California Fire Perimeters (CALFIRE; 1878 - 2020)

Version Information:

The data is updated yearly with fire perimeters from the previous fire season.

Fire20_1 was released in April, 2021. Five hundred wildfires from the 2020 fire season were added to the database (12 from NPS, 277 from CAL FIRE, 76 from USFS, 37 from BLM, 3 other). Two previous fires were modified, the 1994 Steckel fire was deleted and the two 1979 Hernadez were merged into one fire.

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CAL FIRE (including c ontract counties) , USDA Forest Service Region 5, USDI Bureau of Land Managment & National Park Service, and other agencies jointly maintain a comprehensive fire perimeter GIS layer for public and private lands throughout the state. The data covers fires back to 1878.

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Discrepancies between wildfire perimeter data and Redbook Large Damaging Fires

Large Damaging fires in California were first defined by the 1979 Redbook. The definition of “Large Damaging” fires used by CAL FIRE has changed over time and differs from the definition initially used when compiling this digital Fire Perimeter data.

In contrast, the definition of fires whose perimeter should be collected has changed once in the approximately 30 years the data has been in existence. Below are descriptions of changes in data collection criteria used when compiling these two data sets.

To facilitate comparison, this meta data includes a summary, by year of fires in the Redbook that do not appear in this fire perimeter dataset. It is followed by an enumeration of each “Redbook” fire missing from the spatial data.

Wildfire Perimeter criteria

~1991: 10 acres timber, 30 acres brush, 300 acres grass, damages or destroys three residence or one commercial structure or $300,000 damage

~2010: 1991 criteria but the monetary criteria, the differentiation of structure type and the use of damages were all removed

Redbook Fire data criteria

1979 - Fires of a minimum of 300 acres that burn atleast : 30 acres timber, 300 acres brush, 1500 acres woodland or grass

1981 - 1979 criteria plus fires that took 3000 hrs of CDF personnel time to suppress

1992 - 1981 criteria plus 1500 acres ag products, or destroys three residence or one commercial structure or $300,000 damage

1993 - 1992 criteria but three or more structures destroyed replaces destroys three residence or one commercial structure and the 3000 hrs of CDF personnel time to suppress is removed

2008 - simply 300 acres and larger

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Year and Number of missing Large Damaging Fires for that year

Year # of Missing “Redbook” Fires 1979 22 1980 13 1981 15 1982 6 1983 3 1984 20 1985 52 1986 12 1987 56 1988 23 1989 8 1990 9 1991 2 1992 16 1993 17 1994 22 1995 9 1996 15 1997 9 1998 10 1999 7 2000 4 2001 5 2002 16 2003 5 2004 2 2005 1 2006 11 2007 3 2008 43 2009 3 2010 2 2011 0 2012 4 2013 2 2014 7 2015 10 2016 2 2017 11 2018 6 Total 483

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Enumeration of fires in the Redbook that are missing from Fire Perimeter data

1979 - Sylvandale (HUU), Kiefer (AEU), Taylor (TUU), Parker#2 (TCU), PGE#10, Crocker (SLU), Silver Spur (SLU), Parkhill (SLU), Tar Springs #2 (SLU), Langdon (SCU), Truelson (RRU), Bautista (RRU), Crocker (SLU), Spanish Ranch (SLU), Parkhill (SLU), Oak Springs (BDU), Ruddell (BDF), Santa Ana (BDU), Asst. #61 (MVU), Bernardo (MVU), Otay #20,

1980 – Lightning series (SKU), Lavida (RRU), Mission Creek (RRU), Horse (RRU), Providence (RRU), Almond (BDU), Dam (BDU), Jones (BDU), Sycamore (BDU), Lightning (MVU), Assist 73, 85, 138 (MVU)

1981 – Basalt (LNU), Lightning #25(LMU), Likely (MNF), USFS #5 (SNF), Round Valley (TUU), St. Elmo (KRN), Buchanan (TCU), Murietta (RRU), Goetz (RRU), Morongo #29 (RRU), Rancho (RRU), Euclid (BDU), Oat Mt. (LAC & VNC), Outside Origin #1 (MVU), Moreno (MVU)

1982 - Duzen (SRF), Rave (LMU), Sheep’s trail (KRN), Jury (KRN), Village (RRU), Yuma (BDF)

1983 - Lightning #4 (FKU), Kern Co. #13, #18 (KRN)

1984 -Bidwell (BTU), BLM D 284,337, PNF #115, Mill Creek (TGU), China hat (MMU), fey ranch, Kern Co #10, 25,26,27, Woodrow (KRN), Salt springs, Quartz (TCU), Bonanza (BEU), Pasquel (SBC), Orco asst. (ORC), Canel (local), Rattlesnake (BDF)

1985 - Hidden Valley, Magic (LNU), Bald Mt. (LNU), Iron Peak (MEU), Murrer (LMU), Rock Creek (BTU), USFS #29, 33, Bluenose, Amador, 8 mile (AEU), Backbone, Panoche, Los Gatos series, Panoche (FKU), Stan #7, Falls #2 (MMU), USFS #5 (TUU), Grizzley, Gann (TCU), Bumb, Piney Creek, HUNTER LIGGETT ASST#2, Pine, Lowes, Seco, Gorda-rat, Cherry (BEU), Las pilitas, Hwy 58 #2 (SLO), Lexington, Finley (SCU), Onions, Owens (BDU), Cabazon, Gavalin, Orco, Skinner, Shell, Pala (RRU), South Mt., Wheeler, Black Mt., Ferndale, (VNC), Archibald, Parsons, Pioneer (BDU), Decker, Gleason (LAC), Gopher, Roblar, Assist #38 (MVU)

1986 – Knopki (SRF), USFS #10 (NEU), Galvin (RRU), Powerline (RRU), Scout, Inscription (BDU), Intake (BDF), Assist #42 (MVU), Lightning series (FKU), Yosemite #1 (YNP), USFS Asst. (BEU), Dutch Kern #30 (KRN)

1987- Peach (RRU), Ave 32 (TUU), Conover (RRU), Eagle #1 (LNU), State 767 aka Bull (RRU), Denny (TUU), Dog Bar (NEU), Crank (LMU), White Deer (FKU), Briceburg (LMU), Post (RRU), Antelope (RRU), Cougar-I (SKU), Pilitas (SLU) Freaner (SHU), Fouts Complex (LNU), Slides (TGU), French (BTU), Clark (PNF), Fay/Top (SQF), Under, Flume, Bear Wallow, Gulch, Bear-1, Trinity, Jessie, friendly, Cold, Tule, Strause, China/Chance, Bear, Backbone, Doe, (SHF) Travis Complex, Blake, Longwood (SRF), River-II, Jarrell, Stanislaus Complex 14k (STF), Big, Palmer, Indian (TNF) Branham (BLM), Paul, Snag (NPS), Sycamore, Trail, Stallion Spring, Middle (KRN), SLU-864

1988- Hwy 175 (LNU), Rumsey (LNU), Shell Creek (MEU), PG&E #19 (LNU), Fields (BTU), BLM 4516, 417 (LMU), Campbell (LNF), Burney (SHF), USFS #41 (SHF), Trinity (USFS #32), State #837 (RRU), State (RRU), State (350 acres), RRU), State #1807, Orange Co. Asst (RRU), State #1825 (RRU), State #2025, Spoor (BDU), State (MVU), Tonzi (AEU), Kern co #7,9 (KRN), Stent (TCU),

1989 – Rock (Plumas), Feather (LMU), Olivas (BDU), State 1116 (RRU), Concorida (RRU), Prado (RRU), Black Mt. (MVU), Vail (CNF)

1990 – Shipman (HUU), Lightning 379 (LMU), Mud, Dye (TGU), State 914 (RRU), Shultz (Yorba) (BDU), Bingo Rincon #3 (MVU), Dehesa #2 (MVU), SLU 1626 (SLU)

1991- Church(HUU), Kutras (SHF)

1992 – Lincoln, Fawn (NEU), Clover, fountain (SHU), state, state 891, state, state (RRU), Aberdeen (BDU), Wildcat, Rincon (MVU), Cleveland (AEU), Dry Creek (MMU), Arroyo Seco, Slick Rock (BEU), STF #135 (TCU)

1993 – Hoisington (HUU), PG&E #27 (with an undetermined cause, lol), Hall (TGU), state, assist, local (RRU), Stoddard, Opal Mt., Mill Creek (BDU), Otay #18, Assist/ Old coach (MVU), Eagle (CNF), Chevron USA, Sycamore (FKU), Guerrero, Duck

1994 – Schindel Escape (SHU), blank (PNF), lightning #58 (LMU), Bridge (NEU), Barkley (BTU), Lightning #66 (LMU), Local (RRU), Assist #22 & #79 (SLU), Branch (SLO), Piute (BDU), Assist/ Opal#2 (BDU), Local, State, State (RRU), Gilman fire 7/24 (RRU), Highway #74 (RRU), San Felipe, Assist #42, Scissors #2 (MVU), Assist/ Opal#2 (BDU), Complex (BDF), Spanish (SBC)

1995- State 1983 acres, Lost Lake, State # 1030, State (1335 acres), State (5000 acres), Jenny, City (BDU), Marron #4, Asist #51 (SLO/VNC)

1996 - Modoc NF 707 (Ambrose), Borrego (MVU), Assist #16 (SLU), Deep Creek (BDU), Weber (BDU), State (Wesley) 500 acres (RRU), Weaver (MMU), Wasioja (SBC/LPF), Gale (FKU), FKU 15832 (FKU), State (Wesley) 500 acres, Cabazon (RRU), State Assist (aka Bee) (RRU), Borrego, Otay #269 (MVU), Slaughter house (MVU), Oak Flat (TUU)

1997 - Lightning #70 (LMU), Jackrabbit (RRU), Fernandez (TUU), Assist 84 (Military AFV) (SLU), Metz #4 (BEU), Copperhead (BEU), Millstream, Correia (MMU), Fernandez (TUU)

1998 - Worden, Swift, PG&E 39 (MMU), Chariot, Featherstone, Wildcat, Emery, Deluz (MVU), Cajalco Santiago (RRU)

1999 - Musty #2,3 (BTU), Border # 95 (MVU), Andrews, Roadside 9323 (MMU), Lacy (BDU), Range (SCU)

2000 - Latrobe (AEU), Shell (SLU), Happy Camp (Inyo), Golden Fire (BDU)

2001 - Pacheco (MMU), Orosco (CNF/MVU), Observation (LNF), Modoc Complex (LMU), Happy Camp Complex (SKU)

2002 - Nicholas (MMU), Aliso Assist #73 (MVU), Assist, Leona, Williams (BDU), BLM D596, horse complex (LMU), KNF Assist #15 (SKU), Cajalco Evening State 925 (RRU), Airport, Bouquet, Copper, Inyo Complex (BDU)

2003 - F.K.U. 7076 (LOC) 15k , Local (2) 12k 2k (RRU), MNF 964 Assist (LNU) 3+k

2004 - F.K.U. 7654, NOD BBT4

2005 - Pine (TUU)

2006 - Phelps (FKU), BLM-2 (FKU), Olive (MMU), Alpaugh (TUU), Lgt. # 11,26, 53 (LMU), Cort, Coyote, Orchard Ranch (RRU)

2007 - Little 5 (FKU), Brokeoff (SHU), Avenue 26/ Rd 195 (MMU/local)

2008 - Jonson VMP (RRU), 85 (LNU), Wagers (MEU), STA 57 ONO CDF IGO 2 C2(SHU), Whitmore Rd/ Old Cow C2 (SHU), Coleman , Fish Hatchery (SHU), EO2A (SHU), Igo 6,13, 15,16,17,18 (SHU), Lakehead (SHU), Daugherty (MEU), Breakneck (BTU), West Branch , Frey , Flea , Valley , Lynch (BTU), Squaw 1 Lightning 2 (MEU), Venture (SHU), 5-8 , Cliff , Lightning, Popcorn (LMU), Juan Creek Lightning (MEU), Dixie (LMU), Alder Creek Beach Rd (MEU), Dino , Hwy 152 (MMU), Smokey Rim Empire Camp (BTU), Turkey (BEU), Rodeo 2 (TUU), Lackerman (BTU), Long (BTU)

2009 - Oliver (RRU), Ash (MMU), One-Eleven (SHU L complex),

2010 - Whites (FKU), Flynn (SCU-002885),

2011 - none

2012 - Billy (MMU), Lassen (FKU), Grape (KRN), Rushmore (RRU)

2013 - River (MMU), Fox (LMU)

2014 - Pierce (RRU), 59 (TCU), Gun Club (MMU), Kelley (MMU), Stony Loop (Monterey), Modoc Complex

2015 - Carl Motar Grenade (MIL), Peanut (Monterey), Mad River Complex (SRF), GASQUET (SRF), Horno (MIL), Deer (KRN), Forebay Creek (MMU)

2016 - Fort Flat (KRN)

2017 - Deluz (MVU), Range (MIL Monterey), Quail Complex (KRN), Farad (HTF), Orleans Complex (SRF), R-21 (BLM), Summit Complex (STF), Rose (KRN), Buffalo (MIL MVU), Chris (HTF), Liberty (Local RRU)

2018 - Alpha (MIL MVU), Yankee (MIL SLO), Pendelton Complex, West (CNF), Nacimiento (MIL Monterey), Branscome (SUI local)