Nevada County

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. Very High 324,857 acres · 303,916 state, 20,941 local 52%
  2. High 79,938 acres · 75,891 state, 4,046 local 13%
  3. Moderate 2,486 acres · 2,193 state, 293 local <1%
  4. Non-wildland 126 acres · Local Responsibility Area <1%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 215,821 acres · Mostly federal land 35%

  623,229 acres of land in all, 382,001 in the State Responsibility Area and 25,407 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 231 fires that burned here

  Map
  1. 1988 49'Er Fire 36,343 acres in total · Cause: Debris burning 34,834 acres here
  2. 1960 Donner Ridge Fire 43,374 acres in total · Cause: Debris burning 19,210 acres here
  3. 1924 Unnamed fire 16,267 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 14,251 acres here
  4. 1947 Unnamed fire 9,005 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 6,621 acres here
  5. 1917 Unnamed fire 6,261 acres here
  6. 1960 North San Juan Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 5,838 acres here
  7. 2001 Martis Fire 14,127 acres in total · Cause: Campfire 5,323 acres here
  8. 1926 Unnamed fire 5,245 acres here
  9. 1924 Unnamed fire 14,671 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 4,831 acres here
  10. 1910 Unnamed fire 4,411 acres here

  And 221 smaller fires. The most recent was the 2025 Nichols Fire, which burned 12 acres here. In all, 164,893 acres of Nevada 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