The Mendocino Complex Fire, which started in July 2018, refers to the damage caused by two neighboring fires-the Ranch and River fires. The fire, started by power lines, has become the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. The Camp Fire also drove 27,000 people from the town of Paradise out of their homes. This fire went on to consume over 150,000 acres of land, destroy nearly 19,000 structures, and kill 85 people. In November 2018, the Camp Fire broke out in northern California. Below are a few of the largest, most destructive, and deadliest wildfires in California’s history: Camp Fire While many individual fires are on a smaller scale, there have been numerous wildfires over the years that have resulted in extreme levels of destruction. The Most Destructive Wildfires in California’s HistoryĪs you can see from the statistics above, California wildfire history is filled with thousands of fires and millions of dollars in destruction. According to CoreLogic’s 2019 Wildfire Risk Report, reconstruction cost for the homes in extreme risk areas is over $221 billion, indicating just how costly a devastating fire could be. California has the most homes at extreme risk of wildfire damage of all U.S. According to CoreLogic’s 2019 Wildfire Risk Report, over 776,000 homes are at extreme risk of wildfire. Herein lies the difficulty with grading wildfire vulnerability of homes–ember travel greatly widens the range of vulnerability. Being categorized as low risk does not guarantee safety from wildfires: 58% of structures currently burning were categorized as “low” risk. As evidenced by the current fires blazing across the state, even homeowners who aren’t in these zones may be impacted by poor and hazardous air quality and extreme temperatures. According to CoreLogic’s 2019 Wildfire Risk Report, there are now about 30 million homes in areas at low to extreme vulnerability to wildfires. More and more homes are being built in wildfire prone areas: Unfortunately, fire season is expected to continue to worsen due to impacts from global warming and climate change: Keep in mind that the 2020 California fire season is only now beginning to reach its peak, so there will likely more fires and devastation this year that could skew this average. Using data from the table above, here are the average statistics on California fires over the past five years. Not only do these wildfires destroy a significant amount of uninhabited land, but they also wreak havoc on local structures and homes. The above statistics may be shocking, as they paint a drastic picture of the impact of wildfires on California. * Expenditures for 2019-2020 are not final. Take a look at the following statistics from CAL FIRE and its report on California Wildfires and Acres for all Jurisdictions: Year While many acknowledge the severity of California’s history with wildfires, few realize exactly how serious the situation is. California Wildfire 5-Year History & StatisticsĬAL FIRE collects data each year to measure the impact of wildfires on California’s residents, structures, and the environment. These fires tend to frequently and tragically displace California locals from their homes due to property destruction, poor air quality, extreme heat, and other consequences.īut what causes these California wildfires, and how can residents protect themselves and their property from these natural disasters? Read on to learn more about California wildfires history, key California wildfire statistics, and how you can protect your home from these dangerous fires. Nearly every year, California experiences major wildfires that can be devastating to the environment and communities throughout the state.
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