2014 saw several notable
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
s igniting in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, especially during the month of May, when multiple fires were ablaze concurrently in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
, and during September, when several massive wildfires were burning in
Northern California. In the context of the
2012–13 North American drought (especially the
2011–17 California drought), as well as powerful
Santa Ana winds
The Santa Ana winds (sometimes devil winds) "Scholars who have looked into the name's origins generally agree that it derives from Santa Ana Canyon, the portal where the Santa Ana River -- as well as a congested Riverside (CA-91) Freeway -- leav ...
, weather conditions were ideal for wildfires. A total of 7,865 wildfires ignited throughout the year, which burned at least of land.
The wildfires caused a total of 146 injuries and 2 fatalities, in addition to causing at least $204.05 million (2014 USD) in damage.
The season began unusually early when a wildfire ignited on January 1, followed by 6 more fires igniting later within the same month. During a
heat wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
and dry
Santa Ana conditions in May 2014, multiple wildfires broke out simultaneously in
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
, along with several other wildfires elsewhere in California. By mid-May, fire officials said they had already dealt with 1,400 wildfires in California in 2014 - twice the normal amount for that time of year - and a spokesman for
CAL FIRE
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsi ...
described the conditions as "unprecedented." The May 2014 San Diego County wildfires were estimated to have caused at least $60 million (2014 USD) in damage.
In late June to early August, another group of wildfires ignited across the state, some of which reached over twenty thousand acres in size. In mid-September, the largest group of wildfires erupted, with some wildfires becoming larger than 50,000 acres in size. In early September 2014, the Happy Complex Fire became the largest wildfire of the season, eventually topping out at in size on September 27. On October 8, an aerial tanker crashed during a firefighting effort at the Dog Rock Fire, which killed the pilot and sparked a small wildfire.
From late September to late October, the latest flare-up of major wildfires were extinguished by cooler weather and precipitation.
From December 10–13,
a powerful winter storm extinguished the remaining wildfires that were present. In mid-December through late December, several more small wildfires sparked, but they were all extinguished by December 31.
In 2014, a study examined the human role in growing California wildfire risks. The paper is titled "Extreme fire season in California: A glimpse into the future?" It was published as the second chapter of "Explaining Extreme Events of 2014", by the
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance th ...
.
[Yoon, J., B. Kravitz, P.J. Rasch, S. Simon Wang, R.R. Gillies, and L. Hipps, 2015: Extreme Fire Season in California: A Glimpse Into the Future?. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 96, S5–S9, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-15-00114.1] The authors also projected into the future, and the predicted results showed increases in the drought index, the area under extreme threat of fires, and the days of fire danger, stating that, "The increase in extreme fire risk is expected within the coming decade to exceed that of natural variability and this serves as an indication that anthropogenic climate warming will likely play a significant role in influence California’s fire season."
Fires
Below is a list of all fires that exceeded during the 2014 California wildfire season, as well as the fires that caused significant damage.
The list is taken from
CAL FIRE
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsi ...
's list of large fires.
May San Diego County wildfires
![Cocos fire - part of May 2014 San Diego County wildfires](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Cocos_fire_-_part_of_May_2014_San_Diego_County_wildfires.jpg)
In May 2014, a series of at least 20 wildfires broke out in
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
during severe
Santa Ana Wind conditions,
historic drought conditions, and a
heat wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
. The main event during mid-May was preceded by a precursor fire that ignited on May 5. The severe weather conditions contributed to the spread of at least 19 more individual wildfires, with ten of them receiving names. The
Cocos Fire, which was the most destructive with 40 structured being destroyed, was determined to have been caused by
arson. The causes of the other fires are still under investigation by multiple agencies, and a joint task force was formed to coordinate the investigations and facilitate communications. Six injuries and one fire-related fatality were reported.
Miguelito Fire
At 2:00 PM PDT on May 13, the Miguelito Fire broke out off Santa Miguelito Canyon Road in Lompoc,
Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County, California, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria.
Santa Barba ...
. Over the course of the next week and a half, the fire gradually expanded northward to towards the direction of Lompoc, before firefighters managed to stop its expansion on May 16. The fire threatened 1,200 buildings in Lompoc, prompting evacuation orders for the affected areas. On May 16, evacuation orders were lifted, after the fire was reported to be 95% contained. At 9:20 AM PDT on May 19, the Miguelito Fire was reported to be 100% contained. No structural damage or injuries were reported.
Hunters Fire
On May 27, at 3:00 PM PDT, the Hunters Fire broke out at Hunters Valley Access Road Bear Valley Area, in
Mariposa County
Mariposa County () is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,131. The county seat is Mariposa. It is located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, north of Fresno, east of ...
. The fire spread toward populated areas and evacuations were ordered for the Hunters Valley Area.
Stony Fire
On June 19, at 3:14 PM PDT, the Stony Fire was reported at Stony Valley Range on Fort Hunter Liggett, in
Monterey County
Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.
Montere ...
. The wildfire quickly spread to , but it was 100% contained by June 20.
Moderate amounts of smoke still lingered within the area, and cleanup work was expected to continue for the next few days. The Nacimiento-Ferguson Road was also closed due to downed trees, but was expected to reopen a couple of days later. No evacuations were ordered for this fire, and no injuries or fatalities were reported. The cause of the wildfire is currently under investigation.
Butts Fire
On July 1, at 12:08 PM PDT, the Butts Fire broke out near Butts Canyon Road in
Pope Valley, California
Pope Valley is an unincorporated community located in the small valley of the same name in the Vaca Mountains and northern Napa County, California.
It is east of Calistoga, north of Angwin, and borders Lake Berryessa, the second largest man ...
, northwest of
Lake Berryessa
Lake Berryessa is the largest lake in Napa County, California. This reservoir in the Vaca Mountains was formed following the construction of the Monticello Dam on Putah Creek in the 1950s. Since the early 1960s, this reservoir has provided wate ...
, in
Yolo County
Yolo County (; Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 216,403. Its county seat is Woodland.
Yolo County is incl ...
.
Banner Fire
The Banner Fire erupted around 10:30 AM PDT on July 3, 2014 in the
Banner, California
Banner (formerly Banner City) is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California. It lies at an elevation of 2743 feet (836 m). It is located on California State Route 78.
Climate
Banner has a relatively dry climate due to its close ...
area, near
Route 78
The following highways are numbered 78:
International
* AH78, Asian Highway 78
* European route E78
Australia
* Waterfall Way- New South Wales State Route B78
China
* G78 Shantou–Kunming Expressway, G78 Expressway
Iran
*Road 78 (Iran), Ro ...
in
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
. It quickly spread westward and expanded to , threatening the town of
Julian. Portions of Route 78 were closed, and mandatory evacuation was ordered for 200 homes; however, the evacuation order was lifted later that evening, as the containment of the wildfire's perimeter increased. Two homes were destroyed, but the heavy use of firefighting planes and helicopters prevented additional losses.
Monticello Fire
The fire was reported around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4, and quickly grew in size, due to dry and erratic windy conditions.
By 11 PM that night, the fire was 100 acres in size, and by 4 AM the next morning, it was already 1,000 acres, according to Winters City Manager John Donlevy, who added that, "...the hills are literally tinder-dry."
Highway 128 west of Winters was shut down due to the fire while thirty-four structures at Golden Bear Estates were immediately threatened, resulting in the mandatory evacuation of residents in that area.
A separate voluntary evacuation order for the Canyon Creek Resort campground was also put into effect but lifted later that day.
As the fire burned north into rugged, steep terrain, access to the area became difficult, limiting firefighting operations.
An American Red Cross Shelter was immediately set up at Winters Community Center at 4 a.m. that Saturday morning for over 40 evacuees.
By Saturday afternoon, on July 5, the fire had reportedly tripped in size to over , while containment hovered at a mere 15 percent.
On Sunday, July 6, containment of the Monticello fire grew to 30 percent, while at least 1,275 firefighters were reported battling the blaze.
Fire conditions remained volatile as wind directors switched several times throughout the day, reached gusts of up to 20 mph.
All evacuation orders were lifted on Monday, July 7, as containment of the fire grew to 45 percent, with over 1,750 fire personnel on hand.
Within the following days, containment lines grew and by July 11, the incident was 95 percent contained with investigators still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
The fire was finally contained on July 12, after destroying , however no structures were damaged.
The cause of the fire was later determined to be firework-related.
Sand Fire
The Sand Fire was ignited in
El Dorado County
El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville-A ...
, five miles north of the
Amador County town of Plymouth, on July 25, at 4:34 PM PDT, by a vehicle driving over dry vegetation. A total of were burned, claiming 20 residences and 47 outbuildings. Twelve hundred residences were evacuated before full containment of the wildfire was achieved on August 2.
Gulch Fire
On September 10, a car fire started a fire in the
Bella Vista area.
[http://www.redding.com/news/local-news/gulch-fire-declared-contained Record Searchlight] On September 16, the Gulch Fire was fully contained after burning .
The wildfire has also injured a total of 4 people.
The damage caused by the Gulch Fire is currently unknown.
See also
*
May 2014 San Diego County wildfires
*
2016 California wildfires
In 2016, a total of 7,349 fires had burned an area in California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Climatologists had predicted an extreme version of El Niño, known as a ''Super El Niño'', to occur du ...
*
List of California wildfires
This is a partial and incomplete list of California wildfires. California has dry, windy, and often hot weather conditions from spring through late autumn that can produce moderate to severe wildfires. Pre-1800, when the area was much more f ...
*
Climate change in California
Climate change in California has resulted in higher than average temperatures, leading to increased occurrences of drought and wildfires. During the next few decades in California, climate change is likely to further reduce water availability, ...
*
2014–15 North American winter
The 2014–15 North American winter was frigid and prolifically wintry, especially across the eastern half of North America in the months of January–March. The season began early, with many places in North America experiencing their first win ...
References
{{California wildfires
California, 2014
Wildfires in California by year