| 2003 California wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Satellite view of the October 2003 wildfires in Southern California, depicting the smoke blowing out over thePacific 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 → | |
During 2003, 9,116wildfires[4] burned 1,020,460 acres (4,129.7 km2) across theUS state ofCalifornia.[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]
Below is a list of fires that exceeded 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) during the 2003 fire season.[1] The list is taken fromCAL 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 |
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