2003 California wildfires | |
---|---|
![]() Satellite view of the October 2003 wildfires in Southern California, depicting the smoke blowing out over the Pacific Ocean. | |
Statistics[3][4][1] | |
Total fires | 9,116 |
Total area | 1,020,460 acres (4,129.7 km2)[1][2] |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 24 civilians[5] 1 firefighter |
Non-fatal injuries | At least 1 firefighter,[2] 36 civilians |
Damage | >$2.729 billion (2003 USD)[6][7][3] |
Season | |
← 2002
2004 → |
The 2003 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that burned throughout the state of California during the year 2003. In total, 9,116 fires[4] burned 1,020,460 acres (4,129.7 km2).[1][2] In October, a major wildfire outbreak in Southern California burned more than 750,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and killed two dozen people.[8] Many of the victims were killed in their cars while trying to flee.[9][10]
Fires
[edit]Below is a list of fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) during the 2003 fire season.[1] The list is taken from CAL FIRE's list of large fires.
Name | County | Acres | Km2 | Start Date | Contained Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Local | Riverside | 12,000 | 48.6 | February 23, 2003 | February 23, 2003 | |
Delima | Tulare | 3,000 | 12.1 | May 3, 2003 | May 3, 2003 | |
Bird | San Joaquin | 6,804 | 27.5 | June 1, 2003 | June 1, 2003 | |
Tejon | Kern | 1,155 | 4.7 | June 29, 2003 | June 2, 2003 | 2 structures destroyed |
Parkhill | San Luis Obispo | 1,200 | 4.9 | July 20, 2003 | July 22, 2003 | 18 structures destroyed |
Kibbie Complex | Tuolumne | 9,815 | 39.7 | July 20, 2003 | October 2, 2003 | |
Coyote | San Diego | 18,705 | 75.7 | July 16, 2003 | July 26, 2003 | 2 structures destroyed |
Locust | Riverside | 1,898 | 7.7 | August 18, 2003 | August 20, 2003 | 1 structure destroyed |
Canoe | Humboldt | 24,882 | 100.7 | September 3, 2003 | October 15, 2003 | 2 structures damaged |
Pass | Riverside | 2,397 | 9.7 | October 21, 2003 | October 23, 2003 | 3 structures destroyed |
Grand Prix | San Bernardino | 66,894 | 270.7 | October 21, 2003 | November 5, 2003 | 136 structures destroyed |
Piru | Ventura | 63,991 | 259.0 | October 23, 2003 | November 14, 2003 | 8 structures destroyed |
Verdale | Los Angeles | 8,650 | 35.0 | October 24, 2003 | October 24, 2003 | 1 structure destroyed |
Simi | Ventura | 108,204 | 437.9 | October 25, 2003 | November 5, 2003 | 300 structures destroyed, 21 injuries |
Cedar | San Diego | 273,246 | 1,105.8 | October 25, 2003 | December 5, 2003 | 2,820 structures destroyed, 15 fatalities |
Old | San Bernardino | 91,281 | 369.4 | October 25, 2003 | November 14, 2003 | 1,003 structures destroyed, 6 fatalities |
Otay | San Diego | 46,291 | 187.3 | October 26, 2003 | October 27, 2003 | 1 residential structure and 5 outbuildings destroyed, 1 firefighter injured[2] |
Mine | San Diego | 46,000 | 186.2 | October 26, 2003 | October 28, 2003 | |
Mountain | Riverside | 10,000 | 40.5 | October 26, 2003 | October 29, 2003 | 61 structures destroyed |
Paradise | San Diego | 56,700 | 229.5 | October 26, 2003 | November 6, 2003 | 223 structures destroyed, 2 fatalities |
Whitmore | Shasta | 1,200 | 4.9 | October 27, 2003 | October 30, 2003 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Large Fires 2003" (PDF). CAL FIRE. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Otay Fire". CalFire. October 27, 2003. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- ^ a b "Cedar Fire Memorial". www.lakesidehistory.org. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ^ a b "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State in 2003" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Jack A. Blackwell; Andrea Tuttle (2004). "California Fire Siege 2003: The Story" (PDF). CalFire. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ Dr. Tomas Girnius; Tyler Hauteniemi; Scott Stransky (August 2008). "California Wildfire: How Large Can The Losses Be?" (PDF). AIRCurrents. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ "CDF 2003 Fire Season Summary" (PDF). CalFire. May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ California Fire Siege 2003: The Story (PDF) (Report). California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 24, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ Mutch, R.W. "FACES: The Story of the Victims of Southern California‘s 2003 Fire Siege", by Robert W. Mutch; Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center; July 2007.
- ^ USDA "The 2003 San Diego County Fire Siege Fire safety Review"; USDA Forest Service; 2003.
External links
[edit]- Jack A. Blackwell; Andrea Tuttle (2004). "California Fire Siege 2003: The Story" (PDF). CalFire. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2017.