In just a few days, the monster Camp Fire in Northern California tore through a Butte County community to become the state's most destructive wildfire on record.
Its staggering rate of destruction places it atop a list of historic wildfires in California, where four of the state's 20 most-destructive wildfires started in the August 2020. They are the Creek, CZU Lightning Complex, North Complex and LNU Complex fires.
Below, a look at the most damaging wildfires on record in the state.
The figures, obtained from CAL FIRE, are based on the number of structures — homes, barns, garages, sheds, commercial properties and other buildings — that were destroyed.
1. Camp Fire, November 2018
The Camp Fire burned through Northern California's Butte County with stunning speed, burning through the town of Paradise. Cal Fire reported more than 18,800 structures destroyed. Eighty-five deaths were linked to the fire, which was sparked by powerlines.
2. Tubbs Fire, October 2017
The Tubbs fire was the most destructive of a complex of wildfires known as the October Fire Siege in California's Wine Country. The fire, fanned by unrelenting winds in Sonoma and Napa counties, destroyed 5,643 buildings and resulted in 21 deaths, according to CAL FIRE. The fire started in the Calistoga area on the night of Oct. 8, spreading at a stunning rate and burning through entire neighborhoods, forcing some residents to run from their homes in search of shelter. The official cause remains under investigation.
3. Oakland Hills Fire, October 1991
Also called the Tunnel fire, the firestorm scorched hillsides in northern Oakland and southeastern Berkeley during an October weekend. Responsible for 25 deaths, the fire rekindled from an earlier grass fire and burned only 1,600 acres — not large when compared to other wildfires on the list. But it was located in a densely populated area with houses and other buildings in its path and ended up destroying 2,900 structures. Fanned by powerful wind gusts, the flare-up grew into a wall of fire that left some residents trapped in an inferno.
4. Cedar Fire, October 2003
The catastrophic San Diego County Cedar fire is one of the largest in California history. The 273,000-acre firestorm wiped out 2,820 structures and resulted in 15 deaths. The fire was started by a lost hunter who started a signal fire in Cleveland National Forest near Julian. It grew into a burning monster that stormed through wilderness areas and rural communities.
5. North Complex Fire, August 2020
A group of fires in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties that started in August 2020 combined to become the North Complex Fire, resulting in 15 deaths. The fires burned 318,935 acres and 2,352 buildings. The cause of the fires is under investigation, according to CAL FIRE.
6. Valley Fire, September 2015
The 76,000-acre fire burned nearly 2,000 structures in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties. In just about 24 hours, strong wind gusts pushed the fire to about 50,000 acres after it was started by a faulty electrical connection that caused nearby dry grass to ignite. Four residents were killed.
7. Witch Fire, October 2007
Damaged power lines caused arcing that set off another monstrous fire in San Diego County. The 197,990-acre Witch fire destroyed 1,650 structures. It burned during an onslaught of large wildfires in Southern California that scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in October 2007.
8. Woolsey Fire
The Woolsey Fire started in November 2018 in Ventura County and burned south to the Los Angeles County coast with astounding speed and destroyed 1,643 structures. Mass evacuations included the city of Malibu as the fire burned nearly 97,000 acres, and three deaths were reported. The cause remains under investigation.
9. Carr Fire, July 2018
The deadly Carr fire burned more than 229,600 acres in Shasta and Trinity counties as firefighters, mourning two colleagues killed in the firefight, continue to work through sweltering weather. At least 1,614 structures, including about 1,018 residences, were destroyed and eight deaths are linked to the fire. It is the only fire on this list to have burned in July. It is believed that have started due to a mechanical failure involving a vehicle, which sparked nearby brush.
10. Glass Fire, Sept. 2020
Fires in Napa and Sonoma counties spread to cover 67,484 acres and eventually burned about 1,520 buildings. Despite 70 mph wind gusts that fanned the flames, there were no deaths, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation according to CAL FIRE.
11. LNU Lightning Complex, August 2020
Burning Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Yolo and Solano counties, a group of lightning-sparked fires burned 363,220 acres and 1,491 buildings. Six deaths were reported.
12. CZU Lightning Complex, August 2020
Another group of lightning-sparked fires burned in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. The CZU Complex burned 86,509 acres and destroyed 1,490 buildings. One death was reported.
13. Nuns Fire, October 2017
Part of a deadly complex of fires called the October Fire Siege, the Nuns fire began Oct. 8 and burned through at least 54,000 acres in Sonoma and Napa counties. At least 1,350 structures were destroyed. The official cause remains under investigation.
14. Dixie Fire, July 2021 (still active)
As of Aug. 20, the Dixie Fire in Northern California burned more than 700,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,200 structures. The fire has burned for more than a month in Butte, Plumas, Lassen and Tehama counties. Ongoing damage surveys have counted more than 1,200 buildings destroyed, including 630 homes, and more than 16,000 structures remained threatened. Numerous evacuation orders are in effect.
Investigations are continuing, but PG&E notified utility regulators that it might have been caused by trees falling into its power lines. The Dixie Fire began near the town of Paradise, devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire ignited by PG&E equipment during strong winds.
15. Thomas Fire, December 2017
The fire broke out Dec. 4, 2017 in Ventura County and, fanned by Santa Ana wind gusts, grew into one of the largest fires on record in California. The fire destroyed 1,063 structures, including homes in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Two deaths, including a 32-year-old firefighter, were reported. In January 2018, the city of Ventura sued Southern California Edison, alleging powerlines sparked the fire — a cause that CAL FIRE now also cites.
