105
Recorded events
18
Direct deaths
290
Direct injuries
$1.2B
Property damage
Wildfire in San Diego County, California: 105 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 45. That places the county #1 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Wildfire in San Diego County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for wildfire in San Diego County is the 2000s, when 81 of the county's 105 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 San Diego County archive, wildfire makes up 9.4% of all recorded severe weather across 16 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1 for this hazard and #1 within California, putting it in the 100.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for wildfire in San Diego County with 21 recorded events, while Apr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2003 | PINE HILLS | 0 | 14 | 90 | $1.0B |
| Oct 26, 2003 | VALLEY CENTER | 0 | 2 | 18 | $55.2M |
| Oct 1, 1999 | RINCON | 0 | 1 | 10 | $250K |
| Jul 20, 2000 | LIVE OAK SPGS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 1, 2002 | JULIAN | 0 | 0 | 38 | $10.0M |
| Aug 1, 2000 | PALA | 0 | 0 | 29 | $0 |
| Nov 1, 2003 | MIRAMAR | 0 | 0 | 23 | $17.0M |
| Feb 10, 2002 | FALLBROOK | 0 | 0 | 19 | $16.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 2023 | 0 | $0 | |
| Nov 1, 2003 | MIRAMAR | 0 | $17.0M |
| Nov 1, 2003 | ESCONDIDO | 0 | $21.5M |
| Oct 26, 2003 | DULZURA | 0 | $500K |
| Oct 26, 2003 | VALLEY CENTER | 0 | $55.2M |
| Oct 26, 2003 | PINE HILLS | 0 | $1.0B |
| Oct 21, 2003 | DE LUZ | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 3, 2003 | CAMP PENDLETON | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2003 | POWAY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 23, 2003 | RAMONA | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from San Diego County
- Flash Flood 256
- Flood 238
- Heavy Rain 140
- Thunderstorm Wind 118
- Funnel Cloud 58
- Hail 52
- Lightning 43
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This fire began on September 30 and wasn't fully contained until October 8. A total of 7,691 acres, one house, two trailers, and an out building were burned or destroyed. Campers and counselors at Camp Denver C. Fox and residents in Will Valley were evacuated. Ten fire fighters sustained minor injuries, and another died when a boulder dislodged by the fire struck him. The cost of fighting the fire was near $3 million.
Santa Ana winds averaging 30 mph, with gusts to 45, fanned the flames of three wildfires across San Diego County. The first fire started in Harmony Grove, and quickly spread westward to eastern sections of Carlsbad and Encinitas, burning some 8,600 acres, destroying 125 homes, damaging 122 others, and seriously burning one man. Another fire broke out at 6:55 pm on the Rincon Indian Reservation, and spread to Valley Center, consuming 1,800 acres, and destroying six structures. The largest fire began around 2:00 am on the 22nd, on desolate Otay Mountain, and spread to the Tijuana River in Mexico, burning over 14,000 acres, three radio towers, and six cows, before it was under control on the 25th. In all, six people were injured, one critically by fire, 24,435 acres burned, and preliminary damages totaled 37.4 million dollars.
Tinder dry brush and hot, dry weather, intensified a fire which burned 457 acres on the north side of Lake Wohlford. Although arson was blamed for starting the blaze, shifting seabreeze winds of 15 to 25 mph, helped keep it from being controlled. Eleven homes, twenty out buildings, and thirty vehicles were lost. Damage was estimated at $1.75 million
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many wildfire events are on record in San Diego County, California?
105 wildfire events are recorded in San Diego County between 1996 and 2023, causing 18 direct deaths.
What is the strongest wildfire recorded in San Diego County?
The strongest wildfire on record in San Diego County measured 45.
Where does the wildfire data for San Diego 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 San Diego County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/san-diego-county/wildfire/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.