Wildfires

Wildfires of 1980

The Interagency Fire Perimeter History holds 914 mapped wildfires from 1980, covering 892,746 acres. 120 fires reached 1,000 acres or more in at least one record; the largest was the Blair Lakes Fire in Alaska, at 118,459 acres. For 1980 the record is what forests, parks and agencies mapped and kept, not every fire that burned.

Fires of 1,000 acres or more
120
Perimeters on file
914

1979 1981

Map

Every fire of 1980 with a page here, sized by the acres burned. Select one for its perimeter and record.

Largest fires120

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
Blair Lakes FireAK118,459
Volcanic blast and fires FireWA105,638
Dry Falls FireCA41,756
Turner FireCA31,447
Indian FireCA28,940
Panorama FireCA23,626
Vines Hill 1 FireOR18,674
Owl FireCA18,332
Flint Mesa FireID15,845
Hill Canyon FireCA11,975
Fairview FireCA10,957
Squeaky FireID10,387
Emerald Lake FireCO10,069
Thunder FireCA10,009
Saylorcree FireID9,040
Lewis Crk FireCA8,327
Ferguson Farm FireAK8,244
Springvale FireID8,164
Dam Fire/Usfs FireCA7,848
Pass FireCA7,604
Lakeland FireCA7,011
Carbon FireCA6,955
Bootleg FireAZ6,909
Indianspri FireID6,630
Chalk FireAZ6,517
Sunland FireCA6,457
Big Hilly FireID6,437
Unnamed FireCA6,212
Rockquarry FireID6,061
Stable FireCA6,049
Collins Valley FireCA5,998
Split Butte FireID5,769
Lockwood FireCA5,655
Clover FireCA4,998
Jenness FireID4,770
Summit FireCA4,368
Sanup FireAZ3,983
Unnamed FireCA3,969
St. John FireNV3,624
Sycamore FireCA3,479
Get Well FireID3,422
Pasture 1 FireID3,346
Otay #6 FireCA3,314
Lily Lake FireUT3,261
Saddle FireOR3,247
Double Mt 1 FireOR3,128
Devilscree FireID3,017
Monroe/Usfs FireCA2,898
Cindercone FireID2,867
Perry FireAZ2,760
Curley FireAZ2,727
Broadhead (maybe Murdock Basin) FireUT2,703
Salvador FireCA2,701
Preacher FireID2,625
Fai E 35 FireAK2,610
Devils CR2 FireID2,596
Las Virgenes FireCA2,521
Bull Basin FireOR2,438
Towerhouse FireCA2,414
Mimi's #3 FireFL2,407
South Mountain FireCA2,395
Monument FireAZ2,329
Magic FireID2,329
Proctor FireCA2,300
Cherry FireAZ2,275
Homesteadg FireID2,261
Jackassgul FireID2,241
Spring Crk FireOR2,189
Larry FireAZ2,067
Kiowa FireCA2,050
Bear Trap FireCO2,048
Shirttail FireCA2,045
Pipes FireCA2,003
Poisonbutt FireID1,957
Lewis Creek FireCA1,924
Rodgers FireCA1,830
Del Puerto Canyon FireCA1,830
Winter FireNM1,800
Rockwall FireCA1,734
Prado FireCA1,730
Ant Hill FireOR1,705
Sharp Peak FireOR1,686
Unnamed FireCA1,637
Squaw Flat FireOR1,622
Wheel FireCA1,602
Powersubst FireID1,593
Railroad FireCA1,587
Rock Island FireFL1,541
Lawn FireOR1,504
Niles Gulch FireID1,497
Greenwood FireID1,493
Big Gulch FireID1,486
Turkey Two FireID1,463
Unnamed FireCA1,444
Horn Mountain FireMT1,420
Alley #1 FireFL1,401
Unnamed FireCA1,375
Mission Creek FireCA1,360
Sugarloaf FireOR1,348
Silver FireAZ1,342
Little Rock FireCA1,337
Jones FireID1,332
Okstakuk FireAK1,308
Ruth Gulch FireOR1,295
Unnamed FireWA1,282
Sid One FireID1,279
Andrews #1 FireNE1,248
Lake #2 FireCA1,216
Weller Lake FireCO1,211
Assist #138 FireCA1,175
Kilby FireTN1,099
Pine Tree FireCA1,081
Jones 2 FireID1,075
Unnamed FireCA1,075
Iranians FireCA1,064
Klinensmith FireCO1,057
Wren Hollow FireOR1,052
North Pole Ridg FireOR1,024
Mud Springs FireSD1,016
Sage Creek FireSD1,002

Prescribed fires3

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

FireStateAcresStartCause
Vista Prescribed FireAZ2,164
Prescribed FireCA1,110
Unnamed Prescribed FireCA1,014

By state

StateFires of 1,000+ acresTheir acres
California49311,609
Alaska4130,621
Idaho27110,979
Washington2106,920
Oregon1340,912
Arizona930,910
Colorado414,385
Utah25,963
Florida35,349
Nevada13,624
South Dakota22,019
New Mexico11,800
Montana11,420
Nebraska11,248
Tennessee11,099

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.