Wildfires are a natural disaster that can cause immense damage to the environment, property, and human life. These fires can spread rapidly, fueled by dry conditions, wind, and an abundance of flammable vegetation. Here are some of the largest wildfires around the world, ranked by the acres burned, including fatalities, the date, and cause of the fire. This will provide a glimpse into the scale of destruction these fires can cause.
The Biggest Wildfires in History
Wildfires have ravaged different parts of the world, each leaving a unique mark on the landscape. Here, we have compiled a list of some of the most significant wildfires, ordered by the total acres burned.
| Rank | Fire Name | State/Province/Region | Country | Acres Burned | Date | Fatalities | Description of How Fire Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australian Bushfires (2019-2020) | New South Wales | Australia | 46 million | 2019-2020 | 33 | Lightning, arson |
| 2 | Black Friday Bushfire | Victoria | Australia | 4.9 million | 1939 | 71 | Heatwave and strong winds |
| 3 | California Wildfires (2020) | California | United States | 4.3 million | 2020 | 33 | Lightning, arson |
| 4 | Great Fire of 1910 | Idaho and Montana | United States | 3 million | 1910 | 87 | Sparks from trains |
| 5 | Mirimichi Fire | New Brunswick | Canada | 3 million | 1825 | 160 | Unknown, likely human activity |
| 6 | Black Dragon Fire (1987) | Heilongjiang/Siberia | China/Russia | 18.5 million | 1987 | 191 | Human activity |
| 7 | The Chinchaga Fire | Alberta and BC | Canada | 1.2 million | 1950 | 0 | Logging operations |
| 8 | Peshtigo Fire | Wisconsin | United States | 1.2 million | 1871 | 1,500+ | Unknown, likely human activity |
| 9 | Porcupine Fire | Ontario | Canada | 1.2 million | 1911 | 0 | Human activity |
| 10 | Black Saturday Bushfires | Victoria | Australia | 1.1 million | 2009 | 173 | Lightning, arson, faulty powerlines |
| 11 | August Complex Fire | California | United States | 1.03 million | 2020 | 1 | Lightning |
| 12 | Siberian Taiga Fires | Siberia | Russia | 1 million | 2003 | 0 | Lightning |
| 13 | Western Oregon Fires (2020) | Oregon | United States | 1 million | 2020 | 11 | Human activity, downed powerlines |
| 14 | Dixie Fire | California | United States | 963,309 | 2021 | 1 | Tree falling on powerline |
| 15 | Yellowstone Fires | Wyoming and Montana | United States | 793,880 | 1988 | 0 | Lightning, human activity |
| 16 | Yellowstone Fires (1988) | Wyoming and Montana | United States | 793,880 | 1988 | 0 | Lightning, human activity |
| 17 | Fire Siege of 2003 | California | United States | 750,043 | 2003 | 24 | Various, including arson and powerlines |
| 18 | Murphy Complex Fire | Idaho/Nevada | United States | 652,016 | 2007 | 0 | Lightning |
| 19 | Biscuit Fire | Oregon/California | United States | 500,000 | 2002 | 0 | Lightning |
| 20 | Rodeo-Chediski Fire | Arizona | United States | 468,638 | 2002 | 0 | Arson and signal fire |
| 21 | Rodeo Fire | Arizona | United States | 468,638 | 2002 | 0 | Arson |
| 22 | Mendocino Complex Fire | California | United States | 459,123 | 2018 | 1 | Unknown |
| 23 | Bootleg Fire | Oregon | United States | 413,717 | 2021 | 0 | Unknown |
| 24 | SCU Lightning Complex Fire | California | United States | 396,624 | 2020 | 0 | Lightning |
| 25 | Creek Fire | California | United States | 379,895 | 2020 | 0 | Unknown |
| 26 | Creek Fire | California | United States | 379,895 | 2020 | 0 | Unknown |
| 27 | LNU Lightning Complex Fires | California | United States | 363,220 | 2020 | 5 | Lightning |
| 28 | LNU Lightning Complex Fire | California | United States | 363,220 | 2020 | 5 | Lightning |
| 29 | LNU Lightning Complex Fire | California | United States | 363,220 | 2020 | 5 | Lightning |
| 30 | North Complex Fire | California | United States | 318,935 | 2020 | 15 | Lightning |
| 31 | Rush Fire | California/Nevada | United States | 315,577 | 2012 | 0 | Lightning |
| 32 | Okanogan Complex Fire | Washington | United States | 304,782 | 2015 | 3 | Lightning |
| 33 | Bear Fire | California | United States | 300,000 | 2020 | 15 | Lightning |
| 34 | Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire | New Mexico | United States | 297,845 | 2012 | 0 | Lightning |
| 35 | Thomas Fire | California | United States | 281,893 | 2017 | 2 | Downed powerlines |
| 36 | Cedar Fire | California | United States | 273,246 | 2003 | 15 | Lost hiker's signal fire |
| 37 | Rim Fire | California | United States | 257,314 | 2013 | 0 | Human activity |
| 38 | Rim Fire | California | United States | 257,314 | 2013 | 0 | Human activity |
| 39 | Carlton Complex Fire | Washington | United States | 256,108 | 2014 | 0 | Lightning |
| 40 | Elkhorn Fire | California | United States | 255,309 | 2020 | 0 | Lightning |
| 41 | Great Hinckley Fire | Minnesota | United States | 250,000 | 1894 | 418 | Sparks from trains |
| 42 | Cloquet Fire | Minnesota | United States | 250,000 | 1918 | 453 | Sparks from trains |
| 43 | North Bay Fires | California | United States | 245,000 | 2017 | 44 | Downed powerlines |
| 44 | Zaca Fire | California | United States | 240,207 | 2007 | 0 | Grinding equipment |
| 45 | Caldor Fire | California | United States | 221,835 | 2021 | 0 | Unknown |
| 46 | Lionshead Fire | Oregon | United States | 204,469 | 2020 | 0 | Lightning |
| 47 | River Complex Fire | California | United States | 199,343 | 2021 | 0 | Lightning |
| 48 | Witch Fire | California | United States | 197,990 | 2007 | 2 | Downed powerlines |
| 49 | Witch Creek Fire | California | United States | 197,990 | 2007 | 2 | Downed powerlines |
| 50 | Witch Fire | California | United States | 197,990 | 2007 | 2 | Downed powerlines |
| 51 | Beachie Creek Fire | Oregon | United States | 193,573 | 2020 | 5 | Lightning |
| 52 | Castle Fire | California | United States | 174,178 | 2020 | 0 | Lightning |
| 53 | Station Fire | California | United States | 160,577 | 2009 | 2 | Arson |
| 54 | Station Fire | California | United States | 160,577 | 2009 | 2 | Arson |
| 55 | Slater Fire | California | United States | 157,220 | 2020 | 2 | Human activity |
| 56 | Camp Fire | California | United States | 153,336 | 2018 | 85 | Faulty powerline |
| 57 | Bandon Fire | Oregon | United States | 143,000 | 1936 | 11 | Unknown |
| 58 | Big Bar Complex Fire | California | United States | 140,948 | 1999 | 0 | Lightning |
| 59 | Riverside Fire | Oregon | United States | 138,054 | 2020 | 0 | Human activity |
| 60 | Hayman Fire | Colorado | United States | 137,760 | 2002 | 6 | Arson |
| 61 | Happy Camp Complex Fire | California | United States | 134,056 | 2014 | 0 | Lightning |
| 62 | Soberanes Fire | California | United States | 132,127 | 2016 | 1 | Illegal campfire |
| 63 | Dolan Fire | California | United States | 124,924 | 2020 | 1 | Illegal marijuana grow |
| 64 | Bobcat Fire | California | United States | 115,796 | 2020 | 0 | Human activity |
| 65 | King Fire | California | United States | 97,717 | 2014 | 0 | Arson |
| 66 | Windy Fire | California | United States | 97,554 | 2021 | 0 | Lightning |
| 67 | Ferguson Fire | California | United States | 96,901 | 2018 | 2 | Vehicle malfunction |
| 68 | East Fork Fire | Utah | United States | 89,463 | 2020 | 0 | Lightning |
| 69 | CZU Lightning Complex Fire | California | United States | 86,509 | 2020 | 1 | Lightning |
| 70 | Aspen Fire | Arizona | United States | 84,750 | 2003 | 0 | Lightning |
| 71 | Kincade Fire | California | United States | 77,758 | 2019 | 0 | Downed powerlines |
| 72 | Big Hollow Fire | Utah | United States | 73,000 | 2020 | 0 | Human activity |
| 73 | Butte Fire | California | United States | 70,868 | 2015 | 2 | Downed powerlines |
| 74 | Nuns Fire | California | United States | 54,423 | 2017 | 3 | Downed powerlines |
| 75 | Atlas Fire | California | United States | 51,057 | 2017 | 6 | Downed powerlines |
| 76 | Eagle Creek Fire | Oregon | United States | 48,831 | 2017 | 0 | Fireworks |
| 77 | Baldy Fire | New Mexico | United States | 37,225 | 2011 | 0 | Lightning |
| 78 | Baldy Fire | New Mexico | United States | 37,225 | 2011 | 0 | Lightning |
| 79 | Tubbs Fire | California | United States | 36,807 | 2017 | 22 | Unknown |
| 80 | Blue Cut Fire | California | United States | 36,274 | 2016 | 0 | Human activity |
| 81 | Bastrop County Complex Fire | Texas | United States | 34,068 | 2011 | 2 | Downed powerlines |
| 82 | Apple Fire | California | United States | 33,424 | 2020 | 0 | Diesel engine malfunction |
| 83 | Monument Fire | Arizona | United States | 30,526 | 2011 | 0 | Human activity |
| 84 | Mountain Fire | California | United States | 27,531 | 2013 | 0 | Human activity |
| 85 | Jones Fire | California | United States | 26,200 | 1999 | 1 | Downed powerlines |
| 86 | Caribou Fire | Montana/Idaho | United States | 24,375 | 2017 | 0 | Lightning |
| 87 | Whitewater Fire | Oregon | United States | 23,224 | 2017 | 0 | Lightning |
| 88 | Whitewater Fire | Oregon | United States | 23,224 | 2017 | 0 | Lightning |
| 89 | Lion Fire | California | United States | 20,500 | 2011 | 0 | Lightning |
| 90 | Silver Fire | California | United States | 20,000 | 2013 | 0 | Lightning |
| 91 | Copper Fire | California | United States | 20,000 | 2002 | 0 | Arson |
| 92 | Waldo Canyon Fire | Colorado | United States | 18,247 | 2012 | 2 | Human activity |
| 93 | Bear Fire | California | United States | 17,335 | 2020 | 15 | Lightning |
| 94 | Silverado Fire | California | United States | 13,354 | 2020 | 0 | Power tools |
| 95 | Pack Creek Fire | Utah | United States | 8,243 | 2021 | 0 | Abandoned campfire |
| 96 | La Tuna Fire | California | United States | 7,194 | 2017 | 0 | Arson |
| 97 | Almeda Fire | Oregon | United States | 3,200 | 2020 | 3 | Human activity |
| 98 | Echo Mountain Complex Fire | Oregon | United States | 2,435 | 2020 | 0 | Human activity |
| 99 | Tunnel Fire | California | United States | 1,520 | 1991 | 25 | Downed powerlines |
| 100 | Bear River Fire | Utah | United States | 1,100 | 2020 | 0 | Human activity |
Wildfires are one of the most destructive natural disasters, affecting millions of acres of land and displacing countless lives. Understanding the scale and impact of these fires helps in appreciating the need for effective fire management and prevention strategies.
Please add any locations we are missing to the map.
