List of wildfires

Asia

China

Indonesia

Forest fires in Indonesia occur annually. When there is a weather pattern disturbance because of strong El Nino, the number and the distribution of forest fires in Indonesia increased significantly. When there is a weather pattern disturbance because of strong La Nina, the number and the distribution of forest fire in Indonesia decreased. An El Nino is usually followed by La Nina on the following year. The strength of disturbance is determined by Southern oscillation index. Large forest fire in Indonesia because of strong El Nino:

Israel

Japan

South Korea

Europe

Croatia

Germany

Greece

France

August 1949 The great forest fire of 1949 in the Landes Forest burning 50.000 ha of forest land and killing 82 people

Poland

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

North America

Canada and the United States

Year Size Name Area Notes
1825 3,000,000 acres (1,200,000 ha) Miramichi Fire New Brunswick Killed 160 people.
1853 482,000 acres (195,000 ha) Yaquina Fire[7] Oregon
1865 1,000,000 acres (400,000 ha) Silverton Fire Oregon Worst recorded fire in state's history.[7]
1870 964,000 acres (390,000 ha) [8] Saguenay Fire[9][10] Quebec
1871 1,200,000 acres (490,000 ha) Peshtigo Fire Wisconsin Killed over 1,700 people and has distinction of the conflagration that caused the most deaths by fire in United States history. It was overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire that occurred on the same day.
1871 2,500,000 acres (1,000,000 ha) The Great Michigan Fire Michigan It was overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire that occurred on the same day.
1876 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) Bighorn Fire Wyoming
1881 1,000,000 acres (400,000 ha) Thumb Fire Michigan Killed 200+ people
1889 300,000 acres (120,000 ha) Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 California
1894 160,000 acres (65,000 ha) Hinckley Fire Minnesota Killed 418 people and destroyed 12 towns
1903 464,000 acres (188,000 ha) Adirondack Fire New York
1910 3,000,000 acres (1,200,000 ha) Great Fire of 1910 Idaho-
Montana-
Washington
Killed 86 people, including 78 firefighters
1911 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) Great Porcupine Fire Ontario Killed 73 people
1916 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) Great Matheson Fire Ontario Killed 228 (U.O. 400+) people and destroyed several towns, Cochrane burnt again after just five years.
1918 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) Cloquet Fire Minnesota-
Wisconsin
Killed between 400 and 500 people
1922 415,000 acres (168,000 ha) Great Fire of 1922 Ontario Killed 43 people and burnt through 18 townships in the Timiskaming District
1947 175,000 acres (71,000 ha) The Great Fires of 1947 Maine A series of fires that lasted ten days; 16 people killed
1948 645,000 acres (261,000 ha) Mississagi/Chapleau fire Ontario
1949 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) Mann Gulch fire Montana Killed 13 firefighters
1950 3,500,000 acres (1,400,000 ha) Chinchaga fire British Columbia and Alberta Largest North American fire on record. The B.C. portion was just 90,000 ha.[11]
1953 1,300 acres (530 ha) Rattlesnake Fire California Killed 15 firefighters. Well known textbook case used to train firefighters.
1958 558,260 acres (225,920 ha) Kech Fire British Columbia Largest wildfire in BC history.[11]
1961 16,090 acres (6,510 ha) Bel Air Fire California 484 homes destroyed and ~112 injuries.
1970 175,425 acres (70,992 ha) Laguna Fire California 382 homes destroyed and 8 people killed.
1985 93,000 acres (38,000 ha) Allen Fire North Carolina In 1985, nearly 93,000 acres of forest, wetlands and farmland burned in northeastern North Carolina in one of the biggest fires in modern state history[12]
1987 650,000 acres (260,000 ha) Siege of 1987 California-Oregon These fires were started by a large lightning storm in late August. The storm started roughly 1600 new fires, most caused by dry lightning.[13]
1988 793,880 acres (321,270 ha) Yellowstone fires of 1988 Wyoming-
Montana
Never controlled by firefighters; only burned out when a snowstorm hit.
1991 1,520 acres (620 ha) Oakland Hills firestorm California Killed 25 and destroyed 3469 homes and apartments within the cities of Oakland and Berkeley
1993 14,337 acres (5,802 ha) Laguna Beach Fire California Destroyed 441 homes, burned 14,337 acres causing $528,000,000 in damage.[14]
1994 2,115 acres (856 ha) South Canyon fire Colorado Killed 14 firefighters
1998 506,000 acres (205,000 ha) 1998 Florida wildfires Florida 4899 fires, burned 342 homes, $390 million timber lost.[15]
2000 48,000 acres (19,000 ha) Cerro Grande Fire New Mexico Burned about 420 dwellings in Los Alamos, New Mexico, damaged >100 buildings at Los Alamos National Laboratory; $1 billion damage, second worst fire in state's recorded history
2001 9,300 acres (3,800 ha) Thirty Mile Fire Washington Killed 4 firefighters
2002 150,700 acres (61,000 ha) McNally Fire California Largest fire in Sequoia NF history.
2002 467,066 acres (189,015 ha) Rodeo-Chediski fire Arizona Threatened, but did not burn the town of Show Low, Arizona
2002 137,760 acres (55,750 ha) Hayman Fire in Pike National Forest Colorado 5 firefighter deaths, 600 structures fires
2002 499,750 acres (202,240 ha) Florence/Sour Biscuit Complex Fire Oregon 150 million dollars to suppress.
2003 84,750 acres (34,300 ha) Aspen Fire Arizona Destroyed large portions of Summerhaven, Arizona
2003 61,776 acres (25,000 ha) Okanagan Mountain Park Fire British Columbia Displaced 45,000 inhabitants, destroyed 239 homes and threatened urbanized sections of Kelowna.
2003 91,281 acres (36,940 ha) Old Fire California 993 homes destroyed, 6 deaths. Simultaneous with the Cedar Fire.
2003 280,278 acres (113,424 ha) Cedar Fire California Largest recorded fire in California history (see 1889 Santiago Canyon fire that may have been larger); burned 2,232 homes and killed 15 in San Diego County.
2004 1,305,592 acres (528,354 ha) Taylor Complex Fire Alaska Largest wildfire by acreage of 1997–2007 time period
2006 40,200 acres (16,300 ha) Esperanza Fire California Arson-caused wildfire that killed 5 firefighters and destroyed 34 homes and 20 outbuildings.
2007 564,450 acres (228,420 ha) Sweat Farm Road/Big Turnaround Complex Fire Georgia Largest recorded fire in Georgia history. 26 structures were lost.
2007 124,584 acres (50,417 ha) Florida Bugaboo Fire Florida Largest fire on record in Florida.
2007 363,052 acres (146,922 ha)Milford Flat Fire Utah Largest fire on record in Utah.
2007 653,100 acres (264,300 ha) Murphy Complex Fire IdahoNevada
2007 127,244 acres (51,494 ha) California wildfires of October 2007 California A series of wildfires that killed 9 people and injured 85 (including 61 firefighters). Burned at least 1,500 homes from the Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border.
2008 41,534 acres (16,808 ha) Evans Road Wildfire Eastern North Carolina Peat fire started on June 1 by lighting strike during North Carolina's drought – the worst on record.
2008 1,557,293 acres (630,214 ha) Summer 2008 California wildfires California In Northern California, the fires were mostly started by lightning. In Santa Barbara (Southern California), the Gap fire endangered homes and lives. The Basin Complex and Gap fire were the highest priority fires in the state at this time.
2009 164,500 acres (66,600 ha) Brittany Triangle Fire British Columbia Also known as the Lava Canyon fire this was the largest fire in BC in 2009. Started July 31 by lighting this fire made news when it threatened wild horse population.[16]
2010 98,842 acres (40,000 ha) Binta Lake Fire British Columbia BC's largest blaze of 2010, resulted in evacuation orders and alerts. Burned 70,000 acres in a 12-hour period.[11]
2011 538,049 acres (217,741 ha) Wallow Fire Arizona & New Mexico The largest fire in Arizona state history. In one 24-hour burn period (6/6-6/7), it consumed 77769 acres of forest land.
2011 34,000 acres (14,000 ha) Bastrop County Complex fire Texas The worst fire in Texas state history, destroyed over 1500 homes
2011 1,748,636 acres (707,648 ha) Richardson Backcountry Fire Alberta Started early in the spring of 2011, as of October 2011 the fire was over 700,000 Ha in size and still burning.
2011 156,293 acres (63,250 ha) Las Conchas Fire New Mexico Second largest fire in New Mexico state history. 63 homes lost. Threatened Los Alamos National Laboratory.
2011 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) Slave Lake Wildfire Alberta Burned through Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada and its surrounding area from May 14, 2011 through May 16, 2011. The fire destroyed roughly one-third of Slave Lake and cost $1.8 billion.
2012 289,478 acres (117,148 ha) Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire New Mexico Largest wildfire in New Mexico state history. Began in the Gila Wilderness as two separate fires that converged, both started by lightning. Destroyed 12 homes in Willow Creek, NM.
2012 44,330 acres (17,940 ha) Little Bear Fire New Mexico Most destructive wildfire in New Mexico state history. Began in the Lincoln National Forest and was started by lightning.
2012 87,284 acres (35,323 ha) High Park Fire Colorado Started by lightning, it is the second largest wildfire in Colorado state history by size.
2012 18,247 acres (7,384 ha) Waldo Canyon Fire Colorado Rampart Range and West Colorado Springs with 346 homes destroyed primarily in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, it is the second most destructive fire in state history. Two fatalities reported.
2012 248,000 acres (100,000 ha) Ash Creek Fire[17] Montana
2012 719,694 acres (291,250 ha) Long Draw Fire and Miller Homestead Fire Oregon Oregon's largest fire in 150 years.
2012 332,000 acres (134,000 ha) Mustang Complex Wildfire Idaho [18]
2013 30,274 acres (12,251 ha)[19] Powerhouse Fire California Northern Los Angeles County (near Antelope Valley); started when strong, dry winds knocked over power lines operated by the LADWP.[20] Class-action lawsuit[21] filed as a result.
2013 14,198 acres (5,746 ha)[22] Black Forest Fire Colorado North of Colorado Springs, Large, fast-spreading fire due to dry conditions, high heat and restless winds. Destroyed 509 homes and left 17 homes partially damaged. As of June 13, 2013 it became the most destructive fire in Colorado state history.
2013 3,218 acres (1,302 ha)[23] Royal Gorge Fire Colorado [23] Jumped Royal Gorge and damaged the Royal Gorge Bridge.
2013 1,300 acres (530 ha)[24] Yarnell Hill Fire Arizona 19 firefighters killed on June 30, 2013.
2013 617,763 acres (250,000 ha)[25] Quebec Fire Quebec Over 300 evacuated.
2013 253,332 acres (102,520 ha) [26] Rim Fire California Occurred in Yosemite National Park. Biggest wildfire on record in the Sierra Nevada, and third largest wildfire in California history. Started August 17, 2013 and was contained on October 24, 2013.
2014 252,000 acres (102,000 ha)[27] Carlton Complex Fire Washington Consuming 300 homes between July 14 and July, 2014, this was the largest single wildfire in Washington state history.[28] (Of the 3,000,000 acres Great Fire of 1910, only 150,000 acres were in Washington.)
2014 328,892 acres (133,098 ha) Chelaslie River Fire British Columbia Largest wildfire in BC since 1982. Started July 8 and was still burning aggressively as of August 31. Fully contained by October 9.[29]
2015 205,605 acres (83,205 ha) North Star Fire Washington Third largest single fire in Washington state history. It nearly merged with the Okanogan Complex
2015 302,224 acres (122,306 ha) Okanogan Complex Washington The largest wildfire complex in Washington state history.[30]
2015 70,906 acres (28,695 ha) Bear Creek Fire Montana Largest fire in Bob Marshall Wilderness history. Never fully human controlled and only burned out when a large rainstorm/snowstorm hit.[31]
2016 397,420 acres (160,830 ha)[32] Anderson Creek Fire Kansas - Oklahoma Largest wildfire in Kansas history.[33]
2016 249,576 acres (101,000 ha)[34] [35] Fort McMurray Fire Alberta Largest fire evacuation in Alberta history. Costliest disaster in Canadian history.

Oceania

Australia

South America

Bolivia

Chile

See also

References

  1. The Breath of the Black Dragon in Russia and China, The New York Times (October 1, 1988)
  2. Anna Smolchenko (14 April 2015). "Huge Siberia wildfires kill 26". Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  3. "SvD". Retrieved 6 Aug 2014.
  4. "Dagens Nyheter". Retrieved 6 Aug 2014.
  5. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/incident_log_for_swinley_forest
  6. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-13292400
  7. 1 2 "Oregon Department of Forestry Historic Fires In Oregon". Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  8. (French)
  9. "Historica Minutes: Saguenay Fire". Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  10. "THE GREAT SAGUENAY FIRE.; Experience of a Sufferer—Fearful Perils of the Survivors—Narrow Escapes—Saved by Plunging in a Spring". The New York Times. July 18, 1870.
  11. 1 2 3 http://bcwildfire.ca/History/LargeFires.htm
  12. McGrath, Gareth (June 16, 2008). "Big blaze in Holly Shelter inevitable, officials say". Wilmington Star News. Retrieved 08/02/2011. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  13. "Wildland Fire: History Timeline - U.S. National Park Service". Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  14. "Laguna Beach Fire: One of the 20 Largest Fires Losses in U.S. History". 27 October 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  15. "Experts don't expect a repeat of Florida's disastrous 1998 wildfire season - USATODAY.com". Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  16. http://bcwildfire.com/History/LargeFires2009.htm
  17. "Dead cattle, devastation in wake of Western fires". The Big Story. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  18. "Idaho wildfire roars through former uranium mine site". Reuters. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  19. http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/pub/cdf/images/incidentstatsevents_250.pdf
  20. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/powerhouse-fire-caused-electrical-power-lines-la-dwp-us-forest-service-264491921.html
  21. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Lawsuit-Filed-Against-LADWP-Powerhouse-Fire-256473711.html
  22. Gorski, Eric (June 17, 2013). "Black Forest fire near Colorado Springs at 75 % containment". Denver Post.
  23. 1 2 "Royal Gorge Fire fully contained: Wildfire damaged 32 planks on Colorado bridge". KSHB. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  24. http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/22726613/2013/06/30/yarnell-hill-wildfire-grows-to-almost-1000-acres
  25. CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/02/north-forest-fire-threat-eastmain-quebec.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. "RIM FIRE UPDATE". Facebook. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  27. ":Carlton Complex Fire". Retrieved 3 Aug 2014.
  28. "Crews Make Progress Controlling Largest Fire In Washington State's History". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  29. http://bcwildfire.com/hprScripts/WildfireNews/OneFire.asp?ID=497
  30. http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/wildfires/2015/08/24/okanogan-complex-grows-twice-size-seattle/32261953/
  31. "Bear Creek Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  32. "Barber County wildfire up to 81-percent contained".
  33. "Largest Wildfire In Kansas History Continues To Burn". Npr.org.
  34. "Fort McMurray Wildfire - May 4, 2016 - evening update". May 2016.
  35. Kassam, Ashifa (2016-05-07). "Canada wildfire could double in size by Saturday, as mass evacuations continue". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
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