sugar Fire; 148 structures destroyed; 23 structures damaged[57]
Tamarack Alpine, Mono, Douglas (NV)68,637July 4October 8Caused by lightning; 25 structures destroyed; 7 structures damaged[58][59]
Juniper Modoc1,011July 5July 13Unknown cause[60]
River Mariposa, Madera9,656July 11July 19Unknown cause; 12 structures destroyed; 2 structures damaged[61]
Dexter Mono2,965July 12July 27Caused by lightning[62][63]
Dixie Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama963,309July 13October 25Caused by contact between tree and power lines; 1,329 structures destroyed; 95 structures damaged; 1 firefighter fatality; 3 firefighter injuries. Merged with the Fly Fire on July 24. Second-largest wildfire and the largest single (non-complex) wildfire in recorded California history[64][65][66][67]
Peak Kern2,098July 20August 12Unknown cause; 1 structure destroyed[68]
Fly Plumas4,300July 22October 25Unknown cause; merged with the Dixie Fire on July 24[69]
McFarland Shasta, Tehama, Trinity122,653July 29September 16Caused by lightning; 46 structures destroyed; 1 structure damaged; 6 firefighters injured[70]
Monument Trinity223,124July 30October 25Caused by lightning; 52 structures destroyed; 3 structures damaged[71]
River Complex Siskiyou, Trinity199,359July 30October 25Caused by lightning; 122 structures destroyed; 2 structures damaged; consists of 22 fires, of which the largest are the Haypress Fire, the Summer Fire, and the Cronan Fire[72]
McCash Siskiyou94,962July 31October 27Caused by lightning; 1 firefighter fatality[73][74]
Tiltill Tuolumne2,323July 31October 15Caused by lightning[75]
Antelope Siskiyou145,632August 1October 15Caused by lightning; 18 structures destroyed; 4 structures destroyed[76]
River Nevada, Placer2,619August 4August 13Unknown cause; 142 structures destroyed; 21 structures damaged; 4 injuries[77]
Caldor El Dorado, Amador, Alpine221,835August 15October 21Unknown cause; 1,003 structures destroyed; 81 structures damaged; 5 injuries[78]
Walkers Tulare8,777August 14September 18Caused by lightning[79]
French Kern26,535August 18October 19Human-caused; 49 structures destroyed; 6 structures damaged; 1 firefighter fatality[80][81]
South San Bernardino819August 25September 1Unknown cause; 17 structures destroyed[82]
Chaparral San Diego, Riverside1,427August 28September 9Unknown cause; 3 structures destroyed[83]
Knob Humboldt2,421August 29September 12Unknown cause[84]
Windy Tulare97,528September 9November 15Caused by lightning; 128 structures destroyed; 4 injuries[85]
KNP Complex Tulare88,307September 10December 16Caused by lightning; includes the Colony Fire and the Paradise Fire; 4 structures destroyed; 1 structure damaged[86]
Fawn Shasta8,578September 22October 2Suspected arson; 185 structures destroyed; 26 structures damaged; 3 injuries[87][88]
Alisal Santa Barbara16,970October 11November 16Unknown cause; 12 structures destroyed[89]
Close

Wildfires listed by month

More information Month, Number of wildfires ...
Close

Gallery of maps

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.[30]

References

External links

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI