2024 California wildfires facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2024 California wildfires |
|
|---|---|
An aerial view of the smoke plume emitted by the Lake Fire on July 7, 2024
|
|
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 7,909 |
| Total area | 1,047,576 acres (423,939 ha) |
| Buildings destroyed | 1,680 (397 damaged) |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 17+ |
| Season | |
|
← 2023
2025 →
|
|
The 2024 California wildfire season is a series of wildfires that have been burning across the state of California. As of December 10, 2024, a total of 7,909 wildfires have burned over 1 million acres (about 4,200 square kilometers). This means more fires and more land have burned this year compared to the average over the last five years.
These wildfires have destroyed 1,680 buildings and damaged 397 others. Sadly, one person has died in the state due to these fires in 2024. This year has seen the most land burned since the 2021 wildfire season.
Understanding California's Fire Season
The time of year when wildfires are most likely in California can change. It depends on how much rain fell in the winter and spring. It also depends on how often and how strong heat waves and windy weather are. The dryness of plants also plays a big role.
Northern California usually sees wildfires from late spring to early fall. The peak time is often in the summer when it's hotter and drier. Sometimes, cold weather fronts can bring strong winds and lightning, which can start fires.
Southern California has a similar fire season, peaking between late spring and fall. How bad and how long the fires last in either part of the state depends on the weather. Strong, dry winds can create very dangerous fire conditions. On the other hand, winds from the ocean and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that help stop fires from growing.
Key Events of the 2024 Wildfire Season
By the end of spring (June 20), nearly 90,000 acres had burned in California. This early increase in fires was mostly due to grass fires pushed by strong winds. More than 30 of these fires happened in mid-June when it was very hot, dry, and windy.
The only death from a wildfire in California this year happened on July 8. This was when the Mina Fire burned a home.
During late July, the total area burned by wildfires grew a lot. This was because of long periods of hot, dry weather. These conditions allowed several fires to grow very quickly. Examples include the Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties, and the Borel Fire in Sequoia National Forest. By July 29, over 726,000 acres had burned across the state.
Fire activity slowed down during August. However, a long period of extreme heat in the Western United States in early September caused many wildfires to grow fast again. These included the Line Fire, the Bridge Fire, and the Airport Fire in Southern California. Later in September, fire activity decreased once more as the weather became better for fighting fires.
Some of the largest and most impactful fires included:
- The Corral Fire in San Joaquin County, which destroyed one home and caused evacuations.
- The Post Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which forced about 1,200 people to leave recreation areas.
- The Sites Fire in Colusa County, which was one of the larger fires early in the season.
- The Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, which burned a large area and injured firefighters.
- The Borel Fire in Kern County, which destroyed 223 buildings and damaged 29. It also destroyed the historic community of Havilah.
- The Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties became the fourth largest wildfire in California history. It destroyed 709 buildings and damaged 54, including parts of Cohasset.
- The Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, which led to evacuations in Wrightwood and Mount Baldy Village. It destroyed 81 buildings.
- The Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties, which destroyed 160 buildings and injured many people.
- The Mountain Fire in Ventura County, which destroyed 243 buildings and damaged 127 near Camarillo.
See also
- 2024 Arizona wildfires
- 2024 Colorado wildfires
- 2024 Idaho wildfires
- 2024 Nevada wildfires
- 2024 New Mexico wildfires
- 2024 Oregon wildfires
- List of California wildfires
