Largest wildfires in the world
The largest wildfires in the world, ranked by area burned. Whole fire seasons with many fires are listed separately at the bottom, because the area covers all the fires together.
Black Thursday
6 February 1851 · Victoria · 50,000 km² burned
A scorching north wind swept across the Port Phillip colony and spread fires over about a quarter of what is now the state of Victoria. Twelve people, around a million sheep and thousands of cattle died. It is considered the largest outbreak of fire in Australia's recorded history.
Great Fire of 1919
1919 · Alberta and Saskatchewan · 20,234 km² burned
One of the largest fires recorded in North America. It burned across vast forests in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the spring and summer of 1919, and 11 people died.
Paraná fire
14 August–18 September 1963 · Paraná (128 municipalities) · 20,000 km² burned
Farmers burned small fields as usual, but drought and strong wind let the fire get out of control. In five weeks around two million hectares of forest, plantations and farmland burned in 128 municipalities, and in Ortigueira 90 % of the municipality burned. It is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Brazil's history.
Black Friday
13 January 1939 · Victoria · 20,000 km² burned
After a long heatwave, many smaller fires merged into a front that burned through large forests in Victoria in a single day. 71 people died and several small towns were wiped out. The fire led to a public inquiry that changed how Australia manages forests and fire.
Miramichi fire
7 October 1825 · New Brunswick · 16,000 km² burned
After an unusually hot summer and autumn, with many fires lit by settlers and loggers, the fire swept through northern New Brunswick in October 1825. On the evening of 7 October it destroyed the town of Newcastle in under three hours. Many people took refuge in the Miramichi River together with livestock and wild animals. About a fifth of New Brunswick's forests burned.
Chinchaga fire
June–October 1950 · Alberta and British Columbia · 14,000 km² burned
The largest single fire recorded in North America. It burned from summer into early autumn 1950 in an almost uninhabited area, and the authorities let it burn freely. The smoke rose high into the atmosphere and turned the sun and moon blue over the United States and Europe, leaving many wondering where the haze came from.
Great Fire of 1910 (“Big Burn”)
20–21 August 1910 · Idaho and Montana · 12,100 km² burned
Drought and lightning had lit hundreds of small fires in the Rocky Mountains, and on 20–21 August 1910 strong winds merged them into a huge firestorm. In two days more than 12,000 km² of forest burned. 87 people died, most of them firefighters, and several small towns were reduced to ashes. The fire shaped how the United States later prevented and fought forest fires.
Black Dragon fire (Daxing'anling)
6 May–2 June 1987 · Heilongjiang (China) and the Soviet Union · 10,000 km² burned
The deadliest forest fire in China. It broke out on 6 May 1987 in Daxing'anling in northern Heilongjiang, spread into the Soviet Union and burned for almost a month. Around 200 people died, tens of thousands were left homeless, and about a sixth of China's timber reserves were lost.
Richardson fire
15 May–September 2011 · North of Fort McMurray, Alberta · 7,051 km² burned
The fire started in mid-May 2011 in the backcountry north of Fort McMurray and burned more than 700,000 hectares of boreal forest. It threatened facilities in the Athabasca oil sands and led to evacuations and shutdowns. It was the largest fire in Alberta since the Chinchaga fire in 1950.
Donnie Creek fire
12 May 2023–August 2024 · North-eastern British Columbia · 6,191 km² burned
The largest recorded fire in British Columbia. It was started by lightning on 12 May 2023, 136 kilometres north of Fort Nelson, and burned all year. Embers that survived the winter started new fires in 2024. One firefighter died while working on the fire.
Fort McMurray fire (“The Beast”)
1 May 2016–2 August 2017 · Alberta and Saskatchewan · 5,896 km² burned
The fire started on 1 May 2016 south-west of Fort McMurray and swept through the town two days later. More than 88,000 people had to leave their homes, the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history, and thousands of homes and other buildings were destroyed. With damage of 9.9 billion Canadian dollars it is the costliest disaster in Canada's history. It kept smouldering and was not fully out until 2 August 2017.
Taylor Complex
2004 · Alaska · 5,275 km² burned
Seven fires that together burned about 5,300 km² in Alaska, the largest of them the Billy Creek fire. By area it was the largest fire in the United States from 1997 to 2007. It was part of the record 2004 season, when more than 27,000 km² burned in Alaska, and was not declared out until November.
Gospers Mountain fire
26 October 2019–12 January 2020 · New South Wales (Wollemi National Park) · 5,120 km² burned
The fire was started by lightning on 26 October 2019 in Wollemi National Park north-west of Sydney and grew through the catastrophic 2019–20 season to around 512,000 hectares. It is often called Australia's largest fire from a single ignition, but that is not true: more than 130,000 hectares came from backburns that escaped control. It was declared contained on 12 January 2020.
Peshtigo fire
8 October 1871 · Wisconsin and Michigan · 4,900 km² burned
The deadliest forest fire on record. On 8 October 1871 it swept across north-eastern Wisconsin and parts of Michigan, after an unusually dry spell with many small fires. More than 1,200 people died, perhaps as many as 2,500. It happened on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire and is far less known, although it took many more lives.
Smokehouse Creek fire
26 February–16 March 2024 · Texas and Oklahoma · 4,284 km² burned
The fire started on 26 February 2024 in the north-eastern Texas Panhandle and spread into Oklahoma. It is the largest fire in Texas since records began in 1988, and the largest in the United States in 2024. It was one of several wind-driven fires on the Great Plains at the same time.
August Complex
16 August–12 November 2020 · California · 4,179 km² burned
The complex began as 38 separate fires lit by lightning on 16–17 August 2020 in the Coast Range of northern California. Several of them merged, and it became the largest fire in California's history, about 1% of the state's area. It took almost three months to bring it fully under control. No civilians died, but one firefighter was killed and 935 buildings were destroyed.
Black Saturday
7 February 2009 · Victoria · 4,011 km² burned
Australia's deadliest fire disaster. On a day of record heat and strong wind, around 400 fires broke out in Victoria, and 173 people died. Towns such as Marysville and Kinglake were almost wiped out.
Thumb fire
5 September 1881 · Michigan · 4,000 km² burned
On 5 September 1881 more than 4,000 km² burned in under a day in the Thumb of Michigan. Drought, hurricane-force winds and debris from the logging of the time fed the fire. 282 people died. The next day smoke and ash turned the sky yellow over cities in New England, and the day became known as Yellow Tuesday.
Saguenay fire
18–19 May 1870 · Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Québec · 4,000 km² burned
Land-clearing fires got out of control in dry weather and strong wind. In two days around 4,000 km² burned between Saint-Félicien and La Baie. Many settler families lost everything.
Dixie fire
13 July–25 October 2021 · California · 3,898 km² burned
The fire started on 13 July 2021 in the Feather River Canyon in California and burned for more than three months. It is the largest single-ignition fire in California's history, and the first known to have crossed the crest of the Sierra Nevada. Among other places it destroyed the small town of Greenville. Fighting it cost 637.4 million dollars, more than any other wildfire in the United States.
Yellowstone fires
14 June–18 November 1988 · Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Montana · 3,213 km² burned
Many smaller fires merged in a summer of extreme drought, and on 8 September the whole national park was closed for the first time. About 36 % of the park burned. The fires changed how natural fire is viewed in American national parks.
Black Tuesday
7 February 1967 · South-east Tasmania · 2,643 km² burned
More than a hundred fires raged at the same time in south-east Tasmania in strong wind, and several reached the suburbs of Hobart. 64 people died and around 7,000 lost their homes in a single day.
Morrill fire
12–25 March 2026 · Nebraska · 2,604 km² burned
A grass fire that started at power lines spread across five counties in western Nebraska in less than two weeks.
Matheson fire
29 July 1916 · Ontario · 2,000 km² burned
Settlers cleared land by burning, and after a dry summer several of these fires merged into one great firestorm on 29 July 1916. At times its front was 64 kilometres wide, and several small towns were completely destroyed. Smoke had hung over the area for weeks, so people had almost no warning. Officially 223 people died.
Great Porcupine fire
11 July 1911 · Ontario · 1,999 km² burned
The fire struck the gold-mining district at Porcupine in Ontario, now part of Timmins, at the height of the gold rush. After an early spring and an unusually hot and dry summer, a strong gale on 11 July 1911 whipped up several small bush fires, which merged and razed everything in their path.
Great Fire of 1922
4–5 October 1922 · Timiskaming, Ontario · 1,680 km² burned
Land-clearing fires that had smouldered through a dry autumn were whipped up by a storm and destroyed the town of Haileybury and several settlements within a day. It is considered one of the ten worst natural disasters in Canada's history.
Cloquet fire
12 October 1918 · Carlton County, Minnesota · 1,012 km² burned
Sparks from trains started several fires in a dry autumn, and strong wind drove them into the town of Cloquet and neighbouring communities. 453 people died. It is one of the deadliest natural disasters in Minnesota's history.
Hinckley fire
1 September 1894 · Pine County, Minnesota · 809 km² burned
After a long drought, several fires in logging slash merged into a firestorm that destroyed the town of Hinckley in a few hours. Hundreds were rescued by trains that drove through the flames.
Evros fire (Dadia)
21 August 2023 · Eastern Macedonia and Thrace · 800 km² burned
The fire started on 21 August 2023 near Alexandroupolis in north-eastern Greece, in a summer of many large fires. Most of the burned area lies in the Dadia forest, where most of the forest was lost. The hospital in Alexandroupolis had to be evacuated, and several migrants died when they were trapped by the flames.
Camp fire
8–25 November 2018 · Butte County, California · 621 km² burned
The deadliest and most destructive fire in California's history. A fault on a power line started the fire, which in strong wind destroyed the town of Paradise within hours. Almost 19,000 buildings were lost.
Abai fire
June 2023 · Abai Region · 600 km² burned
The deadliest forest fire in Kazakhstan's history. It burned in the pine forest in the north-east, and 14 firefighters died when they were trapped by the flames.
Landes fire
19–25 August 1949 · Landes forest, Nouvelle-Aquitaine · 500 km² burned
The deadliest forest fire in France's history. 82 people died, most of them firefighters, soldiers and volunteers caught by the flames in the pine forest south of Bordeaux.
Pedrógão Grande fire
17–24 June 2017 · Leiria district · 289 km² burned
Four fires broke out at the same time one afternoon and merged in the eucalyptus and pine forest. Many of the 66 who died were in their cars on a road that was overtaken by the flames.
Knysna fires
6–10 June 2017 · Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape · 149.6 km² burned
A severe storm with hurricane-force gusts drove 20–30 fires through forest and plantations around the coastal town of Knysna. Seven people died and around 600 buildings burned. It is one of the worst fire disasters in South Africa.
Viña del Mar fires
1–5 February 2024 · Valparaíso Region · 95 km² burned
Record heat and drought produced several fires that spread into the residential areas around Viña del Mar and Quilpué. With 138 deaths, it is Chile's worst disaster since the 2010 earthquake.
Mount Carmel fire
2–6 December 2010 · Mount Carmel near Haifa · 50 km² burned
The deadliest fire in Israel's history. It probably started through careless use of a hookah, and 17,000 people were evacuated. Israel received help with firefighting aircraft from many countries, including its neighbours.
Mati fire
23–26 July 2018 · Attica, east of Athens · 12.76 km² burned
A fire driven by gale-force gusts swept through the coastal town of Mati in a few hours. Many were trapped between the flames and the sea. With 104 deaths, it is Europe's deadliest forest fire this century.
Major fire seasons worldwide
A fire season is many fires in the same country or region during one season. The area covers all the fires together, so they are listed separately.
Australian fire season 2023–24
2023 · Northern and Central Australia · 1,445,372 km² burned
The largest fire season recorded this century by area. Most of it burned in the grass and savanna country of the north, far from where people live.
Australian fire season 1974–75
October 1974–February 1975 · Inland Australia, from the Northern Territory to New South Wales · 1,170,000 km² burned
After several unusually wet years with lots of grass, fire swept across vast areas of inland Australia. About 117 million hectares burned, the largest burned area recorded in a single season.
South American fires of 2024
2024 · Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and other countries · 858,669 km² burned
A record-dry season brought enormous fires in the Amazon, the Pantanal, the Cerrado and the Chiquitanía in Bolivia. Smoke covered large parts of the continent, and 154 people died.
Australian fire season 2002–03
2002 · Australia, including Canberra and the Australian Alps · 540,000 km² burned
A long season of fires across much of Australia. The fire that reached the suburbs of Canberra in January 2003 destroyed hundreds of homes.
Black Summer
June 2019–March 2020 · South-east Australia · 240,000 km² burned
After Australia's hottest and driest year, more than 24 million hectares burned, mostly in New South Wales and Victoria. The Gospers Mountain fire alone became the largest single fire recorded in the country. An estimated billion animals died.
Siberian forest fires of 2003
14 March–8 August 2003 · Siberia and the Russian Far East · 200,000 km² burned
Thousands of fires in the taiga of Siberia and the Russian Far East through spring and summer. About 20 million hectares burned, among the largest burned areas recorded in a single season.
Canadian wildfires of 2023
March–November 2023 · Every province and territory · 185,000 km² burned
The largest fire season in Canadian and North American recorded history. All 13 provinces and territories were affected, between 185,000 and 232,000 people were evacuated, and smoke covered cities such as New York. The Donnie Creek fire was the largest single fire.
Indonesian forest fires of 1997–98
mid-1997–1998 · Kalimantan and Sumatra · 80,000 km² burned
Slash-and-burn fires to clear rainforest and peatland for plantations got out of control in a dry El Niño season. The smoke caused the worst haze recorded in South-East Asia, with health problems and airports closed in several countries.
Russian forest fires of 2021
2021 · Yakutia and the rest of Siberia · 78,000 km² burned
Record heat and drought brought enormous fires in the Siberian taiga, worst in Yakutia. For the first time on record, wildfire smoke reached the North Pole.
Siberian forest fires of 2019
2019 · Siberia · 78,000 km² burned
Large fires in the taiga from June to September 2019, mostly in Yakutia, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Buryatia. Many burned in remote areas where the authorities let them burn.
Canadian wildfires of 2024
2024 · Canada · 53,780 km² burned
The year after the record season, large fires continued in Canada. The Jasper fire destroyed a third of the town of Jasper in Alberta.
Northwest Territories fires of 2014
summer 2014 · Northwest Territories · 35,000 km² burned
Lightning and human activity started hundreds of fires in the dry boreal forest around Great Slave Lake. About 3.5 million hectares burned.
Alaska fire season of 2004
2004 · Alaska · 26,700 km² burned
The largest fire season in Alaska's history. The Taylor Complex, one of the largest single fires in the United States, was part of it.
California fire season of 2020
2020 · California · 17,797 km² burned
The largest fire season in California's recorded history, with the August Complex as the largest fire. The smoke turned the sky orange over San Francisco.
European and Mediterranean wildfires of 2022
2022 · Over 27 countries, worst in Spain, Portugal and France · 16,244 km² burned
Heatwaves and drought made it one of the worst fire years in Europe. Spain had the most burned area, and large fires also raged in Portugal, France and around the Mediterranean.
Texas wildfires of 2011
2011 · Texas · 16,235 km² burned
During a historic drought, fires burned across large parts of Texas. The Bastrop fire destroyed more than 1,600 homes and became the most destructive in the state's history.
Bolivian forest fires of 2010
2010 · Bolivia · 15,000 km² burned
Slash-and-burn fires got out of control in a dry season, and about 1.5 million hectares of forest and savanna burned in Bolivia.
Australian fire season 2006–07
2006 · Victoria and Tasmania · 13,000 km² burned
The long Great Divide fire in the mountains of Victoria burned for almost two months and was one of the longest fires in Australia's history.
British Columbia wildfires of 2017
2017 · British Columbia · 11,480 km² burned
The largest fire season in British Columbia up to then. Over 65,000 people were evacuated during the summer.
Amazon fires of 2019
January–October 2019 · Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay and Colombia · 9,060 km² burned
Slash-and-burn fires to clear rainforest for grazing and farming rose sharply in 2019 and caused international concern for the Amazon. Most of it was illegal deforestation.
Corrientes fires of 2022
from January 2022 · Corrientes Province · 8,000 km² burned
Fires in grassland, forest and wetland, including the Iberá Wetlands, burned for months and took around a tenth of the province.
Manitoba fires of 1989
1989 · Manitoba · 5,261 km² burned
One of the worst fire seasons in Manitoba, with the evacuation of many Indigenous communities in the north.
Chilean wildfires of 2017
2017 · Central Chile · 5,000 km² burned
The worst fires in Chile's history up to then, mostly in pine and eucalyptus plantations. The village of Santa Olga was wiped out.
Chilean fire season 2022–23
2023 · South-central Chile · 4,317 km² burned
Hundreds of fires in the regions of Ñuble, Biobío and Araucanía during a heatwave in February 2023.
Russian wildfires of 2010
late July–early September 2010 · Western Russia · 3,000 km² burned
Several hundred fires broke out in the hottest summer measured in Russia. Peat bogs burned around Moscow, and smoke hung over the city for weeks.
Greek forest fires of 2007
28 June–3 September 2007 · Peloponnese, Attica and Evia · 2,700 km² burned
Heatwaves, strong wind and arson made 2007 Greece's worst fire summer. The worst fires raged on the Peloponnese in August, where most of the 85 deaths occurred.
Argentine wildfires of 2026
from 5 January 2026 · Patagonia: Chubut, Río Negro, La Pampa and Santa Cruz · 2,300 km² burned
The largest fire started on 5 January at Puerto Patriada in Chubut and grew from 1,800 hectares in two days to over 20,000 hectares in ten. Scrub, plantations and native forest in Patagonia burned, and police suspect several of the fires were started deliberately.
Algerian wildfires of 2021
June–October 2021 · Northern Algeria, worst in Kabylia · 1,342 km² burned
A series of fires in the forests of Kabylia in northern Algeria, the worst from 9 August. 90 people died, including 33 soldiers who were trapped by the flames during a rescue operation.
Russian wildfires of 2015
2015 · Khakassia and Zabaykalsky Krai · 1,070 km² burned
Grass fires driven by storms in April 2015 burned into villages in Khakassia and Zabaykalsky Krai. 33 people died.
South Korean wildfires of 2025
21 March–May 2025 · Uiseong and North Gyeongsang · 1,000 km² burned
The worst forest fires in South Korea's history. The Uiseong fire spread in strong wind and destroyed, among other things, the more than 1,000-year-old Gounsa temple. Over 37,000 people were evacuated.