Wildfires

Wildfires of 1979

The Interagency Fire Perimeter History holds 847 mapped wildfires from 1979, covering 1,320,456 acres. 139 fires reached 1,000 acres or more in at least one record; the largest was the Fyu W 82 Fire in Alaska, at 214,379 acres. For 1979 the record is what forests, parks and agencies mapped and kept, not every fire that burned.

Fires of 1,000 acres or more
139
Perimeters on file
847

1978 1980

Map

Every fire of 1979 with a page here, sized by the acres burned. Select one for its perimeter and record.

Largest fires139

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
Fyu W 82 FireAK214,379
Ft. Greely 1 FireAK109,268
Fyu Ne 78 FireAK92,522
Mortar Creek FireID68,260
Ciervo FireCA62,902
Gallagher Peak FireID46,077
Delta Barley 3 FireAK33,553
Creek Road FireCA32,706
Sage Fire/Usfs FireCA28,913
Castle FireAZ27,879
Fyu W 75 FireAK23,092
Verde FireAZ22,893
Independence FireID16,219
Rosevear Gulch FireID13,057
Circle FireAK12,525
Ship Island FireID11,779
Jardine FireCA11,673
Pagari FireID10,044
Unnamed FireCA9,429
Hsl E 20 FireAK8,881
Cem E 30 FireAK8,824
Shanty Town FireNV8,380
Peterson Gulch FireID8,025
Millie FireCA7,560
Beaver Hrt FireWY7,179
Chili Bar FireCA6,928
Squaw Ridge FireCA6,861
West Bruneau FireID6,494
Fyu S 30 FireAK6,340
East-West FireID6,267
Delta Barley 8 FireAK6,218
Unnamed FireCA6,151
Nacimiento FireCA6,070
Crows Nest FireID6,053
Cass House FireNV5,995
Pasture 4 FireID5,866
Pinecrest/Usfs FireCA5,306
Fowler Peak FireCA5,237
Fyu Ne 10 FireAK4,600
Gallatin FireWY4,580
Microwave FireID4,499
Morongo #21 FireCA4,490
Hi Point FireID4,310
Fire Prairie FireFL4,081
Crown FireCA3,902
Eagle Canyon FireCA3,765
Paseo FireCA3,644
Valerie FireCA3,518
Horse FireAZ3,504
Bridge Creek FireOR3,366
Delta Barley 7 FireAK3,316
Unnamed FireID3,269
Joe FireAZ3,192
Wendell W1 FireID3,188
Will FireCA3,128
Unnamed FireCA3,120
Dixon Bar FireOR3,108
Bumble Bee FireAZ3,097
Stv Se 18 FireAK3,082
Moose Cr FireID2,998
Can Pnf FireNM2,898
Humbug FireAZ2,884
Happy FireCA2,827
Little Antelope FireCA2,735
Stv S 10 FireAK2,711
North FireCA2,697
Washburn FireWY2,672
Hsl Se 38 FireAK2,614
Shadow FireCA2,601
Jesus FireAZ2,576
Unnamed FireCA2,536
Wayside FireCA2,499
Roadside #70 FireCA2,401
Burke FireCA2,311
Chaparrel FireID2,301
State of Cal #32 FireCA2,293
Unnamed FireID2,281
Bacon Lake FireID2,249
Unnamed FireCA2,249
Chiquita FireCA2,222
Sailor Creek FireID2,195
Simmler Ffs FireCA2,151
Gator Red FireFL2,121
Monte/Usfs FireCA2,106
Unnamed FireCA2,091
Unnamed FireCA2,034
Fyu Nnw 87 FireAK2,034
Rockwell Gap FireCA2,012
Wasioja FireCA2,006
Millie FireCA1,996
Whitewater FireCA1,899
Willard FireAK1,895
Woodlake Mtn FireCA1,871
Tomason #2 FireCA1,861
Sierra Series FireCA1,838
Sylvandale FireCA1,809
Silverona FireAZ1,731
Bacon P 2 FireID1,725
Elkhorn Rd FireCA1,658
Kaupp FireCA1,609
Morongo #14 FireCA1,599
Cow FireCA1,545
Fall Cyn FireCA1,510
Taylor FireCA1,498
Unnamed FireCA1,452
Bedford #2 FireCA1,438
Hesperia FireCA1,432
Kachelmier FireAK1,407
Sheep Creek FireID1,374
Brunswick FireCA1,353
Freeman Flat FireCA1,346
Unnamed FireCA1,314
Fig FireAZ1,312
Otay #5 FireCA1,299
Mormon Reservoir FireID1,290
Unnamed FireCA1,283
Antelope Valley FireCA1,279
Nvk Ne 4 FireAK1,275
Menifee FireCA1,237
Seigler FireCA1,225
Gmt Nw 35 FireAK1,223
Valencia FireCA1,217
E Fk Kennally FireID1,204
Spanish Ranch FireCA1,191
Fig FireAZ1,127
Unnamed FireCA1,126
Devil Creek Butte FireID1,123
Golden Gate FireCA1,116
Sophie FireCA1,111
Little Eight Mile FireID1,083
Calvert FireCA1,070
I80 MP178 FireID1,049
Daley FireCA1,048
Butte FireCA1,044
Burro/Mor 59 FireCA1,037
Agency FireOR1,021
Unnamed FireID1,012
Stevens Creek FireOR1,010
Hillman FireCA1,005

Prescribed fires2

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

FireStateAcresStartCause
PW09 Prescribed FireCA4,772
Marsh I Prescribed FireFL4,236

By state

StateFires of 1,000+ acresTheir acres
Alaska20539,756
California69301,388
Idaho28235,288
Arizona1070,195
Wyoming314,431
Nevada214,375
Oregon48,505
Florida26,202
New Mexico12,898

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.