# October 2007 California wildfires

The October 2007 California wildfires, also known as the Fall 2007 California firestorm, were a series of about thirty wildfires (17 of which became major wildfires) that began igniting across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and approximately 972,147 acres (about 3,934 km$^2$, or 1,520 mi$^2$) of land was burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border, surpassing the October 2003 California wildfires in scope, which were estimated to have burned 800,000 acres (3,200 km$^2$). The wildfires killed a total of 14 people, with nine of them dying directly from the fires; 160 others were injured, including at least 124 firefighters. At their height, the raging fires were visible from space. These fires included the vast majority of the largest and deadliest wildfires of the 2007 California wildfire season. The only wildfire in 2007 that surpassed any of the individual October 2007 fires in size was the Zaca Fire.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven California counties where fires were burning. President George W. Bush concurred, and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts. Over 6,000 firefighters worked to fight the blazes; they were aided by units of the United States Armed Forces, United States National Guard, almost 3,000 prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes, and 60 firefighters from the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Tecate. The fires forced approximately 1,000,000 people to evacuate from their homes, becoming the largest evacuation in California's history.
Major contributing factors to the extreme fire conditions were drought in Southern California, hot weather, and unusually strong Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching 85 mph (140 km/h). California's "fire season," which traditionally runs from June to October, has become a year-round threat, due to a mixture of perennial drought and the increasing number of homes built in canyons and on hillsides, surrounded by brush and forest.
The fires had numerous sources. Several were triggered by power lines damaged by the high winds. One fire started when a semi-truck overturned. Another was suspected to have been deliberately caused; the suspect was shot and killed in flight by state authorities. A 10-year-old boy admitted that he accidentally started the Buckweed Fire by playing with matches. The last active fire, the Harris, was fully extinguished on November 16, 2007, about 27 days after the series of wildfires had begun to ignite. The October 2007 wildfires caused over $2 billion (2007 USD) in insured property damages.

## Fires

This is a list of the named fires that ignited as part of the October 2007 California firestorm, beginning in late October 2007. Most of these wildfires were managed by Cal Fire at some point in time.
| Name | County | Acres | Km$^2$ | Start Date | Contained Date | Notes |
| Ranch | Los Angeles | 58,401 | 236.3 | October 20, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | 10 structures destroyed |
| Canyon | Los Angeles | 4,521 | 18.3 | October 21, 2007 | October 27, 2007 | 8 structures destroyed |
| Sedgewick Fire | Santa Barbara | 710 | 2.9 | October 21, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Harris | San Diego | 90,440 | 366.0 | October 21, 2007 | November 5, 2007 | 472 structures destroyed, 8 civilian fatalities |
| October Fire | Los Angeles | 35 | 0.1 | October 21, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Nightsky Fire | Ventura | 20 | 0.1 | October 21, 2007 | November 1, 2007 | |
| Witch | San Diego | 197,990 | 801.2 | October 21, 2007 | November 6, 2007 | 1,650 structures destroyed, 2 civilian fatalities |
| McCoy Fire | San Diego | 400 | 1.6 | October 21, 2007 | October 26, 2007 | 1 structure destroyed |
| Buckweed | Los Angeles | 38,356 | 155.2 | October 21, 2007 | November 1, 2007 | 63 structures destroyed |
| Roca Fire | Riverside | 270 | 1.1 | October 21, 2007 | November 1, 2007 | |
| Santiago | Orange | 28,400 | 114.9 | October 21, 2007 | November 9, 2007 | 24 structures destroyed |
| Coronado Hills Fire | San Diego | 250 | 1.0 | October 22, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Little Mountain Fire | San Bernardino | 650 | 2.6 | October 22, 2007 | October 24, 2007 | |
| Walker Fire | San Bernardino | 160 | 0.6 | October 22, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Cajon Fire | San Bernardino | 250 | 1.0 | October 22, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Magic | Los Angeles | 2,824 | 11.4 | October 22, 2007 | October 27, 2007 | |
| Slide | San Bernardino | 12,759 | 51.6 | October 22, 2007 | October 31, 2007 | 272 structures destroyed |
| Rice | San Diego | 9,472 | 38.3 | October 22, 2007 | November 1, 2007 | 248 structures destroyed |
| Grass Valley | San Bernardino | 1,247 | 5.0 | October 22, 2007 | October 29, 2007 | 178 structures destroyed |
| Rosa Fire | Riverside | 411 | 1.7 | October 22, 2007 | October 31, 2007 | |
| San Martin Fire | San Bernardino | 123 | 0.5 | October 23, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Meadowridge Fire | Los Angeles | 58,401 | 236.3 | October 23, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | |
| Poomacha | San Diego | 49,410 | 200.0 | October 23, 2007 | November 13, 2007 | 217 structures destroyed |
| Ammo (Horno) Fire | San Diego | 21,004 | 85.0 | October 23, 2007 | October 29, 2007 | |
| Wilcox Fire | San Diego | 100 | 0.4 | October 23, 2007 | October 26, 2007 | |
| Wildomar Fire | Riverside | 20 | 0.1 | October 24, 2007 | October 24, 2007 | |