California Wildfire Perimeters Since 1878

1878 onward, this dataset contains historical wildland fire perimeter GIS data maintained annually by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It represents the most complete digital record of fire perimeters in California, compiled with cooperation from multiple federal and state agencies. The data is updated each spring with perimeters from the previous fire season.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical fire size and frequency trends using the fire perimeter geometry and reported year data.
• Model fire risk by correlating perimeter locations with vegetation type criteria (timber, brush, grass).
• Assess the completeness of the fire record by identifying gaps where perimeters may be missing due to historical loss or size cutoffs.
• Compare California's fire perimeter records against the National Interagency Fire Center dataset to understand reporting differences.

Strengths

• Temporal coverage extends back to 1878, providing a long-term historical perspective.
• Data is updated annually in the spring, incorporating the previous year's fire season.
• Compiled through multi-agency cooperation (CAL FIRE, USFS, BLM, NPS, USFWS, CA State Parks).
• Includes specific collection criteria (e.g., fires ≥10 acres in timber, ≥50 acres in brush).

Limitations

• The dataset is acknowledged as incomplete, with missing perimeters due to lost records, size cutoffs, or delayed incorporation.
• Contains known errors such as duplicate fire records and over-generalization of perimeters, which can misrepresent unburned areas.
• May differ from the National Interagency Fire Center's dataset due to different reporting requirements.

Provenance

Source

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP).

Collection Method

GIS data developed and distributed annually with cooperation from USFS Region 5, BLM, California State Parks, NPS, and USFWS.

Time Range

1878 to present.

Freshness

Updated annually in the spring.

Geography

Public and private lands across California.