According to statistics published by theCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), a total of 7,386wildfires burned a total of 332,822 acres (134,688 hectares) in the U.S. state ofCalifornia in 2023. This was below the state's five-year average of 1,722,059 acres (696,893 ha) burned during the same period.[1][2] The 2023 fire season followed the2022 season, during which the number of fires and the resulting burned acreage were both below average.[3] Four fatalities were reported during the 2023 fire season.[4]
The timing of "fire season" in California is variable, depending on the amount of prior winter and spring precipitation, the frequency and severity of weather such as heat waves and wind events, and moisture content in vegetation.Northern California typically sees wildfire activity between late spring and early fall, peaking in the summer with hotter and drier conditions. Occasional cold frontal passages can bring wind and lightning. The timing of fire season in Southern California is similar, peaking between late spring and fall. The severity and duration of peak activity in either part of the state is modulated in part by weather events: downslope/offshore wind events can lead to critical fire weather, while onshore flow and Pacific weather systems can bring conditions that hamper wildfire growth.[5][6]
California saw aseries of powerfulatmospheric rivers between December 2022 and March 2023, which much improved drought conditions in the state and boosted the snowpack in theSierra Nevada to more than 200% of average for the date. Some researchers noted that the resulting vegetation growth could prove dangerous if dry and warm conditions return during spring and summer, obviating the gains from early storms,[7][8] but in general, according to theCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), increased precipitation reduces the risk of a worse wildfire season.[9]
Cal Fire predicted that "critically dry fuel moisture alignments are not likely to be reached for any great length of time or over a larger area" between March and June 2023.[1] Critical fuel moisture refers to the point at which fuel characteristics—like vegetation mortality or dryness—are favorable for large fire growth.[10][9][11]
InNorthern California, fire season typically peaks in the summer with increasingly warm and dry conditions and aided by occasional drycold frontal passages that may bring winds and/or lightning. Activity usually continues until late fall brings Pacific moisture to the northern portion of the state, though northeast wind events may pose a threat. InSouthern California, fire season typically peaks in late spring through early fall, when Pacific moisture recedes. Offshore wind events such asSanta Ana winds mean that large fires are possible year-round, but their frequency is most heightened in the fall, when fuels are also driest.[12]
In January, U.S. Agriculture SecretaryTom Vilsack announced the allocation of $930 million in funding from theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and theInflation Reduction Act to 10 western states, including California, for fuel reduction programs and other measures to curtail wildfire risks.[13] The allocation was reported to represent a significant increase in funding for programs like tree clearing, brush thinning and removal, andcontrolled burns in Southern California, whose four National Forests previously received about $1.2 million annually for those purposes.[14]
On January 31, California senatorsDianne Feinstein andAlex Padilla (as well as senatorsSteve Daines of Montana andRon Wyden of Oregon) introduced a bill to the U.S. Senate entitled the Wildfire Emergency Act, recognizing the "threat of wildfire" as an emergency in the Western United States. The proposed bill would provide at least a quarter of a billion dollars in funding for forest restoration and wildfire resilience in 20 locations of more than 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) each, coordinated by the Forest Service. It would also create a program at theDepartment of Energy to "ensure that critical facilities remain active during wildfire disruptions". Further funding would be provided for prescribed fire implementation, firefighter training, and wildfire detection.[15]
On March 20,Vice PresidentKamala Harris announced $197 million in federal grants through the administration’s wildfire defense grant program.[16] California-based authorities and organizations were slated to receive 29 grants; they include money for counties to conduct home defensible space inspections, prescribed burn training, and fuels reductions, as well as increased funding for U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior wildfire prevention efforts.[17]
While fighting the three-acre (1.2 ha) Broadway Fire nearCabazon in Riverside County on August 6, two helicopters (aBell 407 and aSikorsky S-64E) collided in mid-air. The Sikorsky helicopter landed safely, while all three occupants of the Bell helicopter—a contract pilot, a Cal Fire division chief, and a Cal Fire captain—were killed. TheNational Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the accident.[18][19] The state of California reported four fatalities during the 2023 fire season, including three firefighters and one civilian.[20]
The following is a list of fires that have burned more than 1,000 acres (400 hectares), produced significant structural damage or casualties, or otherwise been notable. Acreage and containment figures may not be up to date.
Caused by lightning. Consisted of the Lone Pine, Pearch, Mosquito, Blue Creek, Blue Creek 2, Bluff #1, Let-er-buck, Hancock, Iron, Lost, Devil, and Glenn fires.
^Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[21]
^"Statistics".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. RetrievedAugust 7, 2023.
^"Bonny Fire".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. RetrievedAugust 1, 2023.
^"Bonny Fire".Watch Duty.Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. RetrievedJuly 28, 2023.
^"York Fire".Watch Duty.Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. RetrievedAugust 2, 2023.
^"East Fire".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. RetrievedAugust 2, 2023.
^"East Fire".Watch Duty.Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. RetrievedAugust 2, 2023.
^"No Name Fire".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. RetrievedAugust 6, 2023.
^"No Name Fire".Watch Duty.Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. RetrievedAugust 6, 2023.
^"Almond Fire".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. RetrievedAugust 6, 2023.
^"Almond Fire".Watch Duty.Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. RetrievedAugust 6, 2023.
^"Happy Camp Complex".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. RetrievedAugust 22, 2023.
^"Plant Fire".fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. RetrievedAugust 24, 2023.
^"Plant Fire".Watch Duty.Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. RetrievedAugust 24, 2023.
