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100 Fires Project

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100 wildland fires everyone should know about

Exploring the history of the wildland fire service; honoring the past; carrying lessons forward

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Welcome to 2026, The 100 Fires Project team would like to extend our thanks to those of you who have followed, read and engaged with these posts this past year. We hope you continue to explore wildland fire history.

For those of you new to the 100 Fires Project, this collection of case studies offers a road map to the pivotal events that are part of our country’s wildfire history and influenced the development of the wildland fire service. It also allows us to remember and honor those who lost their lives during these events. As we reach the anniversary dates for these fires throughout the year, they will be featured in a weekly post every Monday morning.

Link to the interactive timeline website in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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9 months ago

The anchor point for the 100 Fires Project is our web-based interactive timeline which is hosted by the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. The timeline illustrates the historical sequence of these fires from 1825 to present day. Visit the timeline website, scroll down through the list of fires, and click on the fire names to read short case studies about those events.

Link to the timeline website is in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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2 years ago

Recently, we responded to a request from one of our readers for a list of book titles about old historic fires; it generated a lot of interest and other recommendations. Here is a collection of book titles about more current fires.

The 100 Fires Project team likes to encourage exploration of lesser known aspects in wildland fire history; so the first set of titles is off the beaten path. Some of these books provide non-traditional perspectives of wildland fire; some of them are “no sh*t, there I was” stories; and some of them recount forgotten fires in a compelling fashion.

The second set of titles contains more typical offerings about well known events; three books about the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire; books about significant fires in the 1990s and early 2000s; and a few of the many books about the 1988 Yellowstone Fires.

We also included two documentary movies; the 1990 Dude Fire and the 1977 Honda Canyon Fire. These are available on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV.

Leaders are readers. by @100firesproject

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10 months ago

This week in history - October 12 to October 18

10/12 - On this day in 1918, dozens of logging slash fires that were smoldering near Duluth, Minnesota combined into one conflagration known as the Cloquet Fire. The fire was pushed by strong frontal winds and raced through several counties, burning 250,000 acres, destroying several communities, and killing over 450 civilians.

10/17 - On this day in 1947, the Bar Harbor Fire started near Acadia National Park...three days later it erupted and nearly destroyed the entire town. This fire was part of a major wildfire outbreak in Maine that October which consumed over 200,000 acres, destroyed over 1200 buildings, and caused numerous civilian casualties.

For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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4 days ago

This week in history - October 5 to October 11

10/7 - On this day in 1825, the Miramichi Fire blew up, eventually burning over 3,000,000 acres across Maine and Nova Scotia while killing at least 160 settlers. This is one of the earliest documented mega-fires in North America.

10/7 - On this day in 1910, the Baudette Fire erupted and burned 300,000 acres of dense timber and slash in northern Minnesota; it destroyed several communities and took the lives of 42 civilians. This event is largely forgotten as it was overshadowed by the notorious Big Burn which occurred in the Northern Rockies earlier that year.

10/7 - On this day in 1971, three U.S. Forest Service firefighters and a contract dozer operator perished and two others were injured when they were trapped by a Sundowner wind shift during the Romero Fire on the Los Padres National Forest in California. This event prompted the US Forest Service in Region 5 to implement a Safety FIRST program. In 1972, feedback was collected from employees across the region and a number of subsequent changes were made to professionalize the fire organization.

10/8 - On this day in 1871, both the Peshtigo Fire and the Great Michigan Fire grew into huge conflagrations under the influence of a surfacing low level jet stream with winds reaching 100 mph. The Peshtigo Fire burned more than 1,200,000 acres around Green Bay, Wisconsin; as many as 2400 civilians may have perished. The Great Michigan Fire ran across the lower peninsula of the state, scorching more than 2,000,000 acres and taking the lives of at least 250 civilians. These fires, combined with the Great Chicago Fire which happened on the same day, are sometimes referred to together as the Great Midwest Fires of 1871.

For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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11 days ago

Today we remember and honor Daniel Holmes, an Arrowhead Hotshot, who died in a hazard tree accident on this day in 2004.

The 100 Fires Project team, in cooperation with the US Hotshots Association, is working to recognize all hotshot line of duty death incidents. For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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14 days ago

This week in history - September 28 to October 4

9/28 - On this day in 1926, five firefighters died when an abrupt wind reversal pushed flames over their position on the Kings Canyon Fire, west of Carson City, Nevada. The deceased firefighters included two inmates, a prison guard, a railroad employee, and a U.S. Forest Service patrolman.

10/2 - On this day in 1943, nine U.S. Marines died when they were overrun by flames while fighting the Hauser Creek Fire in east San Diego County, California. More than 70 other Marines fighting the fire suffered burn injuries during the entrapment. The next day, one U.S. Army Buffalo Soldier also died in the flames on this fire.

10/3 - On this day in 1933, at least 29 federal relief program day-laborers, who were working for Los Angeles County, died while fighting a small fire in Griffith Park. Some estimates of fatalities are higher. More than 150 other firefighters suffered burn injuries.

For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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18 days ago

Today we remember and honor the three Redding Hotshots who died in a helicopter accident on this day in 1970. Two other individuals also perished in the accident.

The 100 Fires Project team, in cooperation with the US Hotshots Association, is working to recognize all hotshot line of duty death incidents. For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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23 days ago

This week in history - September 21 to September 27

9/24 - On this day in 1954, three Folsom Prison inmate firefighters were entrapped and died during the Tunnel #6 Fire on the Tahoe National Forest in California. The “Watch Out Situation” about taking a nap on the fireline has been attributed to this fire.

9/24 - On this day in 1889, an escaped sheepherder campfire sparked the Santiago Canyon Fire that burned up to 300,000 acres in what is now Orange County, California.

9/25 - On this day in 1970, the Wright Fire started, burning 28,000 acres in Malibu, California. Ten civilians perished in the fire. The fire later merged with the 107,000 acre Clampitt Fire. These events were part of a fire siege that developed all across Southern California.

9/26 - On this day in 1970, the Laguna Fire started, burning 175,000 acres in San Diego County, California. As many as 16 civilians may have perished in the fire. Numerous other large fires raged at the same time in Southern California; this fire siege proved to be the springboard for the development of FIRESCOPE and the Incident Command System.

9/26 - On this day in 1936, the town of Bandon, Oregon was completely destroyed and 10 civilians died when a large wildfire fueled by flammable exotic vegetation raced through the town.

For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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25 days ago

Today we remember and honor Charlie Morton, a Big Bear Hotshot, who died during a fire entrapment on this day in 2020.

The 100 Fires Project team, in cooperation with the US Hotshots Association, is working to recognize all hotshot line of duty death incidents. For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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a month ago

This week in history - September 15 to September 21

The Great Fire of 1845 started in western Oregon during the early fall season. According to Indian oral history interviews, early settler accounts, and dated burnt snag patterns it is estimated that this fire covered more than 500,000 acres; running from the Willamette Valley over the Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean. Western Oregon experienced a series of similar large conflagrations during the years of 1849, 1853, 1865, and 1868.

For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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a month ago

This week in history - September 7 to September 13

9/7 - On this day in 1932, the Matilija Fire started near Ojai, California. This 220,000 acre fire shares some of the same footprint as later Santa Barbara area conflagrations such as the 1985 Wheeler Fire, the 2007 Zaca Fire, and the 2017 Thomas Fire. It is also notable for introducing two new forms of fire intel gathering: aerial observation and radio communication.

9/8 - On this day in 1902, the Yacolt Burn started near the Columbia River Gorge. Under the influence of strong east winds, several fires combined to run 30 miles in 36 hours. The fire covered 238,000 acres, mostly on the Washington side of the river, and at least 38 civilians perished in the conflagration.

For additional information visit the links in our Bio. by @100firesproject

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a month ago