2019 California wildfires

By the end of 2019, according to Cal Fire and the US Forest Service, 7,148 wildfires were recorded across the U.S. state of California, totaling an estimated of burned land. These fires caused 22 injuries, 3 fatalities, and damaged or destroyed 732 structures. The 2019 California fire season was less active than that of the two previous years (2017 and 2018), which set records for acreage, destructiveness, and deaths.

In late October, the Kincade Fire became the largest fire of the year, burning in Sonoma County by November 6.

Massive preemptive public safety power shutoff events in 2019 were controversial. Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric preemptively shut off power to 800,000 electric customers to reduce the risk of wildfires by preventing electrical arcing in high winds from their above-ground power lines. While large areas were without power for days, people in fire danger areas had trouble getting information, and life support equipment would not work without backup power.

Background

The timing of "fire season" in California is variable, depending on the amount of prior winter and spring precipitation, the frequency and severity of weather such as heat waves and wind events, and moisture content in vegetation. Northern California typically sees wildfire activity between late spring and early fall, peaking in the summer with hotter and drier conditions. Occasional cold frontal passages can bring wind and lightning. The timing of fire season in Southern California is similar, peaking between late spring and fall. The severity and duration of peak activity in either part of the state is modulated in part by weather events: downslope/offshore wind events can lead to critical fire weather, while onshore flow and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that hamper wildfire growth.

Early projections Fire behavioral experts and climatologists warned that heavy rains from months early in the year had produced an excess of vegetation that would become an abundance of dry fuel later in the year as the fire season gets underway. According to the US Forest Service and US Department of the Interior officials, early projections indicated that the fire season would possibly be worse than the year prior, stating that "if we're lucky, this year will simply be a challenging one." This assessment was written on the basis of noting that the state has recently been seeing consistently destructive fires more often than ever before.

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than , or produced significant structural damage or casualties: NameCounty AcresStart dateContainment dateNotesRefRefugeKern2,500 1 structure destroyed Boulder San Luis Obispo1,127 Sand Yolo2,5127 structures destroyed, 2 injuriesWest Butte Sutter1,300McMillan San Luis Obispo1,764Lonoak Monterey2,546Downed PG&E power line was the causeRock Stanislaus2,422CowInyo, Tulare1,975Caused by lightning strikeSpringsMono4,840Caused by lightning strikeTuckerModoc14,150Unintentionally caused by vehicular traffic along California State Route 139W-1 McDonald Lassen1,020Caused by lightning strikeGainesMariposa1,300Mountain Shasta60014 buildings destroyed, 7 damaged and 3 people injuredLong ValleyLassen2,438R-1 RanchLassen3,380Caused by lightning strikeTenajaRiverside1,926WalkerPlumas54,6089 structures destroyedTabooseInyo10,296Caused by lightning strikeLimeSiskiyou1,872Caused by lightning strikeMiddleTrinity1,339Caused by lightning strikeRed BankTehama8,838Caused by lightning strike; 2 buildings destroyedSouthTehama5,332Caused by lightning strikeLoneModoc5,737Caused by lightning strikeSpringsMono4,840 Caused by lightning strike BriceburgMariposa5,563 1 structure destroyed SandalwoodRiverside1,011 Trash in a garbage truck caught fire and spread to nearby brush74 structures destroyed, 16 structures damaged, 2 civilian fatalities CaplesEl Dorado3,435Caused by a controlled burn that went out of control SaddleridgeLos Angeles8,799 Unconfirmed cause, but reported that high-voltage SCE transmission line malfunctioned near point of origin25 structures destroyed, 88 structures damaged, 1 civilian fatality, 8 firefighter injuries KincadeSonoma77,758 Caused by electrical transmission lines located northeast of Geyserville owned and operated by PG&E374 structures destroyed, 40 structures damaged, 0 reported deaths, 2 firefighters injured TickLos Angeles4,615 22 structures destroyed, 27 structures damaged GettyLos Angeles745 Caused by a tree branch that fell on a power line during high winds12 homes destroyed, 5 homes damaged EasyVentura 1,806 Threatened the area near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley and 3 buildings were destroyed HillsideSan Bernardino 200 6 homes destroyed, 18 homes damaged MariaVentura 9,999 Brush fire broke out at around 6:15 p.m. October 31 on South Mountain in Santa Paula RanchTehama2,534 3 injuries, acreage reduced from 3,768 due to better mapping CaveSanta Barbara3,126 Caused by arson, acreage reduced from 4,330 due to better mapping

Other fires

Three people were injured during the Moose Fire (August 12–17). Two people were injured and four structures were destroyed during the Country Fire (September 3–6). Four people were injured during the Lopez Fire (September 21–27), and one during the Electra Fire (September 25). A small brush fire ignited in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles County on October 21. The fire burned within a few hours, forcing the evacuation of 200 homes. Three firefighters suffered injuries, while one civilian was treated for respiratory illness.

2019 California wildfires

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