Wildfires in Los Angeles County
Big Fires
Until the 1870’s, wildfires (as today, mostly accidently or purposely human-caused) in the mountains north of Los Angeles were considered more of an attraction than a threat, especially at night. They were fondly described as “tongues of flame licking the Sierra Madre.” Since few people lived on or near the mountains, fires there caused no great alarm. In fact, two cattlemen were reported to annually ignite big fires in the mountains that raised no concern. Wildfires only first became a concern in 1884 when flooding from eroded hillsides wiped out the track system of the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Los Angeles area. Authorities finally banned needless fires and even threatened to prosecute offenders. As fires and flooding resulting from fire erosion increasingly threatened property by the late 1800s, Angelenos lost their fondness for “beautiful” wildfires and demanded fire suppression.
Largest Wildfires in Los Angeles County By Acres Burned
Every year, wildfires in the State generally, and in the greater Los Angeles area specifically, burn hotter, faster, and with greater impact on the community. As more people move into the wildland urban interface, the type of fuel – along with ornamental vegetation – creates more risk for people, pets, and property.
Thankfully, the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County occurred in the Angeles National Forest in July of 1960. The next big fire may only be weeks or months away, and as such, the more you understand about wildfire – and how to reduce the risk – the better off everyone in your neighborhood will be.
The following chart outlines wildfires in the greater L.A. area, and it’s worth learning from them.
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed/Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Johnstone |
ANF |
Jul. 20, 1960 |
23,170 |
Forest research facilities & cabins destroyed |
|
Canyon (Canyon Inn) |
North of Glendora |
Aug. 24, 1968 |
22,197 |
8 fatalities (firefighters) 4 |
|
Marple |
Marple Canyon, Castaic Area |
Aug. 26, 1996 |
21,500 |
1 structure destroyed |
|
Curve |
ANF, Azusa Canyon |
Sep. 1, 2002 |
20,857 |
72 structures destroyed |
|
Old Topanga (Calabasas/Malibu) |
Malibu and Topanga |
Nov. 2, 1993 |
18,500 |
350 structures destroyed; 3 fatalities,, |
|
Liberty (Malibu/Zuma) |
Malibu Canyon, Corral Canyon |
Dec. 11, 1958 |
17,860 |
107 structures destroyed; 1 fatality |
|
Pine |
East of Gorman |
Jul. 12, 2004 |
17,418 |
15 structures destroyed; 1 fatality (firefighter) |
|
Trippet Ranch or Topanga |
Topanga Canyon, Malibu Hills |
Nov. 23, 1938 |
16,500 |
350 structures destroyed |
|
Creek |
Kagel Canyon, ANF north of Sylmar |
Dec. 5, 2017 |
15,619 |
123 Structures destroyed |
|
Woodland Hills (Las Virgenes) |
Topanga Canyon, Malibu Hills |
Nov. 6, 1943 |
15,300 |
0 structures destroyed |
|
Potrero |
Malibu/Ventura County Area |
Oct. 1930 |
15,000 |
0 structures destroyed |
|
Polecat |
ANF |
Jul. 17, 1960 |
14,737 |
No information found |
|
Sesnon (Porter Ranch) |
Oil fields of Oat Mountain, north of Porter Ranch |
Oct. 13, 2008 |
14,703 |
78 structures destroyed; 1 indirect fatality (vehicle accident) |
|
Monrovia Peak |
ANF |
Dec. 27, 1953 |
14,135 |
No information found |
|
Calabasas Canyon |
Malibu, Calabasas Canyon, Corral Canyon |
Oct. 28, 1996 |
13,010 |
6 structures destroyed |
|
Crown |
Agua Dulce to Palmdale |
Jul. 20, 2004 |
11,966 |
10 structures destroyed |
|
Sayre |
Sylmar |
Nov. 14, 2008 |
11,262 |
604 structures destroyed |
|
Arroyo Seco |
Arroyo Seco to Tujunga, |
Aug. 1896 |
10,800 |
No information found |
|
Saddle Ridge |
Sylmar, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, Angeles National Forest |
Oct. 10, 2019 |
8,799 |
19 structures destroyed; 1 Fatality (first responder) |
|
Topanga |
Topanga Canyon |
Nov. 6, 1961 |
8,000 |
0 structures destroyed |
|
La Tuna |
Verdugo Mountains, Burbank, Glendale, Sunland-Tujunga |
Sep. 1, 2017 |
7,194 |
10 structures destroyed |
|
Unnamed Fire |
ANF |
1906 |
6,955 |
No information found |
|
Stable |
Bradbury |
Nov. 16, 1980 |
6,600 |
57 structures destroyed |
|
Bel Air/Brentwood |
Bel Air, Brentwood |
Nov. 6, 1961 |
6,090 |
484 structures destroyed |
|
Rye |
Santa Clarita |
Dec. 5, 2017 |
6,049 |
6 structures destroyed |
|
Foothill |
SE of Action |
Jul. 17, 2004 |
6,000 |
0 structures destroyed |
|
Kinneloa |
Foothills above Altadena/Sierra Madre |
Oct. 27, 1993 |
5,485 |
196 structures destroyed |
|
San Gabriel Complex 5 |
ANF, Morris Reservoir, above Azusa |
Jun. 20, 2016 |
5,399 |
3 fatalities |
|
Piuma |
Malibu area, Kanan/Decker |
Oct. 14, 1985 |
5,120 |
6 structures destroyed |
|
Route |
Castaic area, west of Lake Castaic, alongside I-5 |
Oct. 31, 2022 |
5,208 |
2 structures destroyed |
Deadliest Wildfires in Los Angeles County History
Thankfully, while wildfires kill people, L.A. County has been fairly lucky relative to fatalities. The most significant loss of life occurred in October of 1933, where 29 people were killed by the Griffith Park Fire.
| Fire Name | Area | Date | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Griffith Park |
Griffith Park |
Oct. 3, 1933 |
29 |
|
Loop |
Loop Canyon near Sylmar |
Nov. 1, 1966 |
12 |
|
Wright |
Malibu Canyon |
Sep. 25, 1970 |
10 |
|
Canyon (Canyon Inn) |
North of Glendora |
Aug. 24, 1968 |
8 |
|
Hacienda |
La Habra Heights |
Sep. 2, 1955 |
6 |
Most Destructive Wildfires in Los Angeles County History
When the Woolsey fire took off in November of 2018, it churned its way to the sea. In its path, it destroyed more than 1,100 structures, most of them homes. The cost of these fires is often related to the loss of property, but may also be a result of the natural resources that are damaged. One of the core values in the Los Angeles Fire Safe Council mission is to help people to become better prepared, resulting in a reduced set of losses from wildfire.
| Fire Name | Area | Date | Structures Destroyed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Woolsey |
Westlake Village to Malibu (portion of fire within L.A. County) |
Nov. 8, 2018 |
1,121 |
|
Sayre |
Sylmar |
Nov. 14, 2008 |
604 |
|
Bel Air/Brentwood |
Bel Air, Brentwood |
Nov. 6, 1961 |
484 |
|
Wright |
Malibu Canyon |
Sep. 25, 1970 |
403 |
|
Trippet Ranch or Topanga |
Topanga Canyon, Malibu Hills |
Nov. 23, 1938 |
350 |
|
Old Topanga |
Malibu and Topanga |
Nov. 2, 1993 |
323 |
|
Kanan/Dune (Mandeville Canyon/Agoura-Malibu) |
Malibu to Agoura to Mandeville Canyon |
Oct. 23, 1978 |
230 |
|
Station |
ANF, Flintridge |
Aug. 26, 2009 |
209 |
|
Kinneloa |
Foothills above Altadena/Sierra Madre |
Oct. 27, 1993 |
196 |
|
Bobcat |
ANF, from north of Monrovia to Juniper Hills |
Sep. 6, 2020 |
170 |
|
Malibu Hills |
Malibu |
Nov. 1945 |
150 |
|
Creek |
Kagel Canyon, ANF north of Sylmar |
Dec. 5, 2017 |
123 |
|
Sherwood/Newton |
Malibu to Zuma, Lake Sherwood in Ventura County |
Dec. 26, 1956 |
120 |
|
Liberty (Malibu/Zuma) |
Malibu Canyon, Corral Canyon |
Dec. 11, 1958 |
107 |
