Lake County

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. Very High 381,554 acres · 366,017 state, 15,537 local 45%
  2. High 29,860 acres · 22,344 state, 7,516 local 4%
  3. Moderate 13,811 acres · 6,247 state, 7,563 local 2%
  4. Non-wildland 45,715 acres · Local Responsibility Area 5%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 379,011 acres · Mostly federal land 45%

  849,951 acres of land in all, 394,608 in the State Responsibility Area and 76,332 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 301 fires that burned here

  Map
  1. 2018 Ranch Fire 410,202 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 282,738 acres here
  2. 1996 Fork Fire Cause: Arson 82,617 acres here
  3. 2015 Valley Fire 76,085 acres in total 71,080 acres here
  4. 2015 Rocky Fire 69,438 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 53,332 acres here
  5. 2020 August Complex 1,032,700 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 44,476 acres here
  6. 2018 River Fire 48,920 acres in total 38,517 acres here
  7. 1973 Barkerville Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 26,428 acres here
  8. 1981 Cow Mtn. Fire 25,664 acres in total · Cause: Arson 24,170 acres here
  9. 2020 Hennessey Fire 305,352 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 21,064 acres here
  10. 1966 Round Fire Cause: Campfire 20,863 acres here

  And 291 smaller fires. The most recent was the 2025 Arden Fire, which burned 26 acres here. In all, 627,745 acres of Lake 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