Wildfires

Wildfires of 1953

The Interagency Fire Perimeter History holds 360 mapped wildfires from 1953, covering 872,955 acres. 65 fires reached 1,000 acres or more in at least one record; the largest was the 40 Mile Yukon Fire in Alaska, at 168,728 acres. For 1953 the record is what forests, parks and agencies mapped and kept, not every fire that burned.

Fires of 1,000 acres or more
65
Perimeters on file
360

1952 1954

Map

Every fire of 1953 with a page here, sized by the acres burned. Select one for its perimeter and record.

Largest fires65

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
40 Mile Yukon FireAK168,728
Nowitna #3 FireAK99,379
Sheenjek FireAK68,664
Big Dalton FireCA67,702
Sam Jones FireCA35,456
Sulphur FireCA31,709
Fish Fork FireCA24,610
Casey FireCA21,024
Melozitna-Tozitna FireAK18,760
Circle Cross FireNM17,300
Crazy Mountain FireAK16,706
Kanuti River FireAK16,146
Pilot Station FireAK15,320
Mile 53 Taylor FireAK15,229
Monrovia Peak FireCA14,061
Beaver Creek FireAK14,059
Tanalian Mt. FireAK12,561
Shields Lease FireCA11,775
Kotol River FireAK11,192
South Kotol MT FireAK10,407
Unnamed FireCA9,226
Bronco Flats FireCA8,817
Gravelbar FireWY7,091
Barrett FireCA6,868
Stevens Village NE 70 FireAK5,909
Tanana N8 FireAK5,392
Ranch FireCA4,464
Tanana Village FireAK4,029
Missing FireAZ3,490
Arrowhead Springs FireCA3,105
Rhinehart FireCA3,056
Divide Creek #6 FireOR3,027
Hetch Hetchy FireCA2,953
W.m Alderson #2 FireCA2,920
Orradre FireCA2,843
San Joaquin Co FireCA2,760
Sugar Loaf FireCA2,603
Bullis FireCA2,591
Baxter FireCA2,419
Console Springs FireCA2,361
Pat O'Hara FireWY2,349
Unnamed FireCA2,258
Unnamed FireCA2,249
Simplot Ranch FireID2,214
Yuko River FireAK2,208
Missing FireAZ2,021
Unnamed FireID1,862
Indian Peak FireCA1,855
Unnamed FireID1,848
Charles FireCA1,786
Unnamed FireCA1,749
Sawtooth Mtn. #1 FireAK1,644
Beauregard FireCA1,548
Unnamed FireCA1,547
Shady Rest FireCA1,325
Tunnel Hill FireCA1,299
R. Buckely FireCA1,258
Unnamed FireCA1,175
Pueblitos Canyon FireCA1,158
Lambertson FireCA1,102
Unnamed FireID1,097
Rattlesnake FireCA1,088
Carlson Lake FireAK1,044
Dehesa FireCA1,024
Aqueduct FireCA1,007

Prescribed fires12

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

FireStateAcresStartCause
Shilling Coop #2 Prescribed FireCA4,296
Guisto #4 Prescribed FireCA3,512
Dollar/Long Coop #1 Prescribed FireCA2,936
Meyer #3 Prescribed FireCA2,711
Erickson Prescribed FireCA2,630
Haigh/Mclellan Coop Prescribed FireCA2,355
Long #11 Prescribed FireCA2,211
Casaccia #4 Prescribed FireCA1,518
Casaccia #1 Prescribed FireCA1,462
Baker Prescribed FireCA1,292
Bumgaurdner Coop #3 Prescribed FireCA1,253
Welsh Greely Coop Prescribed FireCA1,016

By state

StateFires of 1,000+ acresTheir acres
Alaska18487,375
California37286,750
New Mexico117,300
Wyoming29,440
Idaho47,021
Arizona25,511
Oregon13,027

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.