Changes

The archaeological and ecological record in California reveal a long history of wildfires in the state of California. In a study looking at pre-1800 wildfires, almost 1.8 million hectares were estimated to burn annually in California. This is about the level that has burned as of early October 2020. Scientists estimate that the summer and autumn seasons were often filled with smokey skies of burning forests.<ref>Stephens, S.L., Martin, R.E., Clinton, N.E., 2007. Prehistoric fire area and emissions from California’s forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands. <i>Forest Ecology and Management</i> 251, 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.06.005</ref>  One of the first major recorded wildfires occurred in 1889; sometimes called the Great Fire of 1889 or the Santiago Canyon Fire. The fire mainly occurred in what are today's Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties. Until 2018, this may have been the largest single wildfire event in California's recorded history, with over 300,000 acres burned. It started in September 24 and continued to September 30th. The fire was preceded by a very dry season, with only 0.4 inches of rain during the rainy season and strong Santa Ana winds were recorded that year.