Lake Mathews

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. Very High 8,424 acres · 8,423 state, 1 local 83%
  2. High 422 acres · State Responsibility Area 4%
  3. Moderate 1,339 acres · State Responsibility Area 13%
  4. Non-wildland 9 acres · Local Responsibility Area <1%

  10,194 acres of land in all, 10,184 in the State Responsibility Area and 10 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since April 1, 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

• Fire history

  Fires CAL FIRE has recorded here

  Map
  1. 1960 Unnamed fire 5,277 acres in total 1,535 acres here
  2. 2023 Gavilan Fire 335 acres here
  3. 2004 Cerrito Fire 16,447 acres in total · Cause: Playing with fire 162 acres here
  4. 1960 Gavilan Peak Fire 1,904 acres in total 112 acres here
  5. 1985 Gavilan Fire 56 acres here
  6. 2007 Straw Fire 43 acres in total 42 acres here
  7. 1995 Vista Fire 126 acres in total 22 acres here

  The most recent was the 2023 Gavilan Fire, which burned 335 acres here. In all, 1,837 acres of Lake Mathews have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history