Vehicles fleeing from Woolsey Fire in Malibu along Pacific Coast Highway, 2018. Photo by Cyclonebiskit via Wikimedia Commons.
Although the "Big Fire of 1919" may have been described as a single enormous fire that occured in the Angeles National Forest, it was, in fact, two separate fires. On Sep. 12, 1919, the San Gabriel Fire ignited in the San Gabriel Canyon in the Angeles National Forest and burned approximately 60,000 acres. A few days later, on Sep. 15, the Ravenna Fire ignited in Big Tujunga Canyon, also in Angeles National Forest, to west of the San Gabriel Fire. That fire ultimately burned approximately 75,000 acres. The two fires, combined, burned more than 130,000 acres, but were seperated by at least 18 miles. Due to their size and proximity in time and place, the two big fires were often described jointly, although misleadingly, as the "Big Fire of 1919."
Until the 1870’s, wildfires (as today, mostly accidently or purposely human-caused) in the mountains north of Los Angeles were considered more of an attraction than a threat, especially at night. They were fondly described as “tongues of flame licking the Sierra Madre.” Since few people lived on or near the mountains, fires there caused no great alarm. In fact, two cattlemen were reported to annually ignite big fires in the mountains that raised no concern. Wildfires only first became a concern in 1884 when flooding from eroded hillsides wiped out the track system of the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Los Angeles area. Authorities finally banned needless fires and even threatened to prosecute offenders. As fires and flooding resulting from fire erosion increasingly threatened property by the late 1800s, Angelenos lost their fondness for “beautiful” wildfires and demanded fire suppression.
"ANF" is abbreviation for Angeles National Forest
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed/Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | ANF, Flintridge | Aug. 26, 2009 | 160,577 | 209 structures destroyed; 2 fatalities (firefighters) |
| Bobcat | ANF, from north of Monrovia to Juniper Hills | Sep. 6, 2020 | 115,796 | 170 structures (87 residences) destroyed |
| Clampitt 1 | Newhall to Chatsworth, Simi Valley | Sep. 25, 1970 | 105,212 | 86 structures destroyed; 4 fatalities |
| Woolsey 2 | Southeast Ventura County to Malibu, Los Angeles County | Nov. 8, 2018 | 96,949 | 1,643 structures destroyed (1,121 in L.A. County); 3 fatalities |
| Ravenna 3 | ANF, Big Tujunga Canyon | Sep. 15, 1919 | 75,000 | No information found |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Unnamed Fire | San Gabriel Mountains | Sep.? 1878 | 60,000 | No information found |
| San Gabriel 3 | ANF, San Gabriel Canyon | Sep. 12, 1919 | 60,000 | No information found |
| Ranch | Near Townsand Peak, SW of Templin Highway & Interstate 5 | Oct. 20, 2007 | 58,401 | 10 structures destroyed |
| Dayton Canyon | Malibu Canyon to Canoga Park | Oct. 9, 1982 | 54,000 | 97 structures destroyed |
| San Gabriel | ANF, San Gabriel Canyon north of Monrovia | Aug. 31, 1924 | 49,421 | No information found |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Liebre Mountain | ANF, NE of Castaic Lake, east of I-5 | Jun. 21, 1968 | 48,428 | 1 fatality (firefighter) |
| Mill | ANF, north of Sunland, Tujunga, La Crescenta, La Canada | Nov. 23, 1975 | 46,500 | 15 structures destroyed |
| Sand | ANF east of the Santa Clarita Valley | Jul. 22, 2016 | 41,432 | 18 homes destroyed, 2 fatalities |
| Williams | Hills and canyons above San Dimas | Sep. 22, 2002 | 38,984 | 62 structures destroyed |
| Sherwood/Newton | Malibu to Zuma, Lake Sherwood in Ventura County | Dec. 26, 1956 | 37,537 | 120 structures destroyed; 1 fatality |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Sulfur Springs Campground | No. LA County, ANF, near community of Juniper Hills | Jul. 2, 1953 | 31,500 | 8 structures destroyed |
| Lake | No. LA County, ANF, near Lake Hughes | Aug. 12, 2020 | 31,089 | 12 structures destroyed |
| Wright 1 | Malibu Canyon | Sep. 25, 1970 | 31,000 | 403 structures destroyed; 10 fatalities |
| Powerhouse | No. LA County, ANF, near communities of Lake Hughes, Elizabeth Lake, and Green Valley | May 30, 2013 | 30,274 | 58 structures destroyed |
| Malibu (Latigo/Sherwood) | Malibu, Latigo, Sherwood | Oct. 23, 1935 | 28,599 | 0 structures destroyed |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Magic Mountain | ANF | Jul. 20, 1960 | 27,500 | Forest research facilities & cabins destroyed |
| Kanan/Dune (Mandeville Canyon/Agoura-Malibu) | Malibu to Agoura to Mandeville Canyon | Oct. 23, 1978 | 25,000 | 250 structures; 2 fatalities |
| Topanga | NW of Chatsworth and San Fernando Valley | Sep. 28, 2005 | 24,175 | 13 structures destroyed |
| Gale | ANF, west of Bear Creek to Pine Mountain | Aug. 1957 | 24,004 | No information found |
| Copper | Santa Clarita Valley | May 6, 2002 | 23,407 | 26 structures destroyed |
"ANF" is abbreviation for Angeles National Forest
Table continues after image below.
Image of Station Fire, mid-morning, August 30, 2009, from NASA's Terra satellite. Plumes had risen 4.3 miles above sea level. Courtesy of NASA.
"ANF" is abbreviation for Angeles National Forest
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnstone | ANF | Jul. 20, 1960 | 23,170 | Forest research facilities & cabins destroyed |
| Canyon (Canyon Inn) | North of Glendora | Aug. 24, 1968 | 22,197 | 8 fatalities (firefighters) 4 |
| Marple | Marple Canyon, Castaic Area | Aug. 26, 1996 | 21,500 | 1 structure destroyed |
| Curve | ANF, Azusa Canyon | Sep. 1, 2002 | 20,857 | 72 structures destroyed |
| Old Topanga (Calabasas/Malibu) | Malibu and Topanga | Nov. 2, 1993 | 18,500 | 350 structures destroyed; 3 fatalities |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Liberty (Malibu/Zuma) | Malibu Canyon, Corral Canyon | Dec. 11, 1958 | 17,860 | 107 structures destroyed; 1 fatality |
| Pine | East of Gorman | Jul. 12, 2004 | 17,418 | 15 structures destroyed; 1 fatality (firefighter) |
| Trippet Ranch or Topanga | Topanga Canyon, Malibu Hills | Nov. 23, 1938 | 16,500 | 350 structures destroyed |
| Creek | Kagel Canyon, ANF north of Sylmar | Dec. 5, 2017 | 15,619 | 123 Structures destroyed |
| Woodland Hills (Las Virgenes) | Topanga Canyon, Malibu Hills | Nov. 6, 1943 | 15,300 | 0 structures destroyed |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Potrero | Malibu/Ventura County Area | Oct. 1930 | 15,000 | 0 structures destroyed |
| Polecat | ANF | Jul. 17, 1960 | 14,737 | No information found |
| Sesnon (Porter Ranch) | Oil fields of Oat Mountain, north of Porter Ranch | Oct. 13, 2008 | 14,703 | 78 structures destroyed; 1 indirect fatality (vehicle accident) |
| Monrovia Peak | ANF | Dec. 27, 1953 | 14,135 | No information found |
| Calabasas Canyon | Malibu, Calabasas Canyon, Corral Canyon | Oct. 28, 1996 | 13,010 | 6 structures destroyed |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Crown | Agua Dulce to Palmdale | Jul. 20, 2004 | 11,966 | 10 structures destroyed |
| Sayre | Sylmar | Nov. 14, 2008 | 11,262 | 604 structures destroyed |
| Arroyo Seco | Arroyo Seco to Tujunga | Aug. 1896 | 10,800 | No information found |
| Saddle Ridge | Sylmar, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, Angeles National Forest | Oct. 10, 2019 | 8,799 | 19 structures destroyed; 1 Fatality (first responder) |
| Topanga | Topanga Canyon | Nov. 6, 1961 | 8,000 | 0 structures destroyed |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| La Tuna | Verdugo Mountains, Burbank, Glendale, Sunland-Tujunga | Sep. 1, 2017 | 7,194 | 10 structures destroyed |
| Unnamed Fire | ANF | 1906 | 6,955 | No information found |
| Stable | Bradbury | Nov. 16, 1980 | 6,600 | 57 structures destroyed |
| Bel Air/Brentwood | Bel Air, Brentwood | Nov. 6, 1961 | 6,090 | 484 structures destroyed |
| Rye | Santa Clarita | Dec. 5, 2017 | 6,049 | 6 structures destroyed |
| Fire Name | Area | Date Fire Started | Acres Burned | Structures Destroyed; Fatalities |
| Foothill | SE of Action | Jul. 17, 2004 | 6,000 | 0 structures destroyed |
| Kinneloa | Foothills above Altadena/Sierra Madre | Oct. 27, 1993 | 5,485 | 196 structures destroyed |
| San Gabriel Complex 5 | ANF, Morris Reservoir, above Azusa | Jun. 20, 2016 | 5,399 | 3 fatalities |
| Piuma | Malibu area, Kanan/Decker | Oct. 14, 1985 | 5,120 | 6 structures destroyed |
| Route | Castaic area, west of Lake Castaic, alongside I-5. | Oct. 31, 2022 | 5,208 | 2 structures destroyed |
"ANF" is abbreviation for Angeles National Forest
1) These fires were initially two of four independent fires. They ultimately merged with two other fires starting in Simi Valley and Fillmore that combined into a single giant 147-mile perimeter blaze, burning a total of 435,000 acres.
2) The Woolsey Fire started in southeast Ventura County and spread southward into Los Angeles County over the Santa Monica Mountains, from Westlake Village into Malibu.
3) The San Gabriel and Ravenna Fires of 1919, although two separate fires, were often desribed jointly as the "Big Fire of 1919," due to their enormous combined size and proximity in time and place.
4) All but one of these firefighter victims were teenagers. Five teenage firefighters were also killed in the 1955 Hacienda Fire (see table below). The practice of using teenage probationer firefighters ended after the 1968 Canyon Fire.
5) Combination of the Reservoir and Fish Fires.
Sources: U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, Los Angeles County Fire Department, City of Los Angeles Fire Department, City of Malibu, Los Angeles Times, Malibu Times, Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, Fire Archeology, John Livermore, Antelope Valley Daily Ledger-Gazette (1886-1983), "Fire in the Forest - A History of Forest Fire Control on the National Forests in California , 1898-1956," by Robert W . Cermak, USDA Forest Service.
Smoke from a wildfire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains, 1898. Photographed from Martin's Camp, a small mountain resort about one mile below the summit of Mount Wilson. Photo from Forest and Fire by Abbot Kinney, 1900.
The La Tuna Fire in 2017 is reported to be the largest fire (by acres burned) ever to blaze within Los Angeles City limits.
The largest wildfire on record in Los Angeles County, the Station Fire of 2009, ranks as California's 21st largest wildfire.
Victims of the Griffith Park Fire receiving first aid, October 1933. Photo from UCLA Library Digital Collections, Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive.
| Fire Name | Area | Date | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griffith Park | Griffith Park | Oct. 3, 1933 | 29 |
| Loop | Loop Canyon near Sylmar | Nov. 1, 1966 | 12 |
| Wright | Malibu Canyon | Sep. 25, 1970 | 10 |
| Canyon (Canyon Inn) | North of Glendora | Aug. 24, 1968 | 8 † |
| Hacienda | La Habra Heights | Sep. 2, 1955 | 6 † |
† In both these fires, all but one of these firefighter victims were teenagers. The practice of using teenage probationer firefighters ended after the 1968 Canyon Fire.
The Griffith Park Fire of 1933 is California's second deadliest wildfire (second to the Camp Fire of 2018 in Butte County) and the third deadliest firefighter tragedy in U.S. history. It is not, however, listed among the Los Angeles County's largest wildfires, despite its horrific toll on life, because its burn area did not expand beyond 47 acres.
Since 1933, of the reported 86 fatalities from Los Angeles County wildfires, 60 were firefighters and 12 of those were teenage probationer firefighters.
A burning structure in the 2017 Creek Fire. Photo courtesy of Harry Garvin & Los Angeles Fire Department.
| Fire Name | Area | Date | Structures Destroyed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woolsey ‡ | Westlake Village to Malibu (portion of fire within L.A. County) | Nov. 8, 2018 | 1,121 |
| Sayre | Sylmar | Nov. 14, 2008 | 604 |
| Bel Air/Brentwood | Bel Air, Brentwood | Nov. 6, 1961 | 484 |
| Wright | Malibu Canyon | Sep. 25, 1970 | 403 |
| Trippet Ranch or Topanga | Topanga Canyon, Malibu Hills | Nov. 23, 1938 | 350 |
| Old Topanga | Malibu and Topanga | Nov. 2, 1993 | 323 |
| Kanan/Dune (Mandeville Canyon/Agoura-Malibu) | Malibu to Agoura to Mandeville Canyon | Oct. 23, 1978 | 230 |
| Station | ANF, Flintridge | Aug. 26, 2009 | 209 |
| Kinneloa | Foothills above Altadena/Sierra Madre | Oct. 27, 1993 | 196 |
| Bobcat | ANF, from north of Monrovia to Juniper Hills | Sep. 6, 2020 | 170 |
| Malibu Hills | Malibu | Nov. 1945 | 150 |
| Creek | Kagel Canyon, ANF north of Sylmar | Dec. 5, 2017 | 123 |
| Sherwood/Newton | Malibu to Zuma, Lake Sherwood in Ventura County | Dec. 26, 1956 | 120 |
| Liberty (Malibu/Zuma) | Malibu Canyon, Corral Canyon | Dec. 11, 1958 | 107 |
‡ The Woolsey Fire started in southeast Ventura County and spread southward into Los Angeles County. A total of 1,643 structures were destroyed. Number here in this table were those within Los Angeles County.
The most destructive wildfire recorded in Los Angeles County, the Woolsey Fire of 2018, ranks as California's eighth most destructive wildfire.
On August 5, 1957, pilot Roland Barton of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (photo from Los Angeles County Fire Department archives) began pioneering the use of helicopters in forest fire-fighting. That year, seven Bell 47-B helicopters were used to move more than 3,000 firefighters and 1,000 pounds of freight over 10 days against the Gale Fire in the Angeles National Forest. The helicopters were also used to evacuate sick, injured and trapped firefighters, conduct reconnaissance and “hover jump” firefighters, This was the first, fully operational, extended use of rotary-wing aircraft in fighting a U.S. forest fire and, possibly, in any forest fire in the world. Source: U.S. Forest Service.
