Crime & Safety
Top 20 Deadliest, Most Destructive Wildfires In CA History
The Camp Fire has become the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Here's a look back on other massive blazes.
CALIFORNIA – The devastating Camp Fire burning in Northern California has become the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history.
The death toll has climbed to 76 in the fire, officials said, while the number of people missing or unaccounted for has spiked to more than 1,000. As of Sunday, Nov. 18, the fire has scorched 149,500 acres, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and damaged 370 others. Another 15,500 structures remain threatened, according to Cal Fire.
The Camp Fire sparked Nov. 8 off Camp Creek and Pulga roads near Highway 70 in the Feather River Canyon, Cal Fire officials said. The wind-whipped fire ripped through the small town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Butte County and has continued to spread daily.
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The blaze was 60 percent contained as of Sunday.
As California copes with yet another record-breaking and tragic wildfire season, here's a look back at the deadliest and most destructive blazes in state history.
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Top 20 Deadliest California Wildfires
*As of Nov. 15, 2018
| FIRE NAME (CAUSE) | DATE | COUNTY | ACRES | STRUCTURES | DEATHS |
| 1. Camp Fire* (under investigation) | November 2018 | Butte County | 140,000 | 10,317 | 56 |
| 2. Griffith Park Fire (unknown) | October 1933 | Los Angeles | 47 | 0 | 29 |
| 3. Tunnel Fire (rekindle) | October 1991 | Alameda | 1,600 | 2,900 | 25 |
| 4. Tubbs Fire (under investigation) | October 2017 | Napa & Sonoma | 36,807 | 5,643 | 22 |
| 5. Cedar Fire (human related) | October 2003 | San Diego | 273,246 | 2,820 | 15 |
| 6. Rattlesnake Fire (arson) | July 1953 | Glenn | 1,340 | 0 | 15 |
| 7. Loop Fire (unknown) | November 1966 | Los Angeles | 2,028 | 0 | 12 |
| 8. Hauser Creek (human related) | October 1943 | San Diego | 13,145 | 0 | 11 |
| 9. Inaja Fire (human related) | November 1956 | San Diego | 43,904 | 0 | 11 |
| 10. Iron Alps Complex Fire (lightning) | August 2008 | Trinity | 105,855 | 10 | 10 |
| 11. Redwood Valley Fire (under investigation) | October 2017 | Mendocino | 36,523 | 544 | 9 |
| 12. Harris Fire (under investigation) | October 2007 | San Diego | 90,440 | 548 | 8 |
| 13. Canyon Fire (unknown) | August 1968 | Los Angeles | 22,197 | 0 | 8 |
| 14. Carr Fire (human related) | July 2018 | Shasta & Trinity | 229,651 | 1,604 | 8 |
| 15. Atlas Fire (under investigation) | October 2017 | Napa & Solano | 51,624 | 781 | 6 |
| 16. Old Fire (human related) | October 2003 | San Bernardino | 91,281 | 1,003 | 6 |
| 17. Decker Fire (vehicle) | August 1959 | Riverside | 1,425 | 1 | 6 |
| 18. Hacienda Fire (unknown) | September 1955 | Los Angeles | 1,150 | 0 | 6 |
| 19. Esperanza Fire (arson) | October 2006 | Riverside | 40,200 | 54 | 5 |
| 20. Laguna Fire (powerlines) | September 1970 | San Diego | 175,425 | 382 | 5 |
* Fire is not contained and totals are likely to change.
NOTE: Fires with the same death count are listed by most recent, according to Cal Fire.
Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires
*As of Nov. 15, 2018
| FIRE NAME (CAUSE) | DATE | COUNTY | ACRES | STRUCTURES | DEATHS |
| 1. Camp Fire* (under investigation) | November 2018 | Butte County | 140,000 | 10,317 | 56 |
| 2. Tubbs Fire (under investigation) | October 2017 | Napa & Sonoma | 36,807 | 5,643 | 22 |
| 3. Tunnel Fire (rekindle) | October 1991 | Alameda | 1,600 | 2,900 | 25 |
| 4. Cedar Fire (human related) | October 2003 | San Diego | 273,246 | 2,820 | 15 |
| 5. Valley (electrical) | September 2015 | Lake, Napa & Sonoma | 76,067 | 1,955 | 4 |
| 6. Witch (powerlines) | October 2007 | San Diego | 197,990 | 1,650 | 2 |
| 7. Carr Fire (human related) | July 2018 | Shasta & Trinity | 229,651 | 1,604 | 8 |
| 8. Nuns (under investigation) | October 2017 | Sonoma | 54,382 | 1,355 | 3 |
| 9. Thomas (under investigation) | December 2017 | Ventura & Santa Barbara | 281,893 | 1,063 | 2 |
| 10. Old (human related) | October 2003 | San Bernardino | 91,281 | 1,003 | 6 |
| 11. Jones (undetermined) | October 1999 | Shasta | 26,200 | 954 | 1 |
| 12. Butte (powerlines) | September 2015 | Amador & Calaveras | 70,868 | 921 | 2 |
| 13. Atlas (under investigation) | October 2017 | Napa & Solano | 51,624 | 783 | 6 |
| 14. Paint (arson) | June 1990 | Santa Barbara | 4,900 | 641 | 1 |
| 15. Fountain (arson) | August 1992 | Shasta | 63,960 | 636 | 0 |
| 16. Sayre (misc.) | November 2008 | Los Angeles | 11,262 | 604 | 0 |
| 17. City of Berkeley (powerlines) | September 1923 | Alameda | 130 | 584 | 0 |
| 18. Harris (under investigation) | October 2007 | San Diego | 90,440 | 548 | 8 |
| 19. Redwood Valley (under investigation) | October 2017 | Mendocino | 36,523 | 546 | 9 |
| 20. Bel Air (undetermined) | November 1961 | Los Angeles | 6,090 | 484 | 0 |
* Fire is not contained and totals are likely to change.
NOTE: Structures include homes, outbuildings (barns, garages, sheds, etc.) and commercial properties destroyed, according to Cal Fire.
Photo: Residences leveled by the wildfire line a neighborhood in Paradise, California. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
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