Monterey County

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. Very High 759,076 acres · 750,234 state, 8,842 local 36%
  2. High 491,005 acres · 475,350 state, 15,655 local 23%
  3. Moderate 117,061 acres · 63,125 state, 53,935 local 6%
  4. Non-wildland 212,508 acres · Local Responsibility Area 10%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 541,849 acres · Mostly federal land 26%

  2,121,499 acres of land in all, 1,288,709 in the State Responsibility Area and 290,940 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 486 fires that burned here

  Map
  1. 1977 Marble-Cone Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 173,333 acres here
  2. 2008 Gallery Fire Cause: Lightning 163,607 acres here
  3. 2016 Soberanes Fire Cause: Campfire 132,104 acres here
  4. 2020 Dolan Fire 124,521 acres here
  5. 1999 Kirk Fire Cause: Lightning 85,835 acres here
  6. 2008 Indians Fire Cause: Campfire 76,460 acres here
  7. 1985 Gorda-Rat Fire Cause: Lightning 56,157 acres here
  8. 1924 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 54,480 acres here
  9. 2020 River Fire Cause: Lightning 50,209 acres here
  10. 1970 Buckeye Fire 42,308 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 41,555 acres here

  And 476 smaller fires. The most recent was the 2025 Salt Fire, which burned 24 acres here. In all, 805,320 acres of Monterey 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