Named the Paradise Fire, this fire was started by an arsonist on October 26, 2003. In October it consumed 56,000 acres, and destroyed 348 structures, 342 vehicles, and several miles of utility lines and highway infrastructure.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
Named the Paradise Fire, this fire was started by an arsonist on October 26, 2003. In October it consumed 56,000 acres, and destroyed 348 structures, 342 vehicles, and several miles of utility lines and highway infrastructure. Atmospheric and fuel conditions were favorable for rapid growth both preceding and during the first several days of the fire. Maximum temperatures ranged between 91 and 101 degrees, relative humidity ranged from 6 to 10 percent during the day and 28-46 percent at night, with east and northeast winds gusting 30 to 40 mph during the nights and mornings and becoming west 5 to 10 mph during the afternoons. On the first day, the fire rapidly burned into Valley Center and east Escondido, consuming 7,350 acres and 160 structures. Rapid fire growth continued for the next two days. From October 29 through October 31, the dominate wind direction was southwest and moisture increased significantly. Light rain and drizzle fell over parts of the fire area, but the fire was only 30 percent contained and still active when October ended.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire, San Diego | 2003-10-26 | 51 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Wildfire, San Diego | 2003-10-26 | 16 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 2003
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5335978.