The 1871 Peshtigo Fire, WisconsinThe blaze started on October 8 1871 and burned around 1.2 million acres. At least 1 152 people were killed, making this the worst fire that claimed more lives than any of the other wildfires in US history.
As of 14 January 2020, 18.626 million hectares (46.03 million acres) was burnt or is burning across all Australian states and territories. The last fatality reported was on 23 January 2020 following the death of a man near Moruya.
The fires started in various ways: some by lightning, some by human actions, including arson. However, it's the climate conditions that provide ample fuel for the fires to grow and spread. Much of the severe heat was accompanied by brisk winds across much of Australia, which exacerbates fire risks and spreads blazes.
After intense fires in the Amazon captured global attention in 2019, fires again raged throughout the region in 2020. “In the southern Brazilian Amazon, deforestation fire activity increased by 23 percent from 2019 to 2020, and active fire detections from understory fires were 60 percent higher than in 2019.”
August Complex Fire now the largest in recent California history, Creek Fire breaks top 10
- THOMAS FIRE (Ventura, Santa Barbara counties), December 2017.
- CEDAR FIRE (San Diego County), October 2003.
- RUSH FIRE (Lassen County), August 2012.
- RIM FIRE (Tuolumne County), August 2013.
Largest fires of the 21st-century
| Rank | Name | Area burned (km2) |
|---|
| 1 | 2003 Russian wildfires | 200,000 |
| 2 | 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season | 180,000 |
| 3 | 2019 Siberia wildfires | 43,000 |
| 4 | 2014 Northwest Territories fires | 34,000 |
Here are maps of some of the major fires that are burning across the three states.
- California: Glass Fire.
- California: Zogg Fire.
- California: North Complex.
- California/Oregon: Slater Fire.
- California: Creek Fire.
- California: August Complex.
- California: Bobcat Fire.
- Oregon: Riverside, Beachie Creek and Lionshead Fires.
The Zogg Fire, burning in California's Shasta and Tehama counties, has scorched 56,305 acres and is 76 percent contained while the Glass Fire in Napa County has burned 64,900 acres and is just 26 percent contained.
Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home. The second leading cause of home fires are heating sources like wood stoves, and fireplaces. Fires caused by smoking are the leading cause of deaths.
