On January 28, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) updated the rankings of the 20 most destructive wildfires and the 20 wildfires with the highest death tolls in California. Among them, the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in January ranked 2nd and 3rd in terms of destructiveness. Wildfires in California in recent years have been caused by both natural factors and human activities.
In the 20 most destructive wildfires (causing the most building destruction), there were 8 fires from 2020 to January 2025 (within 5 years), 6 fires from 2017 to 2018 (within 2 years), and 6 fires from 1991 to 2015 (within 25 years).
The Camp Fire that occurred in Butte County, Northern California in November 2018 is the most destructive and deadliest wildfire in California’s history, destroying a significant portion of Paradise and nearby communities, with 18,804 structures destroyed, 85 fatalities, and an area of 153,336 acres burned, displacing over 50,000 people.
On January 7 this year, following the wildfires in Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire destroyed 9,418 structures and caused 17 fatalities over nearly a month, with an area of 14,201 acres burned. The Palisades Fire destroyed 6,837 structures (with 12,317 more structures damaged) and resulted in 12 fatalities, covering an area of 23,448 acres.
Ranked from 4th to 10th were the Tubbs Fire (2017, October) destroying 5,636 structures (not including damaged structures) with 22 fatalities; Tunnel Fire (1991, October) destroying 2,900 structures with 25 fatalities; Cedar Fire (2003, October) destroying 2,820 structures with 15 fatalities; North Complex (2020, August) destroying 2,352 structures with 15 fatalities; Valley Fire (2015, September) destroying 1,955 structures with 4 fatalities; Witch Fire (2007, October) destroying 1,650 structures with 2 fatalities; Woolsey Fire (2018, November) destroying 1,643 structures with 3 fatalities.
In the list of California’s 10 most destructive wildfires, 9 of them occurred from 2017 to 2025, with 5 in Los Angeles County, 3 in San Diego County, and 3 in Napa County. The Camp Fire with 85 fatalities ranked 1st, while the Eaton Fire with 17 fatalities ranked 5th, and the Palisades Fire with 12 fatalities ranked 9th.
Although firefighting equipment and technology have been modernized, recent wildfires seem more difficult to control, burning over larger areas, for longer durations, and closer to residential areas. This has resulted in more residents tragically losing their lives, with initial casualties being firefighters and emergency workers.
The Griffith Park Fire (1933, October) at 2nd place resulted in the deaths of 29 workers and injuries to over 100 people on the construction site, covering 47 acres without damage to structures. The Rattlesnake Fire (1953, July) at 8th place led to the deaths of an employee of the forestry bureau and 14 firefighters, covering 1,340 acres without damage to structures. The Loop Fire (1966, November) at 10th place resulted in the deaths of 12 crew members while constructing fire lines, with 19 others severely injured, covering 2,028 acres without damage to structures.
CalFire reported in October 2024 on the 20 largest wildfires in terms of burned area in California, with 8 of them occurring from 2020 to 2024, and 7 of them ranking within the top 10. The total burned area of the top 10 wildfires amounted to nearly 4.9 million acres, affecting multiple counties. This underscores the significant impact of wildfires in recent years, with nearly half of them being destructive in terms of burned area, destroyed structures, or fatalities.
As of February 1, the Eaton and Palisades Fires have been fully contained, but the devastation in Los Angeles County serves as a stark reminder of the ferocity and unpredictability of wildfires in California. According to a recent article released by the Western Fire Chiefs Association, California’s hot, dry, and windy weather patterns have increased wildfire risks. Historically, wildfires tend to occur between May and October annually, but the January fires in Los Angeles indicate that wildfires can occur at any time of the year.
These fires are caused by a combination of natural factors like lightning and strong winds, as well as human activities such as arson or power line ignitions. The extent, area, and impact of wildfires are influenced by weather, terrain, and man-made factors like inadequate water sources for firefighting, as seen in the Los Angeles fires. California’s complicated regulations and long-standing environmentalism have made it challenging to clear flammable materials such as dead trees and brush.
On January 24, James Gallagher, the Minority Leader of the California State Assembly for District 3, emphasized during a roundtable meeting held during President Trump’s visit to Southern California the necessity to remove barriers to managing California’s wilderness areas. Gallagher highlighted that flammable materials were the primary cause of wildfires from Paradise to Palisades.
He mentioned the Camp Fire in 2018, which devastated Paradise and was found to be caused by a Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) transmission line failure in the Feather River Canyon under strong winds. The wildfire burned over 153,000 acres. Despite prior wildfires in Paradise in 2005 and 2008, proposed preventive measures were never implemented.
Gallagher stated that bureaucratic obstacles in California hindered fire mitigation efforts in his district, including Berry Creek. While waiting for approval of necessary projects, the North Complex Fire destroyed the town in August 2020. This wildfire, triggered by lightning, burned nearly 320,000 acres across Butte, Plumas, and Yuba counties, destroying 2,352 structures and resulting in 15 fatalities.
Following the Los Angeles fires, 56 members of Congress from both parties reintroduced forestry protection legislation, with 20 of them from California. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives on January 23 with a vote of 279 to 141 and is now under Senate review.
Democratic Representative Scott Peters from California’s 50th District stated in a press release on January 16 that he and Representative Bruce Westerman, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee from Arkansas’ 4th District, reintroduced the Fix Our Forests Act. This act aims to reduce the intensity of catastrophic wildfires, restore forest health, and establish fire-resistant measures in high-risk areas.
Peters expressed his sorrow for the losses suffered in Los Angeles, emphasizing that while not all fires can be prevented, wise policy changes can help prevent fires, limit their spread, and reduce their destructiveness. The bill aims to protect areas where nature and housing intersect, deploy firefighting resources in high-risk zones, and construct more fire-resistant homes. He recalled the fear experienced by residents of San Diego during wildfires in 2003, 2007, and 2011.
He noted that of the largest 9 wildfires and deadliest 5 wildfires in California’s recorded history, 3 occurred within the past decade. The impact of California’s 2020 wildfires on climate change surpassed that of the state’s energy sector. These catastrophic fires are now the largest source of particulate pollution in the United States, posing significant threats to watersheds and ecosystems.
Five of California’s largest wildfires occurred in 2020, with the August Complex Fire, SCU Lightning Complex, LNU Lightning Complex, and North Complex Fire all happening in August, and the Creek Fire in September.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Peters stated that the wildfire crisis seen in California and throughout the West is not only the result of inaction by officials but also of decades of misguided land management practices that turned forests, wilderness, and hills into tinderboxes. Suppressing all natural wildfires while allowing flammable invasive plants to proliferate has exacerbated the situation.
The August Complex Fire, burning through 7 counties covering 1,032,648 acres, is the largest wildfire in California’s history. The subsequent 4 fires were the Dixie Fire (July 2021) engulfing 5 counties over 963,309 acres; Mendocino Complex Fire (July 2018) burning through 4 counties covering 459,123 acres; Park Fire (July 2024) burning through 4 counties over 429,603 acres; and SCU Lightning Complex Fire spreading across 5 counties, with a burned area of 396,625 acres.
Rounding out the list from 6th to 10th were the Creek Fire burning through 2 counties covering 379,895 acres; LNU Lightning Complex Fire engulfing 6 counties over 363,220 acres; North Complex Fire spreading through 3 counties with a burned area of 318,935 acres; Thomas Fire (December 2017) engulfing 2 counties covering 281,893 acres; and Cedar Fire (October 2003) burning through San Diego County, with a burned area of 273,246 acres.