Imperial County

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. High 241 acres · Local Responsibility Area <1%
  2. Moderate 342,189 acres · 1,769 state, 340,420 local 12%
  3. Non-wildland 725,196 acres · Local Responsibility Area 25%
  4. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 1,799,700 acres · Mostly federal land 63%

  2,867,326 acres of land in all, 1,769 in the State Responsibility Area and 1,065,856 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 31 fires that burned here

  Map
  1. 2007 Inkopah Fire 699 acres in total · Cause: Campfire 680 acres here
  2. 2008 Montgomery Fire Cause: Campfire 290 acres here
  3. 1987 Assist#101 Fire 278 acres here
  4. 2013 Highline Fire Cause: Lightning 262 acres here
  5. 1978 Nees Fire 228 acres here
  6. 2021 Desert Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 216 acres here
  7. 2011 Laguna Fire 731 acres in total 190 acres here
  8. 1978 R&N Farms Fire 171 acres here
  9. 2012 Highline Fire Cause: Debris burning 142 acres here
  10. 2021 Mineral Fire 123 acres here

  And 21 smaller fires. The most recent was the 2025 Highline Fire, which burned 10 acres here. In all, 3,337 acres of Imperial 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