This is an incomplete list of major wildfires in Washington state history.
This list only includes "major fires" that destroyed over 5,000 acres (20 km2), incurred fatalities or damaged a significant amount of property. With a lag of 1 to 2 years, more or less complete data is available from 2002 on via the website with incident status summaries maintained by the National Fire and Aviation Management. Older fires are increasingly underreported. For example, none of the wildfires of 1926-31 and 1943 that together destroyed more than 500,000 acres of the Colville National Forest are included. [1]
Year | Fire Name | Complex Name | County | Size (acres) | Structures Lost | Deaths | Injuries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Cold Springs Canyon/Pearl Hill Fires | Labor Day fires including Inchelium Complex | Okanogan/Douglas | Over 410,000 [2] | 1 [3] | ||
2015 | Okanogan Complex [n 1] [4] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | 304,782 [5] | 195 [6] | 3 | |
2014 | Carlton Complex fire [n 2] | Carlton Complex | Okanogan | 256,108 [5] | 300 | 1 | |
2016 | Hart Fire | Hart Fire | Lincoln | 18,220 | 39 | 0 | |
1902 | Yacolt Burn [7] | Yacolt Burn | Clark / Skamania / Cowlitz | 238,900 | Unknown | 65+ | Unknown |
1929 | Dole Valley [7] | Clark / Skamania | 227,500 | ||||
2015 [8] | North Star Fire [9] | Ferry / Okanogan | 218,138 | ||||
2000 | 24 Command Fire [7] | Benton | 192,000 | 36 | 0 | 0 | |
1970 | Lightning Bust [7] | Chelan / Okanogan | 188,000 | ||||
2016 [10] | Range 12 Fire | Yakima | 177,210 | ||||
2006 | Tripod Complex Fire [11] | Tripod Complex [n 3] | Okanogan | 175,184 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
2015 [8] | Tunk Block Fire [12] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | 165,918 | |||
1910 | Great Fire of 1910 [7] | Pend Oreille / Spokane | 150,000 [n 4] | Unknown | 38 | Unknown | |
1994 | Tyee Creek Fire [13] [14] | Chelan | 135,000 | 37 | |||
2015 [8] | Lime Belt Fire [4] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | 133,450 | |||
2020 | Whitney Fire | Lincoln | 127,430 | ||||
2006 | Columbia Complex [15] | Columbia Complex | Columbia / Garfield | 109,402 | 28 | 0 | 11 |
2015 [8] | Chelan Complex [16] [n 5] | Chelan Complex | Chelan | 88,985 | 44 [6] | ||
2003 | Fawn Peak Complex [17] | Fawn Peak Complex | Okanogan | 81,343 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
2012 | Barker Canyon Complex [7] | Barker Canyon Complex | Douglas | 81,155 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
2015 [8] | Grizzly Bear Complex [18] [n 6] | Grizzly Bear Complex | Columbia / Wallowa, Oregon | 80,725 | 33 [6] | ||
2013 | Colockum Tarps Fire [19] [20] | Chelan / Kittitas | 80,184 | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
1929 | Toats Coulee Fire [7] | Okanogan | 80,000 | ||||
2000 | Mule Dry Fire [7] | Benton / Klickitat / Yakima | 76,800 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
2007 | Wautoma Fire [21] | Benton | 69,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | Wolverine Fire [22] | Chelan | 65,512 | 4 [6] | |||
2015 [8] | Carpenter Road Fire [23] | Stevens | 63,972 | 36 [6] | |||
1985 | Barker Mountain Fire [7] | Okanogan | 60,000 | ||||
1996 | Cold Creek Fire [7] | Benton / Yakima | 57,000 | ||||
2015 [8] | Stickpin Fire [24] | Kettle Complex | Ferry | 53,828 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 [8] | Cougar Creek Fire [25] | Yakima | 53,523 | 0 | 0 | ||
2005 | School Fire | Columbia / Garfield | 51,892 | 215 | 0 | 1 | |
1992 | Skookum Fire [7] | Klickitat | 51,000 | ||||
1988 | Dinkelman Fire [7] | Chelan | 50,000 | ||||
2001 | Rex Creek Fire | Rex Creek Complex | Chelan / Okanogan | 50,000 | |||
2009 | Dry Creek Complex [7] | Dry Creek Complex | Benton / Yakima | 48,902 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
2006 | Tatoosh Fire [26] [27] | Tatoosh Complex | Okanogan / British Columbia | 47,787 [n 7] | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2002 | Deer Point Fire | Chelan / Okanogan | 43,375 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
1994 | Rat Creek / Hatchery Creek Fire | Chelan | 43,000 | ||||
2012 | Table Mountain Fire [7] | Kittitas | 42,312 | 5 | 0 | 2 | |
1951 | Great Forks Fire [29] | Clallam | 38,000 | 0 | |||
2001 | Virginia Lake Fire [30] | Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 36,680 | 9 | 0 | 1(+) |
2015 [8] | Highway 8 Fire [31] | Klickitat | 33,100 | ||||
2001 | St. Mary’s Mission Fire [30] | Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 32,980 | 0 | 0 | |
2004 | Deep Harbor Fire [32] | Pot Peak/Sisi Ridge Complex | Chelan | 28,500 | 3 | 0 | |
2007 | Overlook Fire [33] | Franklin / Grant | 27,071 | ||||
2007 | Manila Creek Fire [34] | Ferry | 26,805 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
1919 | Sunset Fire [1] | Clark / Skamania | 26,900 | ||||
2014 | Devil's Elbow Complex [n 8] | Devil's Elbow Complex | Ferry | 26,349 | 0 | 0 | |
2013 | Mile Marker 28 Fire [35] | Klickitat | 26,092 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
2005 | Walker Canyon Fire [36] | Walla Walla | 25,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | Tower Fire [37] | Kaniksu Complex | Pend Oreille | 24,194 | |||
2012 | Taylor Bridge Fire [7] | Kittitas | 23,500 | 272 | 0 | 2 | |
2012 | Apache Pass Fire [38] | Lincoln | 23,324 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
2014 | Mills Canyon Fire | Chelan | 22,571 | 0 | 0 | ||
2015 | Douglas County Complex [n 9] | Douglas County Complex | Douglas | 22,337 [39] | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | Columbia River Road Fire [7] | Okanogan | 22,115 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
2010 | Eureka Fire [40] | Walla Walla | 21,620 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
2003 | Needles Fire [41] | Okanogan | 21,300 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
2007 | Six Prong Fire [42] | Horse Heaven Complex | Klickitat | 20,898 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | Cascade Creek Fire [43] | Skamania / Yakima | 20,296 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
2012 | Peavine Canyon Fire | Wenatchee Complex [44] | Chelan / Kittitas | 19,467 | 0 | 0 | |
2010 | Swakane Fire [45] | Chelan | 19,291 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2008 | Swanson Lake Fire [7] | Lincoln | 19,090 | 18 | 0 | 1 | |
1998 | Cleveland Fire [46] | Klickitat | 18,500 | 11 | 0 | ||
1998 | Rattle Snake Ridge Fire [1] | Yakima | 18,000 | ||||
2004 | Pot Peak Fire [32] | Pot Peak/Sisi Ridge Complex | Chelan | 17,190 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
2012 | St Marys Mission Road Fire [7] | Okanogan | 17,031 | 10 | 0 | 4 | |
2007 | Tunk Grade Fire [7] | Okanogan | 15,540 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
2008 | Badger Mountain Fire [7] | Chelan / Douglas | 15,023 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
2015 | Saddle Lakes Fire [47] | Grant | 14,357 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2012 | Byrd Fire | Wenatchee Complex [44] | Chelan | 14,119 | 0 | 0 | |
1996 | Baird Springs Fire [1] | Grant | 14,000 | ||||
2014 | Chiwaukum Creek Fire [48] | Chiwaukum Complex | Chelan | 13,895 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | Renner Fire [24] | Kettle Complex | Ferry | 13,775 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | Snag Canyon Fire | Kittitas | 12,667 | 0 | 0 | ||
2014 | Duncan Fire | Chelan | 12,695 | 0 | 0 | ||
2008 | Smith Lake Fire [49] | Douglas | 12,513 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2012 | Crane Road Fire [50] | Douglas | 12,500 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
2002 | Quartz Mtn. Complex [51] | Quartz Mtn. Complex | Okanogan | 12,144 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | Domke Lake Fire [7] | Okanogan / Wenatchee | 11,900 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
2010 | Hubbard Fire [52] | Columbia | 11,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2005 | West Omak Lake Fire [46] | Okanogan | 11,325 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2012 | Buffalo Lake Road Fire [7] [53] | Okanogan | 11,299 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
2015 [8] | Twisp River Fire [4] | Okanogan Complex | Okanogan | 11,222 | 3 | ||
2011 | Wishram II Fire [54] | Klickitat | 11,008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2003 | Rattlesnake Canyon Fire [55] | Ferry | 10,560 | 11 | 0 | 2 | |
2007 | South Omak Lake Fire [56] | Okanogan | 10,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2002 | Pumphouse Fire [57] | Yakima | 10,412 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2013 | Desmarais Fire [58] | Yakima | 10,130 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
2009 | Oden Road Fire [7] | Okanogan | 9,607 | 14 | 0 | 3 | |
2000 | Rocky Hull Fire [46] | Okanogan | 9,404 | 37 | 0 | ||
2001 | Thirty Mile Fire [32] | Okanogan | 9,324 | 0 | 4 | 14 | |
2000 | Buffalo Lake Fire [46] | Okanogan | 9,300 | 0 | 0 | ||
2006 | Tinpan Fire [59] | Chelan | 9,252 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
2015 [8] | Graves Mountain fire [24] | Kettle Complex | Ferry | 8,557 | |||
2014 | Upper Falls Fire | Okanogan | 8,118 | 0 | 0 | ||
1997 | Pow Wah Kee Fire [1] | Asotin | 8,000 | ||||
2006 | Flick Creek Fire [60] | Chelan | 7,889 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
2008 | Cold Springs Fire | Klickitat | 7,729 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2010 | Baird Springs Fire [61] | Grant | 7,693 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2007 | Wood Gulch Fire [42] | Horse Heaven Complex | Klickitat | 7,677 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | Canyon Fire | Wenatchee Complex [44] | Chelan | 7,557 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | First Creek Fire [16] | Chelan | 7,490 [6] | 19 [6] | |||
2012 | Goat Fire | Okanogan | 7,378 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | Goodell Fire [62] | Upper Skagit Complex | Skagit | 7,111 | 0 | 0 | |
1979 | Salmon Creek Fire [1] | Okanogan | 7,000 | ||||
2012 | Antoine 2 Fire [7] | Chelan / Okanogan | 6,837 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | Black Canyon Fire [63] | Chelan Complex | Chelan | 6,761 | |||
2000 | Goodnoe Hills Fire [1] [46] | Klickitat | 6,510 | 1 | 0 | ||
2015 [8] | Blue Creek Fire [64] | Walla Walla | 6,004 | ||||
2000 | Alderdale Fire [1] [46] | Klickitat | 6,180 | 0 | 0 | ||
2005 | McClane Fire [65] | Franklin | 6,000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
2007 | Les Blair Fire [66] | Benton | 6,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2012 | Poison Canyon Fire | Wenatchee Complex [44] | Chelan | 5,910 | 0 | 0 | |
2010 | Cowiche Mill Fire [67] | Yakima | 5,834 | 7 | 0 | 3 | |
2003 | Togo Fire [68] | Ferry | 5,800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2001 | Gamble Mills Fire [30] | Brewster & Virginia Lake Complex | Okanogan | 5,550 | 0 | 0 | |
2006 | Highlands Fire [69] | Douglas | 5,506 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1997 | Olympia Command Fire [1] | Benton | 5,500 | ||||
2000 | Cayuse Fire [46] | Okanogan | 5,460 | 0 | 0 | ||
2003 | Hatten Road Fire [70] | Lincoln | 5,460 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2012 | Milepost 10 [71] | Douglas | 5,445 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2013 | Wood Gulch Fire [72] | Klickitat | 5,400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2005 | Wall Lake Fire [73] | Lincoln | 5,400 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
2007 | Easy Street Fire [7] | Chelan | 5,209 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
2003 | Juniper Dunes Fire [74] | Franklin | 5,200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 [8] | Newby Lake Fire [75] | Okanogan | 5,065 [n 10] | ||||
2006 | Rocky Ford Fire [76] | Grant | 5,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2011 | Monastery Fire [77] | Klickitat | 3,626 | 113 | 0 | 10 | |
1992 | Castlerock Fire [1] | Wenatchee | 3,500 [78] | 24 | |||
2015 | Sleepy Hollow Fire [79] | Chelan | 2,950 | 33 | 0 | 4 | |
2015 [8] | Paradise Fire [80] | [n 11] | Jefferson | 2,796 | 0 | 0 | |
2003 | McGinnis Flats Fire [81] | Ferry | 2,245 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
1987 | Hangman Hills Fire [7] | Spokane | 1,500 | 24 | 2 | ||
2008 | Spokane Valley Fire [82] | Spokane | 1,008 | 21 | 0 | 1 | |
2023 | Oregon Fire [83] | Spokane/Pend Oreille | 10,817 [83] | 384 [84] | 1 [84] | ||
2023 | Gray Fire [85] | Spokane | 10,085 [85] [84] | 259 [84] | 1 [84] |
Wildfire seasons are defined by Washington state law as lasting from April 15 through October 15 of each year, allowing for burn bans and other restrictions to be imposed on state lands by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources during that time. [86] According to a North American Seasonal Fire Assessment and Outlook report issued in June, 2019, the summer months represent peak fire season. [87]
Total Fires | Total Area Burned | Structures Lost | Fatalities | Injuries | Total Cost | Notes | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acres | Hectares | ||||||||
2002 | 1,285 | 92,742 | 37,531 | [88] | |||||
2003 | 1,373 | 200,517 | 81,146 | [89] | |||||
2004 | 1,674 | 92,617 | 37,481 | [90] | |||||
2005 | 998 | 185,748 | 75,170 | [91] | |||||
2006 | 1,579 | 410,060 | 165,950 | [92] | |||||
2007 | 1,268 | 214,925 | 86,977 | [93] | |||||
2008 | 1,303 | 147,264 | 59,596 | [94] | |||||
2009 | 1,976 | 77,250 | 31,260 | [95] | |||||
2010 | 870 | 56,820 | 22,990 | [96] | |||||
2011 | 993 | 17,480 | 7,070 | [97] | |||||
2012 | 1,342 | 259,526 | 105,026 | [98] | |||||
2013 | 1,527 | 152,603 | 61,756 | [99] | |||||
2014 | 1,480 | 386,972 | 156,602 | 300 | 1 | [100] | |||
2015 | 2,013 | 1,137,664 | 460,396 | 3 | 4 | $253 million [101] | [102] | ||
2016 | 1,272 | 293,717 | 118,863 | [103] | |||||
2017 | 1,346 | 404,223 | 163,583 | [104] | |||||
2018 | 1,743 | 438,833 | 177,589 | [105] | |||||
2019 | 1,394 | 169,742 | 68,692 | [106] | |||||
2020 | 1,646 | 842,370 | 340,895 | 181 | 1 | [107] | |||
2021 | 1,863 | 674,222 | 272,848 | [108] | |||||
2022 | 1,492 | 173,659 | 70,277 | [109] | |||||
2023 | at least 1,884 | 165,365 | 66,921 | ongoing season, preliminary data as of October [110] | |||||
Sources: National Interagency Fire Center [111] |
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) was formed in the United States as a result of the aftermath of a major wildfire season in 1970, including the Laguna Fire.
The Tatoosh fire began in Washington on August 22, 2006. It was sparked by lightning and in September 2006, it moved across the border into British Columbia. As of September 10, 2006, it was still out of control and burning in E. C. Manning Provincial Park. At that time, it had already burned 4,000 hectares before rain finally brought the fire season to an end. The fire ultimately burned 47,787 acres (19,339 ha) in Washington and British Columbia, and the overall Tatoosh Complex burned 51,671 acres (20,911 ha).
In the summer of 2013, there were several major wildfires in Colorado in the United States. During June and July, record high temperatures and dry conditions fueled the fires all across the state. By July 24, 570 structures had been destroyed and 2 people died. Below is a list of the major fires of the year.
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 893,362 acres (3,615 km2) across the state. Approximately 3,159 structures were damaged or destroyed by wildfires, and at least 7 fatalities were recorded.
The 2020 California wildfire season, part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season, was a record-setting year of wildfires in California. By the end of the year, 9,917 fires had burned 4,397,809 acres (1,779,730 ha), more than 4% of the state's roughly 100 million acres of land, making 2020 the largest wildfire season recorded in California's modern history, though roughly equivalent to the pre-1800 levels which averaged around 4.4 million acres yearly and up to 12 million in peak years. California's August Complex fire has been described as the first "gigafire", burning over 1 million acres across seven counties, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. The fires destroyed over 10,000 structures and cost over $12.079 billion in damages, including over $10 billion in property damage and $2.079 billion in fire suppression costs. The intensity of the fire season has been attributed to a combination of more than a century of poor forest management and higher temperatures resulting from climate change.
The 2020 Utah wildfire season was a series of prominent wildfires throughout the state of Utah, lasting from June 1 through October 30, as defined by state law. Part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season, Utah saw record-breaking numbers of human-caused fires. The largest fire of the season, the East Fork Fire, burned an area of 89,568 acres. In total, the suppression costs for the fires amounted to at least $103 million.
The Western United States experienced a series of major wildfires in 2020. Severe August thunderstorms ignited numerous wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington, followed in early September by additional ignitions across the West Coast. Fanned by strong, gusty winds and fueled by hot, dry terrains, many of the fires exploded and coalesced into record-breaking megafires, burning more than 10.2 million acres of land, mobilizing tens of thousands of firefighters, razing over ten thousand buildings, and killing at least 37 people. The fires caused over $19.884 billion in damages, including $16.5 billion in property damage and $3.384 billion in fire suppression costs. Climate change and poor forest management practices contributed to the severity of the wildfires.
The 2020 Colorado wildfire season was a series of significant wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Colorado as part of the 2020 Western United States wildfire season. With a total of 665,454 acres (269,300 ha) burned, and the 3 largest fires in state history, it is Colorado's largest wildfire season on record.
The 2020 Lassen County wildfire season included seven large wildfires that burned entirely or in part in Lassen County. A total of 203,296 acres (82,271 ha) of land was burned in Lassen County, making it one of the larger clusters of fires in the 2020 California wildfire season.
The 2021 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the U.S. state of California. By the end of 2021 a total of 8,835 fires were recorded, burning 2,568,948 acres (1,039,616 ha) across the state. Approximately 3,629 structures were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires, and at least seven firefighters and two civilians were injured.
The Johnson Fire was a wildfire that started in Gila National Forest near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and the town of Silver City, New Mexico on May 20, 2021. The fire burned 88,918 acres (35,984 ha) and was fully contained on July 23, 2021. It was the largest wildfire in the United States of the 2021 wildfire season until June 6, 2021.
The 2021 Oregon wildfire season began in May 2021. More than 1,000 fires had burned at least 518,303 acres (209,750 ha) across the state as of July 21, 2021. As of August 1, it was expected that the fires might not be contained for months.
The 2021 Arizona wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the state of Arizona, United States. Wildfires across the state burned 524,428 acres (212,228 ha) of land in at least 1,773 fires throughout the state, fueled in part by a drought, hot temperatures, and thunderstorms producing dry lightning. At one point in late June, over 20 active wildfires were burning across the state.
The 2021 New Mexico wildfire season began in February 7, 2021. As of July 7, there have been at least 363 fires across the state that have burned at least 121,277 acres (49,079 ha).
The Muddy Slide Fire was a wildfire that started near Yampa, Colorado on June 20, 2021. The fire burned 4,093 acres (1,656 ha) and was fully contained on September 14, 2021.
The 2021 Colorado wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Colorado. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of July 1, 2021, at least 32,860 acres (13,300 ha) of land had burned in at least 337 wildland fires across the state. Hundreds of homes were burned, and the cities of Louisville and Superior were evacuated, during the Boulder County fires in late December.
The 2020 Maricopa County wildfires were a series of major and non-major wildfires that took place in Maricopa County, Arizona, from the month of May to the month of October. In the year 2020, Arizona saw one of its worst fire seasons in the states history. Due to the lack of precipitation needed in Arizona, the state fell into an ongoing drought from late 2020 and 2021. High winds were also present during the summer when fire season is mostly active in the state. These factors led to the wildfires in Maricopa County to be destructive and costly.
This article is a summary of the 2023 Oregon wildfire season, comprising the series of significant wildfires that have burned in the U.S. state of Oregon since the beginning of the calendar year. Fire season officially began in all areas of the state by July 1, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). As of September 5, 2023, the state had recorded 1,731 fires, which had burned a total of 159,991 acres.