2015 California wildfires explained

2015 California wildfires
Reference:	^[1]
Cost:	≥4.771 billion (2015 USD)^[2] ^[3]
Total Fires:	8,745
Total Area:	893362acres
Injuries:	At least 1
Fatalities:	2 firefighters and 7 civilians killed
Is Season:	yes
Year:	2015
Season Name:	California wildfires
Image Map Caption:	A map of wildfires in California in 2015, using Cal Fire data

The 2015 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the state of California. By the end of 2015 a total of 8,745 fires were recorded, burning 893362acres across the state.^[1] Approximately 3,159 structures were damaged or destroyed by wildfires, and at least 7 fatalities were recorded.

On September 11, after the Butte Fire exploded from a size of 32000acres^[4] to 65000acres, in the Amador and Calaveras counties, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency.^[5]

Nationwide fire season

The National Interagency Fire Center reported in mid-August that the 2015 fire season had been the most destructive since 2011. Nationwide, a total of 6058694acres had burned, which is roughly triple the total land area burned from the same time span in 2014.^[6] By the end of August, in terms of the land area burned, the 2015 nationwide wildfire season had surpassed any other wildfire season in the last 10 years, with 7825559acres burned.^[7]

Fatalities

The season also proved to be a deadly one for firefighters battling the many blazes throughout the state. A United States Forest Service member from South Dakota died on July 31 from carbon monoxide poisoning, while battling the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest.^[8] A second firefighter was killed on August 8 by a falling tree, while battling the Sierra Fire south of Echo Summit.^[9] A 72-year-old disabled woman was killed in her home by the fast-moving Valley Fire.^[10]

Fires

Below is a list of all fires that exceeded during the 2015 California wildfire season, as well as the fires that caused significant damage.^[11] The information is taken from CAL FIRE's list of large fires, and other sources where indicated.

Name	County	Acres	Km	Start Date	Containment Date	Notes	Ref
	Inyo	70001NaN1	February 6, 2015	February 12, 2015		^[12]
Highway	Riverside	10491NaN1	April 18, 2015	April 24, 2015		^[13]
Lake	San Bernardino	313591NaN1	June 17, 2015	August 1, 2015		^[14]
Park Hill	San Luis Obispo	17911NaN1	June 20, 2015	June 24, 2015		^[15]
North	San Bernardino	42501NaN1	July 17, 2015	July 21, 2015	7 houses and 44 vehicles destroyed	^[16]
Wragg	Napa	80511NaN1	July 22, 2015	August 6, 2015		^[17]
Rocky	Lake, Colusa, Yolo	694381NaN1	July 29, 2015	August 14, 2015	96 structures destroyed	^[18]
Fork Complex	Shasta	365031NaN1	July 30, 2015	November 3, 2015		^[19] ^[20]
River Complex	Trinity	770811NaN1	July 30, 2015	October 29, 2015		^[21]
Frog	Lassen	48631NaN1	July 30, 2015	August 20, 2015	1 firefighter killed	^[22]
Humboldt Lightning	Humboldt	48831NaN1	July 30, 2015	August 19, 2015		^[23]
Mad River Complex	Humboldt	731371NaN1	July 30, 2015	September 13, 2015	includes Route Complex Fire	^[24]
Rough	Fresno	1516231NaN1	July 31, 2015	November 5, 2015		^[25]
Dodge	Lassen	105701NaN1	August 3, 2015	August 17, 2015		^[26]
Gasquet	Del Norte	303611NaN1	August 3, 2015	October 15, 2015	Fires: Feeder (100%), Coon (100%), Bear (100%) and Peak (100% containment)	^[27]
Jerusalem	Lake, Napa	251181NaN1	August 9, 2015	August 25, 2015		^[28]
Cabin	Glendora	17231NaN1	August 14, 2015	November 20, 2015	5 structures destroyed	^[29]
Cuesta	San Luis Obispo	24461NaN1	August 16, 2015	August 28, 2015		^[30]
Tesla	Alameda	27001NaN1	August 19, 2015	August 22, 2015		^[31]
Butte	Amador	708681NaN1	September 9, 2015	October 1, 2015	2 civilians fatalities 475 residences & 343 outbuildings destroyed	^[32]
Valley	Lake	760671NaN1	September 12, 2015	October 15, 2015	4 civilian fatalities, 1,955 structures destroyed; 6th most destructive wildfire in modern California history (as of 2022)^[33]	^[34]
Tassajara	Monterey	10861NaN1	September 19, 2015	September 27, 2015	1 civilian fatality	^[35]
Solimar	Ventura	13881NaN1	December 25, 2015	December 29, 2015	1 minor ankle injury^[36]	^[37]

See also

• List of California wildfires
• 2015 Oregon wildfires
• 2015 Washington wildfires
• Climate change in California
• 2014–15 North American winter

External links

• 2015 California Fire Map (a Google map created by CAL FIRE)
• California current incident information from CAL FIRE
• California wildfires on the US Forestry Incident Information System (InciWeb)

Notes and References

1. Web site: National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State 2015. National Interagency Fire Center. 15 August 2016. June 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628035324/https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/intelligence/2015_Statssumm/fires_acres15.pdf. dead.
2. Web site: Geiling. Natasha. California fire becomes the most expensive in history. ThinkProgress. 15 November 2016. 23 September 2016.
3. Web site: 2015 Wildfire Activity Statistics. Ken Pimlott. CAL FIRE. 2016. September 11, 2018. December 20, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171220131104/http://www.calfire.ca.gov/downloads/redbooks/2015_Redbook/2015_Redbook_FINAL.PDF. dead.
4. News: Helsel. Phil. California Town of 2,700 Warned Ahead of Explosive Wildfire. September 13, 2015. NBC News. September 11, 2015.
5. News: Serna. Joseph. Rocha. Veronica. Brown declares state of emergency in 65,000-acre Gold Country fire. September 12, 2015. Los Angeles Times. September 11, 2015.
6. News: Pydynowski. Kristina. Heart of Already Busy California Wildfire Season is Yet to Come. August 28, 2015. AccuWeather. August 10, 2015. August 13, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150813220708/http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/heart-of-already-busy-californ/51524526. dead.
7. Web site: Year to date totals. National Interagency Fire Center. August 31, 2015. September 3, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150903031820/http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm. dead.
8. News: Locke. Cathy. Firefighter at Frog fire died of carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, autopsy shows. August 28, 2015. Sacramento Bee. August 4, 2015.
9. News: Rocha. Veronica. Firefighter, 21, Is 2nd Killed Battling Northern California Wildfires. August 28, 2015. Los Angeles Times. August 9, 2015.
10. Web site: Kurtis Alexander . Kale Williams . Evan Sernoffsky . Worry to horror: A caretaker's desperate attempt to get help for fire victim . SF Gate . September 16, 2015 . September 14, 2015.
11. Web site: Large Fires 2015. CAL FIRE. 2016. 11 December 2017. December 11, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171211213657/http://calfire.ca.gov/downloads/redbooks/2015_Redbook/2015_Redbook_300Acres-and-greater.pdf. dead.
12. Web site: Round Fire. CAL FIRE. August 2, 2015. August 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150811034903/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1073. dead.
13. Web site: Highway Fire. CAL FIRE. August 2, 2015. July 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150723020555/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1077. dead.
14. Web site: Lake Fire. InciWeb. August 6, 2015. August 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150809075115/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4302. dead.
15. Web site: Park Hill Fire. CAL FIRE. August 2, 2015. June 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150624070835/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1106. dead.
16. Web site: North Fire. CAL FIRE. August 6, 2015. July 21, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721012058/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1141. dead.
17. Web site: Wragg Fire. CAL FIRE. August 2, 2015. July 25, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725173003/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1148. dead.
18. Web site: Rocky Fire. CAL FIRE. August 8, 2015. August 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150817034543/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1161. dead.
19. Web site: Fork Complex Fire. InciWeb. November 30, 2015. December 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151204165220/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4428/. dead.
20. https://m.facebook.com/USFSShastaTrinityNF/photos/a.1530227627209291.1073741830.1525297897702264/1698957657002953/?type=3&refid=17&ref=aymt_homepage_panel&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1698957657002953%3Atl_objid.1698957657002953 Fire areas reopened on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
21. Web site: River Complex Fire. InciWeb. November 14, 2015. October 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151026135635/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4431. dead.
22. Web site: Frog Fire. InciWeb. August 28, 2015. August 31, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150831160116/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4427. dead.
23. Web site: Humboldt Lightning Fires. CAL FIRE. August 27, 2015. September 6, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150906122801/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1170. dead.
24. Web site: Mad River Complex Fire. InciWeb. September 16, 2015. August 28, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150828081612/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4436. dead.
25. Web site: Rough Fire. InciWeb. September 16, 2015. September 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150916054508/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4456. dead.
26. Web site: Dodge Fire. InciWeb. August 19, 2015. August 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150816165645/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4445. dead.
27. Web site: Gasquet Fire. InciWeb. November 30, 2015. December 5, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151205031913/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4444/. dead.
28. Web site: Jerusalem Fire. CAL FIRE. August 13, 2015. August 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150817034545/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1193. dead.
29. Web site: Cabin Fire. InciWeb. November 27, 2015. November 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151110190549/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4505. dead.
30. Web site: Cuesta Fire. CAL FIRE. August 31, 2015. September 5, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150905150911/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1201. dead.
31. Web site: Tesla Fire. CALFIRE. 14 September 2015. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190501/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1204website=CalFire. dead.
32. Web site: Butte Fire. CAL FIRE. September 19, 2015. September 25, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150925123701/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1221. dead.
33. Web site: January 13, 2022 . Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220320042224/https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/t1rdhizr/top20_destruction.pdf . March 20, 2022 . March 29, 2022 . Cal Fire.
34. Web site: Valley Fire. CAL FIRE. October 15, 2015. October 23, 2018. October 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151022083932/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1226. dead.
35. Web site: Tassajara Fire. CAL FIRE. 21 September 2015. September 21, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150921122409/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1227. dead.
36. 680864261585813504. VCFD_PIO.
    1. SolimarFire Update 1250 Acres, Forward progress slowed significantly, 4 fixed wing tankers released, 1 minor injury (ankle), @VCFD
    . December 26, 2015.
37. Web site: Solimar Fire. CAL FIRE. 26 December 2015. December 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151230234927/http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1239. dead.