The 2015 California wildfire season was a series of
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
s that burned across the state of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. By the end of 2015 a total of 8,745 fires were recorded, burning across the state.
[ 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 ]
Nationwide fire season
The National Interagency Fire Center
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho is the physical facility which is the home to the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), and the National Multi-Agency Coordination group (NMAC or MAC).
The center works clo ...
reported in mid-August that the 2015 fire season had been the most destructive since 2011. Nationwide, a total of had burned, which is roughly triple the total land area burned from the same time span in 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
.
Fatalities
The season also proved to be a deadly one for firefighters battling the many blazes throughout the state. A United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...
member from South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...
died on July 31 from carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...
, while battling the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest
Modoc National Forest is a U.S. national forest in Northeastern California.
Geography
The Modoc National Forest protects parts of Modoc (82.9% of acreage), Lassen (9.4%), and Siskiyou (7.7%) counties. Most of the forest was covered by immense ...
. A second firefighter was killed on August 8 by a falling tree, while battling the Sierra Fire
Sierra (Spanish for "mountain range" and "saw", from Latin '' serra'') may refer to the following:
Places Mountains and mountain ranges
* Sierra de Juárez, a mountain range in Baja California, Mexico
* Sierra de las Nieves, a mountain range i ...
south of Echo Summit
Echo Summit is a mountain pass over the Sierra Nevada in the western United States, located in eastern El Dorado County, California. At above sea level, it is the highest point on U.S. Route 50 in California, which traverses it at postmil ...
. A 72-year-old disabled woman was killed in her home by the fast-moving Valley Fire
The Valley Fire was a wildfire during the 2015 California wildfire season that started on September 12 in Lake County, California. It began shortly after 1:00 pm near Cobb with multiple reports of a small brush fire near the intersection of ...
.
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.CAL FIRE
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsi ...
's list of large fires, and other sources where indicated.
See also
* List of California wildfires
This is a partial and incomplete list of California wildfires. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. Pre-1800, when the area was much more f ...
* 2015 Oregon wildfires
* 2015 Washington wildfires
The 2015 wildfire season was the largest in Washington (state), Washington state history, with more than burning across the state from June to September. As many as 3,000 firefighters including 800 Washington National Guard members were deployed ...
* Climate change in California
Climate change in California has resulted in higher than average temperatures, leading to increased occurrences of drought and wildfires. During the next few decades in California, climate change is likely to further reduce water availability, ...
* 2014–15 North American winter
The 2014–15 North American winter was frigid and prolifically wintry, especially across the eastern half of North America in the months of January–March. The season began early, with many places in North America experiencing their first win ...
References
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)
{{California wildfires
Wildfires in California by year
California, 2015