2021 California wildfires facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 2021 California wildfires
Smoke from multiple wildfires in California
Statistics
Total fires	8,619
Total area	2,569,009 acres (1,039,641 ha)
Cost	Unknown
Date(s)	January 14–December 16
Buildings destroyed	3,629
Deaths	3
Non-fatal injuries	22
Map
A map of wildfires in California in 2021, using Cal Fire data
Season
← 2020 2022 →

The 2021 California wildfire season was a time when many wildfires burned across the state of California. By the end of 2021, over 8,800 fires were recorded. These fires burned more than 2.5 million acres of land. Sadly, about 3,629 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Also, at least seven firefighters and two other people were hurt.

The wildfire season started unusually early in 2021. This was because California was going through a long drought. There was very little rain, and water levels in reservoirs were low. In January 2021 alone, nearly 300 fires burned over 1,100 acres. This was much more than the average for January. Strong Santa Ana winds made these fires worse. Some fires even burned in areas that had fires before, like the CZU Lightning Complex.

Over time, wildfires in California are becoming more common and severe. This is linked to climate change in California. The 2021 wildfire season was very serious. However, it was not as big as the year before, which had the largest fires ever recorded in the state. By July 2021, three times more land had burned compared to the same time in the previous year. The drought, extreme heat, and less snowpack all made the fires worse. After fires, there is also a higher risk of landslides.

By August 2021, California was facing "unprecedented fire conditions." Many large fires, like the Dixie Fire, McFarland Fire, and Caldor Fire, were burning. The USDA Forest Service even closed all of California's national forests for a while. This was done to help prevent new fires from starting.

On October 18, 2021, Northern California received its first big rain since the fire season began. This rain helped a lot and lowered the risk of wildfires in that area.

How Wildfires Affected California

A large cloud of smoke from the Dixie Fire. This fire became the biggest single wildfire in California's history by August 2021.

Firefighters setting a controlled fire near Ant Canyon in Kern County in January 2021. This helps prevent bigger wildfires.

Fire retardant and smoking plants during the Tumbleweed Fire near Los Angeles in July 2021.

Utility companies like PG&E spent a lot of money to reduce fire risks. They wanted to avoid a fire season as bad as 2020. Firefighters also used "prescribed fires." These are small, controlled fires set on purpose to clear away dry plants. This helps stop bigger, uncontrolled fires from spreading.

A study from 2023 showed how these wildfires affect California's nature. The fires in 2020 and 2021 burned over half of all the land affected by wildfires since 2012. These two years of fires destroyed 30% of the homes for 50 different animal and plant species. For 100 other species, 10% of their homes were burned. Some areas burned with "high severity," meaning a lot of damage.

Major Wildfires of 2021

Smoke from the Tiltill Fire seen from above, near Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite.

Here is a list of some of the most important fires in 2021. These fires either burned a lot of land (over 1,000 acres) or caused significant damage to buildings or people.

Wildfires by Month

See also

• List of California wildfires