96
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
76
Direct injuries
$17.7M
Property damage
Wildfire in Riverside County, California: 96 recorded events between 1996 and 2003. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #2 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Wildfire in Riverside County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for wildfire in Riverside County is the 2000s, when 78 of the county's 96 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Riverside County archive, wildfire makes up 10.3% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2 for this hazard and #2 within California, putting it in the 99.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for wildfire in Riverside County with 21 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 2001 | LAKE ELSINORE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 11, 2002 | CALIMESA | 0 | 0 | 10 | $15K |
| Aug 1, 2000 | TEMECULA | 0 | 0 | 9 | $40K |
| Oct 26, 2003 | SAGE | 0 | 0 | 7 | $6.0M |
| Jun 17, 2001 | HEMET | 0 | 0 | 6 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2003 | LAKE ELSINORE | 0 | 0 | 5 | $750K |
| Jun 17, 2002 | DESERT HOT SPGS | 0 | 0 | 5 | $300K |
| Aug 18, 2003 | MORENO VALLEY | 0 | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2003 | RANCHO CALIFORNIA | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 26, 2003 | ANZA | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 26, 2003 | SAGE | 0 | $6.0M |
| Oct 22, 2003 | HIGH GROVE | 0 | $2.5M |
| Sep 23, 2003 | BEAUMONT | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 3, 2003 | (RAL)RIVERSIDE MUNI | 0 | $50K |
| Sep 2, 2003 | MORENO VALLEY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 23, 2003 | PERRIS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2003 | MORENO VALLEY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2003 | MORENO VALLEY | 0 | $1.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Riverside County
- Flash Flood 295
- Thunderstorm Wind 168
- Flood 132
- Heavy Rain 92
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A wild fire broke out in Tin Mine Canyon and burned towards subdivisions on the southwest side of Corona, destroying one house and damaging five others. Erratic winds then caused the fire to burn both towards the east, threatening additonal houses, and back towards the west up the canyons in the Cleveland National Forest. As September ended the fire was still uncontained, with 250 acres of brush and citrus groves burnt, and over 200 homes evacuated.
Strong gusty winds caused palm fronds to brush against electrical power lines and ignite near the intersection of Palm Island Drive and Highway 111. Wind gusts to 80 mph then fanned the flames into a 30 acre wild fire that affected the community of North Shore. One house, a garage, a small office building, a storage shed, two travel trailers, and eight vehicles were destroyed. Several residents were evacuated and one family was left homeless.
A wild fire rapidly burnt 1523 acres and was still not contained as August ended. Four out buildings, a house, a sailboat, three cars, and several utility power poles and lines were destroyed. Highway 243 was closed between Pine Cove and Banning.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many wildfire events are on record in Riverside County, California?
96 wildfire events are recorded in Riverside County between 1996 and 2003, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest wildfire recorded in Riverside County?
The strongest wildfire on record in Riverside County measured 0.
Where does the wildfire data for Riverside County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Wildfire in Riverside County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/riverside-county/wildfire/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.