As wildfires continue to ravage L.A., here's a look at 5 of the worst fires in California history
Fast-moving wildfires have ravaged Los Angeles since Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and destroying large swaths of California's prized coastline while leveling entire neighborhoods.
Officials said flames from the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed tens of thousands of acres and thousands of structures as firefighters worked to contain blazes. Early estimates suggest the total damage and economic loss due to the wildfires could range between $60 billion, according to Wells Fargo, to as high as $130 billion — far exceeding the current record of $16 billion.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection added the Eaton and Palisades fires to the state's list of most destructive wildfires. The agency has already included them among the largest fires to impact L.A. County.
But it is still far from being considered the most damaging wildfire in the state. As the Los Angeles fires continue to burn, here are some of the worst wildfires — in terms of acres burned, deaths, and damage costs — in California history.
August Complex Fire
The August Complex Fire occurred in August 2020 following a heat wave and burned 1,032,648 acres across Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity and Shasta counties. Around 935 structures were destroyed in the incident.
The fire was made of a series of lightning-caused wildfires in the Mendocino National Forest. The merged fires became known as the August Complex fire. It took firefighters until mid-November to fully contain the fire — lasting 87 days in total. Since the area where the August Complex Fire burned is remote, there were no reported civilian deaths but one firefighter death was reported.
Camp Fire
The 2018 Camp Fire in the town of Paradise scorched more than 150,000 acres and was the deadliest wildfire in California's history. Ninety-five percent of the town burned in the fire.
The fire killed 85 people and destroyed almost 19,000 buildings in November 2018. The fire was active for 17 days. The fire started due to a faulty Pacific Gas and Electric power line that failed during strong winds. The active line made contact with dry grass and leaves, which fueled the fire.
Dixie Fire
The Dixie Fire in July 2021 burned parts of Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties and lasted 104 days.
The fire grew to a total of 963,309 acres before it was completely contained. It also burned about 1,500 square miles — the equivalent of about three times the land area of the city of Los Angeles.
The fire started after a tree fell and hit an energized power line owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, California's largest power company.
In 2024, a $45 million settlement was approved against PG&E for the utility's role in the fire. The settlement allocated $40 million to transition from hard copy records to electronic records. Tribes impacted by the fire will receive $2.5 million and PG&E will pay $2.5 million in fines to the California General Fund.
Mendocino Complex Fire
The Mendocino Complex Fire in July 2018 burned a total of 459,123 acres in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties and lasted 161 days before it was completely contained.
The Mendocino Complex Fire consisted of two blazes, the River and Ranch fires, which were combined under one emergency response. The fire started from two separate incidents. The Ranch fire broke out due to a hammer spark and the source of the River Fire has not been determined.
The fire consumed 280 structures and one firefighter died during the incident. Investigators determined that the Ranch Fire was caused accidentally.
Woolsey Fire
The Woolsey Fire in November 2018 burned through Ventura and Los Angeles counties, scorching 96,949 acres, destroying 1,643 structures and killing three people.
The Woolsey Fire incurred approximately $52 million in fire suppression costs alone. Insured losses, according to authors at Citygate, were expected to total between $3 and 5 billion.
Prior to the wildfires this week in Los Angeles, around 1,600 policies in Pacific Palisades were dropped by State Farm in July, California Department of Insurance spokesman Michael Soller told CBS News.
