Severe Weather History


California Wildfire History: 1,590 Recorded Events

1,590

Recorded events

32

Counties affected

281

Direct deaths

$24.0B

Property damage

California wildfire history: 1,590 recorded events across 32 counties between 1996 and 2025.

Decade by decade

California wildfire history by decade

California wildfire history: recorded events per decade
California wildfire history: recorded events per decade

The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 368 reported wildfire events across California. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.

County ranking

Counties with the most wildfire events in California

RankCountyEventsDeathsDamageSpan
#1San Diego County10518$1.2B1996–2023
#2Riverside County961$17.7M1996–2003
#3San Bernardino County907$1.0B1997–2003
#4Tulare County280$66.3M1997–2003
#5Kern County270$17.0M1997–2003
#6Mariposa County230$14.5M2001–2004
#7Orange County200$4.6M1996–2002
#8Los Angeles County160$29.5M1996–2003
#9Ventura County130$5.4M1996–2003
#10Fresno County130$12.1M1997–2004
#11Shasta County110$42.5M1997–2000
#12Madera County70$5.1M2001–2003
#13Tehama County60$547.5M1997–2000
#14Santa Barbara County50$662K1997–2002
#15Trinity County50$4.8M1999–2003
#16Siskiyou County40$02003–2003
#17Monterey County40$83.7M1996–2000
#18Butte County40$2.4M1999–2000
#19Merced County40$15K2001–2003
#20Plumas County30$22.7M1999–2000
#21Humboldt County20$01999–2003
#22Yuba County20$18.5M1997–1999
#23Del Norte County20$02002–2002
#24Tuolumne County20$01996–1996
#25Calaveras County20$290K1996–1999
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events · ranked by recorded event count

Significant events

Deadliest wildfire events in California

DateCountyScaleDeathsInjuries
Oct 26, 2003San Diego County—1490
Oct 25, 2003San Bernardino County—45
Oct 26, 2003San Diego County—218
Nov 1, 2003San Bernardino County—27
Oct 1, 1999San Diego County—110
Jul 20, 2000San Diego County—10
Jun 29, 2001Riverside County—10
Aug 30, 2002San Bernardino County—10
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events · dates UTC

All hazards in California · Wildfire across the U.S.