Contra Costa County

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. Very High 84,869 acres · 68,853 state, 16,016 local 17%
  2. High 148,084 acres · 118,583 state, 29,501 local 30%
  3. Moderate 31,083 acres · 4,630 state, 26,453 local 6%
  4. Non-wildland 210,810 acres · Local Responsibility Area 43%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 11,735 acres · Mostly federal land 2%

  486,581 acres of land in all, 192,066 in the State Responsibility Area and 282,780 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

  The 10 largest of 78 fires that burned here

  Map
  1. 1977 Mitchell Canyon Fire 4,859 acres here
  2. 2020 Scu Lightning Complex 396,824 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 3,306 acres here
  3. 2013 Morgan Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 3,107 acres here
  4. 1981 Blackhawk Fire Cause: Arson 2,360 acres here
  5. 1967 Vasco Fire 1,398 acres here
  6. 1998 Greenridge #6 Fire Cause: Power lines 1,388 acres here
  7. 1961 State Park #2 Fire 1,241 acres here
  8. 1958 Marsh Creek Fire 975 acres here
  9. 1961 Roadside #1 Fire 856 acres here
  10. 1979 Black Diamond Peak Fire 681 acres here

  And 68 smaller fires. The most recent was the 2025 Somersville Fire, which burned 358 acres here. In all, 31,788 acres of Contra Costa County 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