Wildfires

Wildfires of 1950

The Interagency Fire Perimeter History holds 353 mapped wildfires from 1950, covering 3,693,804 acres. 121 fires reached 1,000 acres or more in at least one record; the largest was the Little Black River Fire in Alaska, at 1,366,799 acres. For 1950 the record is what forests, parks and agencies mapped and kept, not every fire that burned.

Fires of 1,000 acres or more
121
Perimeters on file
353

1949 1951

Map

Every fire of 1950 with a page here, sized by the acres burned. Select one for its perimeter and record.

Largest fires121

Wildfires of 1,000 acres or more, largest first. The size is the reported final size where a fire report survives, else the burned area MTBS mapped, else the area inside the final perimeter.

FireStateAcresStartCause
Little Black River FireAK1,366,799
Schuman House - Porcupine Rr FireAK608,614
Venetie FireAK600,996
Sheenjek FireAK153,868
Conejos FireCA62,849
Nation River #1 FireAK48,854
Beaver Trail FireAK43,564
Circle City FireAK42,909
Mack FireCA35,381
Olga Bay FireAK33,808
Kanuti - Bay Rivers FireAK31,615
Fish Lake FireAK25,738
Rainbow FireCA25,292
Coal Creek #2 FireAK23,940
Pilitas #1 FireCA22,845
Strong Mountain FireCA20,619
Charley River S. #2 FireAK17,955
S.W. Butte FireAK17,531
Little Stoney FireCA17,367
Unnamed FireCA15,428
Capitan Gap FireNM14,244
Charley River N FireAK13,814
North Fork FireCA13,188
Eagle #1 FireAK13,135
Porcupine FireCA12,633
S.W.-Ft. Yukon FireAK11,791
San Marcos FireCA10,690
Unnamed FireCA10,168
Millford FireCA9,185
Munson Creek FireAK8,987
Salchaket Slough FireAK8,983
Irene Peak FireCA8,956
Guejito FireCA8,025
Hay Flats - Fairview Road FireAK7,416
Seigler Canyon FireCA7,243
Woodchopper Creek FireAK7,226
Mammoth FireCA7,061
Cienega FireCA6,682
Rancheria Creek FireCA6,515
Pumice Mill FireCA6,455
Pilitas #3 FireCA5,697
Jacksonville FireCA5,466
Sequan #2 FireCA5,332
N.w.p.rr #20A FireCA5,185
Unnamed FireCA5,165
Canada Large Canet R FireCA5,143
Morrell FireCA5,118
Edward Helm FireCA5,048
Plum Ridge FireCA4,926
Camp Beale #2 FireCA4,886
Kanaka Creek FireCA4,828
Public Domain #2 FireCA4,616
Bluerock FireCA4,309
Browns Cyn/Limekiln FireCA4,234
Black Rapids FireAK4,233
Garnier FireCA4,097
Wet Back FireCA3,955
Baggett Gulch FireCA3,941
Unnamed FireCA3,864
Harris FireCA3,671
Armstrong - Dersch FireCA3,670
Hart's Lake FireCA3,625
Unnamed FireCA3,609
Rawson FireCA3,538
Chitanana River FireAK3,429
Unnamed FireCA3,256
Fort Yukon #1 FireAK3,201
Steven`s Village FireAK3,168
Sycamore Canyon FireCA3,150
Columbia Creek FireAK3,124
Boulder Creek FireCA2,996
Unnamed FireCA2,941
Pilitas #2 FireCA2,830
Boundary FireCA2,710
Carson Flat FireCA2,660
Mule Mtn FireCA2,660
Preacher Creek FireAK2,605
Unnamed FireCA2,601
Clear Creek FireAK2,596
Unnamed FireCA2,508
Angel Creek - Chena Dome FireAK2,497
Valley View FireCA2,445
Bear Creek wildfire 1 FireCO2,365
Echenique FireCA2,294
Unnamed FireCA2,274
Nation River #2 FireAK2,273
Banner FireCA2,196
Ramelli FireCA2,178
Backbone #2 FireCA2,019
Nulato #4 FireAK2,010
Fort Yukon #2 FireAK2,006
Gould FireAK1,960
Agua Tibia FireCA1,942
N.w.p.rr NO.15 FireCA1,881
26 Mile - Eielson FireAK1,748
Stinking Creek FireCA1,741
Sylvester FireCA1,727
C.w.syphers #3 FireCA1,654
Frecerro FireCA1,652
Barrett FireCA1,633
T.k. Clark FireCA1,610
Bear Springs FireCA1,562
No Name Avail FireOR1,498
Mt. Stakes FireCA1,488
Pacific Lumber Co. #7 FireCA1,424
Tomki Creek FireCA1,363
Unnamed FireCA1,330
Norton Gulch FireCA1,273
Quail Creek FireCA1,248
Boundary 40 mile #2 FireAK1,222
Wild Cat Acres FireCA1,191
Three Rivers FireCA1,178
P.g.& E. #4 FireCA1,133
Edna Jone FireCA1,124
Chase Ranch FireCA1,108
Unnamed FireID1,089
Hostettor FireAZ1,078
Robinson FireNM1,070
Dalessi FireCA1,035
Pappas FireCA1,035
A-1 FireAZ1,002

Prescribed fires2

Planned burns of 1,000 acres or more that MTBS or the perimeter history recorded.

FireStateAcresStartCause
Quartz Mtn #1 Prescribed FireCA5,855
O'Neal Prescribed FireCA1,517

By state

StateFires of 1,000+ acresTheir acres
Alaska343,123,616
California80483,550
New Mexico215,314
Colorado12,365
Arizona22,080
Oregon11,498
Idaho11,089

By year

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

Before 2014, back to 1850

2010s 2013 2012 2011 2010

2000s 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

1990s 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990

1980s 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980

1970s 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970

1960s 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960

1950s 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950

1940s 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940

1930s 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930

1920s 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920

1910s 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910

1900s 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1903 1902 1901 1900

1890s 1899 1898 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891 1890

1880s 1889 1888 1886 1885 1880

1870s 1878 1870

1860s 1860

1850s 1850

Sources

Perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center’s Interagency Fire Perimeter History, compiled from the Forest Service, BLM, BIA, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, the Alaska Interagency Fire Center and CAL FIRE. Records before 2014 were joined by this site: a fire report to the burned area its MTBS identifier names, a perimeter to the burned area it lies in when the names or the sizes agree.