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2015 California wildfires

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The 2015 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the state of California. By the end of 2015 a total of 8,745 fires were recorded, burning 893,362 acres (3,615 km2) across the state.[1] Approximately 3,159 structures were damaged or destroyed by wildfires, and at least 7 fatalities were recorded.

2015 California wildfires
Smoke from the 2015 California wildfires as seen from space, on August 18, 2015
Statistics[1]
Total fires8,745
Total area893,362 acres (3,615 km2)
Impacts
Deaths2 firefighters and 7 civilians killed
Non-fatal injuriesAt least 1
Damage≥4.771 billion (2015 USD)[2][3]
Map
A map of wildfires in California in 2015, using Cal Fire data
A map of wildfires in California in 2015, using Cal Fire data
Season
← 2014
2016 →

On September 11, after the Butte Fire exploded from a size of 32,000 acres (129 km2)[4] to 65,000 acres (263 km2), in the Amador and Calaveras counties, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency.[5]

Nationwide fire season

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The National Interagency Fire Center reported in mid-August that the 2015 fire season had been the most destructive since 2011. Nationwide, a total of 6,058,694 acres (24,519 km2) had burned, which is roughly triple the total land area burned from the same time span in 2014.[6] By the end of August, in terms of the land area burned, the 2015 nationwide wildfire season had surpassed any other wildfire season in the last 10 years, with 7,825,559 acres (31,669 km2) burned.[7]

Fatalities

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The season also proved to be a deadly one for firefighters battling the many blazes throughout the state. A United States Forest Service member from South Dakota died on July 31 from carbon monoxide poisoning, while battling the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest.[8] A second firefighter was killed on August 8 by a falling tree, while battling the Sierra Fire south of Echo Summit.[9] A 72-year-old disabled woman was killed in her home by the fast-moving Valley Fire.[10]

Fires

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Below is a list of all fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (400 ha) during the 2015 California wildfire season, as well as the fires that caused significant damage.[11] The information is taken from CAL FIRE's list of large fires, and other sources where indicated.

Name County Acres Km2 Start Date Containment Date Notes Ref
Round Inyo 7,000 28.3 February 6, 2015 February 12, 2015 [12]
Highway Riverside 1,049 4.2 April 18, 2015 April 24, 2015 [13]
Lake San Bernardino 31,359 126.9 June 17, 2015 August 1, 2015 [14]
Park Hill San Luis Obispo 1,791 7.2 June 20, 2015 June 24, 2015 [15]
North San Bernardino 4,250 17.2 July 17, 2015 July 21, 2015 7 houses and 44 vehicles destroyed [16]
Wragg Napa 8,051 32.6 July 22, 2015 August 6, 2015 [17]
Rocky Lake, Colusa, Yolo 69,438 281.0 July 29, 2015 August 14, 2015 96 structures destroyed [18]
Fork Complex Shasta 36,503 147.7 July 30, 2015 November 3, 2015 [19][20]
River Complex Trinity 77,081 311.9 July 30, 2015 October 29, 2015 [21]
Frog Lassen 4,863 19.7 July 30, 2015 August 20, 2015 1 firefighter killed [22]
Humboldt Lightning Humboldt 4,883 19.8 July 30, 2015 August 19, 2015 [23]
Mad River Complex Humboldt 73,137 296.0 July 30, 2015 September 13, 2015 includes Route Complex Fire [24]
Rough Fresno 151,623 613.6 July 31, 2015 November 5, 2015 [25]
Dodge Lassen 10,570 42.8 August 3, 2015 August 17, 2015 [26]
Gasquet Del Norte 30,361 122.9 August 3, 2015 October 15, 2015 Fires: Feeder (100%), Coon (100%),
Bear (100%) and Peak (100% containment)		 [27]
Jerusalem Lake, Napa 25,118 101.6 August 9, 2015 August 25, 2015 [28]
Cabin Glendora 1,723 7.0 August 14, 2015 November 20, 2015 5 structures destroyed [29]
Cuesta San Luis Obispo 2,446 9.9 August 16, 2015 August 28, 2015 [30]
Tesla Alameda 2,700 10.9 August 19, 2015 August 22, 2015 [31]
Butte Amador 70,868 286.8 September 9, 2015 October 1, 2015 2 civilians fatalities
475 residences & 343 outbuildings destroyed		 [32]
Valley Lake 76,067 307.8 September 12, 2015 October 15, 2015 4 civilian fatalities, 1,955 structures destroyed; 6th most destructive wildfire in modern California history (as of 2022)[33] [34]
Tassajara Monterey 1,086 4.4 September 19, 2015 September 27, 2015 1 civilian fatality [35]
Solimar Ventura 1,388 5.6 December 25, 2015 December 29, 2015 1 minor ankle injury[36] [37]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2015" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  2. ^ Geiling, Natasha (September 23, 2016). "California fire becomes the most expensive in history". ThinkProgress. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Ken Pimlott (2016). "2015 Wildfire Activity Statistics" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  4. ^ Helsel, Phil (September 11, 2015). "California Town of 2,700 Warned Ahead of Explosive Wildfire". NBC News. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  5. ^ Serna, Joseph; Rocha, Veronica (September 11, 2015). "Brown declares state of emergency in 65,000-acre Gold Country fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  6. ^ Pydynowski, Kristina (August 10, 2015). "Heart of Already Busy California Wildfire Season is Yet to Come". AccuWeather. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "Year to date totals". National Interagency Fire Center. Archived from the original on September 3, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  8. ^ Locke, Cathy (August 4, 2015). "Firefighter at Frog fire died of carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, autopsy shows". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  9. ^ Rocha, Veronica (August 9, 2015). "Firefighter, 21, Is 2nd Killed Battling Northern California Wildfires". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  10. ^ Kurtis Alexander; Kale Williams; Evan Sernoffsky (September 14, 2015). "Worry to horror: A caretaker's desperate attempt to get help for fire victim". SF Gate. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  11. ^ "Large Fires 2015" (PDF). CAL FIRE. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  12. ^ "Round Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Highway Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Lake Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  15. ^ "Park Hill Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  16. ^ "North Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  17. ^ "Wragg Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "Rocky Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  19. ^ "Fork Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  20. ^ Fire areas reopened on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
  21. ^ "River Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  22. ^ "Frog Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  23. ^ "Humboldt Lightning Fires". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  24. ^ "Mad River Complex Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  25. ^ "Rough Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  26. ^ "Dodge Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  27. ^ "Gasquet Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  28. ^ "Jerusalem Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  29. ^ "Cabin Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on November 10, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  30. ^ "Cuesta Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  31. ^ "Tesla Fire". CALFIRE. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  32. ^ "Butte Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  33. ^ "Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires" (PDF). Cal Fire. January 13, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  34. ^ "Valley Fire". CAL FIRE. October 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  35. ^ "Tassajara Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  36. ^ @VCFD_PIO (December 26, 2015). "#SolimarFire Update 1250 Acres, Forward progress slowed significantly, 4 fixed wing tankers released, 1 minor injury (ankle), @VCFD" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  37. ^ "Solimar Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
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