After a wet winter and a hot summer, this year's fire season is off to a strong start. Below is the latest data to date, including the largest fires burning in California.
So far, more than 3,500 wildfires have consumed at least 219,247 acres across the state, according to California fire officials. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, dozens of structures have been damaged or destroyed, and officials say at least 1,000 people have died. One person has died.
“We’re not just in a fire season, we’re in a fire year,” Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler told reporters at a news conference this week.
400% more acres burned
The number of fires is only slightly higher than this time last year, but state data show the area burned is more than 20 times greater. By 2023, just over 3,000 fires had consumed 10,398 acres. According to Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuña, the long-term trends are equally alarming.
“If you look at the five-year average, we are slightly down in the number of fires,” Acuña told The Times, “but we are more than 400% higher in acres burned.”
Part of that is because it has been a scorching summer, with an oppressive heat wave. breaking temperature records across the West. But Acuña said this is also because the last two fire seasons were relatively mild and the winter and spring were wetter than usual, factors that combined to leave more layers of dry vegetation to fuel the flames.
“With the warmer weather and wind events,” Acuña said, “all of that added up to a much faster and more vigorous fire season.”
This week, the Mina fire in the northwestern part of the state may have caused the first wildfire-related death in California this season, Acuña said. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, Around 2 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters near Covelo found human remains inside a structure that had been engulfed in flames the day before after a burn pile got out of control and sparked the wildfire. The official cause of death is pending.
As of midday Thursday, the Mina Fire had burned 98 acres of timber and was 50% contained.
Lake and Vista fires grow
Meanwhile, the Lake Fire, the largest active fire in the state as of Thursday night, continued to burn in Santa Barbara County with 16% containment. The fire began on July 5 and quickly spread More than 21,000 acres over the weekend As firefighters on the ground struggled to reach the flames due to persistent heat and challenging terrain.
Several buildings and campgrounds in the Los Padres National Forest were damaged or destroyed, and at one point the fire came within a mile of Sycamore Valley Ranch (Michael Jackson's former Neverland Ranch), which fell within the evacuation zone. By Thursday, the fire had burned more than 34,000 acres and 3,044 firefighters were battling the blaze.
Closer to Los Angeles, the Vista Fire continued to burn in the San Bernardino National Forest on Thursday, covering more than 2,700 acres as of morning, officials said. The fire started Sunday around 1 p.m. on the south side of Lytle Creek and soon threatened the iconic Mt. Baldy area, including its nearly 100-year-old resort. Parts of the Pacific Crest Trail were closed, in addition to trails below the resort.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby recreation areas and the flames threatened about 416 structures, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Authorities said the blaze nearly doubled in size overnight Wednesday into Thursday, and fire crews are working to build containment and contingency lines.
As of midday Thursday, fire officials reported the fire was not contained. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Other large fires in the state include the Fire in Basin County, Fresno —which was more than 90% contained after burning just over 14,000 acres—and the Shelly Fire, which injured one person and burned more than 9,800 acres in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. State fire officials said it was 1% contained Thursday night.
Current forest fires
Active wildfires in the state as of Thursday night included:
Despite the rough start to the season, Acuña said predictions for the future are difficult. Last year it looked like it was going to be a busy fire season until Tropical Storm parts of the state flooded in August.
“That changed everything, that's why we didn't have a lot of acres burned last year,” Acuña said. “But for us to be in the high number of acres burned [burned] This year, that is very unusual.”
The heat will decrease slightly
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Sirard, there could at least be a small respite when it comes to heat in Los Angeles and the North. There are still excessive heat warnings in effect for the region's mountains, interior valleys and deserts through Saturday night. But by the end of the weekend, the heat wave is expected to move slightly eastward and temperatures will be just a few degrees above normal next week across the region.
As for the fire outlook, Sirard said a potentially aggravating factor is the slight chance of a thunderstorm Friday in Santa Barbara County. He warned that this could bring winds, as well as the possibility of dry lightning that would create dangerous conditions in the vicinity of the Lake Fire.
State fire officials track all fires larger than 10 acres on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's website, which details warnings and evacuation orders. Fire prevention and preparedness tips are available at ReadyForWildfire.org.
