Major fires in San Diego County history
September 1913: Barona fire burned 65,470 acres.
September 1928: Witch Creek fire near Santa Ysabel charred 33,240 acres.
September 1928: Beauty Peak fire near the Riverside County border in the North County blackened 67,000 acres.
October 3, 1943: Hauser Creek fire in the Cleveland National Forest, at least 9 firefighters dead (including 7 marines), 72 injuries and 10,000 acres burned.
1944: Laguna Junction fire burned 60,000 acres
1950: Conejos Fire charred 64,000 acres.
1952: Cuyamaca fire burned 64,000 acres
November 1956: Inaja fire killed 11 firefighters and burned 43,904 acres near Julian.
1960: Two Atlas missiles exploded at their test site in Sycamore Canyon, causing an estimated $27 million in damage.
September 26-Oct. 3 1970: The Laguna fire, the county's largest fire in modern times, burned 175,425 acres, killed eight people and destroyed 382 homes. In 24 hours the fire burned from near Mount Laguna into the outskirts of El Cajon and Spring Valley.
September 1978: PSA Crash in North Park
June 1985: Normal Heights fire destroyed or damaged 116 houses, causing $8.6 million in damage.
October 1993: Guejito fire east of Escondido charred 20,000 acres and destroyed 18 houses. Estimated $1.25 million damage.
October 1996: Harmony Grove fire burned 8,600 acres, from Harmony Grove west of Escondido to La Costa, destroying nearly 110 homes and killing one man.
August 1997: Lake Wohlford fire northeast of Escondido - an arson blaze - destroyed seven houses and burned 500 acres.
October 1999: La Jolla Fire (La Jolla Indian Reservation) burned approximately 7,800 acres and 1 firefighter died. The fire was started by trash burning on the La Jolla Reservation got out of control.
January 2001: Wind-driven Viejas fire consumed more than 10,000 acres of brush and destroyed five houses and five mobile homes near Alpine.
February 2002: Gavilan fire (Fallbrook area) burned approximately 5,763 acres with approximately 43 homes destroyed and 13 damaged as well. Forty vehicles, 37 outbuildings, sheds, barns and other outbuildings were also lost. (Tally includes 2 fire engines.) Property loss is estimated at $16.5 million dollars.
June 2002: Troy fire (Mt. Laguna: 2 miles north of Thing Valley Rd, Fred Canyon Road) 1,188 acres burned, 3 homes destroyed.
July 2002: The Pines Fire (Vulcan Mountain and Julian area) burned approximately 61,700 acres, destroyed 37 homes, 116 other buildings and 165 vehicles in and around Julian. Two fire engines were destroyed. The fire was started when a National Guard helicopter hit a power line.
SOURCE: U-T articles and the San Diego Fire Department and California Department of Forestry and Fire
Worst San Diego city fires
1910 - American-Hawaiian Co. Freighter Fire
1913 - The Great Standard Oil Fire
1925 - Brunswig Drug Company Fire
1948 - Goodrich Surplus Store Fire
1955 - Burnett Furniture Company
1956 - Fourth Alarm Kensington Fire
1957 - First Fifth Alarm Fire in Hillcrest. Two homes were destroyed and seven others were damaged.
1978 - Balboa Park - Aerospace Museum Fire - Old Globe Theatre
1978 - PSA Airliner Crash A total of 144 lives were lost including 7 people on the ground as well as the two people in the Cessna light aircraft. More than 20 residences were damaged or destroyed.
1981 - San Diego's first sixth-alarm fire was at a La Jolla condominium complex, where a tar pot was overturned inside the building. Losses were estimated at $5 million.
June 30, 1985 Normal Heights Fire destroyed 76 houses and damaged 57 others. Damage was set at $9 million.
SOURCE: City of San Diego
U-T article October 26, 2003 -
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/fires/20031026-1032-sdfirehistory.html
Worst California state fires
| Fire |
County |
Cause |
Year |
Acreage |
| Cedar |
San Diego |
Undetermined |
2003 |
272,318* |
| Matilija |
Ventura |
Undetermined |
1932 |
220,000 |
| Marble Cone |
Monterey |
Lightning |
1977 |
177,866 |
| Laguna |
San Diego |
Power Lines |
1970 |
175,425 |
| McNally |
Tulare |
Campfire |
2002 |
150,696 |
*As of Thursday evening
SOURCE: U-T articles October 29 and October 31, 2003