Largest loss wildland fires

The 10 largest loss wildland fires in the U.S. 


Rank  Event  Loss in year fire occurred  Adjusted loss in 2010 dollars
1 Oakland Fire Storm
(wildland/urban interface)
Oakland, California
October 1991
$1.5 billion $2.4 billion 
2 The Southern California Firestorm*
San Diego County, California
October 2007
$1.8 billion $1.9 billion 
3 "Cedar" Wildland Fire
Julian, California
October 2003
$1.1 billion  $1.3 billion 
4 "Cerro Grande" Wildland Fire
(wildland/urban interface)
Los Alamos, New Mexico
May 2000
$1.0 billion $1.3 billion
5 "Old" Wildland Fire
San Bernardino, California
October 2003
$975 million $1.2 billion
6 Southern California Wildfires of November*
Sacramento, California
November 2008
$800 million $810 million
7 "Laguna Beach Fire"
(wildland/urban interface)
Orange County, California
October 1993
$528 million $796 million
8 Florida Wildland Fire*
May-June 1998
 
$395 million $527 million
9 Forest Fire
Cloquet, Minnesota
October 1918
$35 million $505 million
10 "Paint Fire" Goletta
(wildland/urban interface)
Santa Barbara, California
June 1990
$237 million $396 million

* Includes multiple fires.

Source: NFPA 's Fire Incident Data Organization data base and NFPA archive files
Updated: 2/12

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