California, 2008

Wildfire in California, November 15 to 19, 2008

November 15 to 19, 2008 · NWS SGX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The Freeway Complex Fire began in the Santa Ana River bottom near Corona on November 15, 2008. Dry, Santa Ana winds caused the fire to quickly spread into the Chino Hills and the nearby cities of Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, and Brea.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
14
Property damage
$150 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.

The Freeway Complex Fire began in the Santa Ana River bottom near Corona on November 15, 2008. Dry, Santa Ana winds caused the fire to quickly spread into the Chino Hills and the nearby cities of Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, and Brea. The Freeway Complex Fire burned 30,305 acres and forced the evacuation of about 40,000 people. The fire damaged 127 homes, 2 commercial properties, and 32 outbuildings. The fire destroyed 187 homes, 2 commercial properties, and 11 outbuilding.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 14, 2:50 PM PST, 18 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 14, 2:50 PM PST, 18 hours 11 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Orange County Coastal Areas

When
November 15, 9:01 AM PST to November 19, 2:00 PM PST
Where
Orange County Coastal Areas forecast zone
Injuries
0 direct, 14 indirect
Property damage
$150 million
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue

Wildfire, San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire

When
November 15, 9:01 AM PST to November 19, 2:00 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - the Inland Empire forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2008

Sources

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: 141232, 141233.