The Panorama Fire was a destructive and fatal

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 ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

California's California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

. The fire began on November 24, 1980, and was fully contained on December 1, 1980. The fire was set by an unknown arsonist about 10:50 a.m. near Panorama Point, a county equipment depot along

California State Route 18 State Route 18 (SR 18) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It serves as a primary route into the San Bernardino Mountains, both from the Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan area from the south and the Mojave Desert from the n ...

in the San Bernardino Mountains. The fire's growth was exacerbated by strong

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 ...

that reached 90 miles an hour, pushing the flames into populated areas in Waterman Canyon and the city of

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

. 325 structures were destroyed, including 310 homes. When the fire occurred, it was the fourth most destructive wildfire in recorded California history and the most destructive in the history of San Bernardino County. It has since passed out of the top 20 destructive wildfires statewide, and its structure toll in San Bernardino County was surpassed in 2003 by the

Old Fire The Old Fire was a large complex wildfire that started on October 25, 2003 (the original Old Fire began on October 25), near Old Waterman Canyon Road and California State Route 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, South ...

. The fire resulted in four fatalities: Earl F. Welty, 83, and his wife, Edith, 82, who were caught in the fire; Joseph Benjamin, 54, who collapsed while watering his roof; and Rosa Myers, 64, who suffered a heart attack while being evacuated.

Fire progression

On November 24, winds were so strong that air tankers were grounded and firefighters reported being pelted by rocks the size of golf balls. By 1:00 PM on November 25, the fire had burned roughly 10,000 acres and was 10% contained. High winds, of 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts to 60, continued to ground air tankers.

References

Panorama Fire Panorama Fire Panorama Fire Panorama Fire Panorama Fire Arson in the 1980s Wildfires in San Bernardino County, California California wildfires caused by arson 1980 wildfires 1980s wildfires in the United States {{California-stub