NFPA Journal

FOR THE EIGHTH TIME in the last 10 years, a wildland/urban interface (WUI) fire topped the 2018 list of largest fires in the United States in terms of estimated loss. But 2018 was exceptional for another reason: For the first time in a decade, WUI fires accounted for the three largest fires on the list, as well as an overwhelming share of the losses attributed to large-loss fires for the year.

The largest was the Camp Fire, with estimated losses of $8.47 billion, followed by the Woolsey Fire ($2.93 billion) and the Carr Fire ($893 million). All three occurred in California. The fires are also recognized as the second-, third-, and twelfth-costliest wildfires, respectively, in US history. The Camp and Woolsey fires are surpassed only by the largest fire of 2017, the October Fire Siege, a series of California wildfires that consisted of 21 separate fire incidents and accounted for an estimated $10 billion in losses.

There were six wildfires identified as large-loss fires in the 2018 study, resulting in a toal loss of more than $12.35 billion. These incidents destroyed 22,454 structures, burned 903,782 acres, and resulted in 97 fatalities. Those figures represent more direct property loss, destroyed structures, burned acres, and people killed as a result of wildfire than any other year since this annual study was first conducted in 1975.

Although wildfires have historically accounted for a considerable portion of the NFPA large-loss fires report, the estimated property loss over the last several years is striking. In 2018, roughly 96 percent of the damages reported in this study are attributed to wildfire, similar to the 94 percent reported in 2017. During the last two years, these studies have included five of the twelve costliest wildfires in US history. This unbalanced distribution is a recent development, considering that an average of only 34 percent of the NFPA large-loss damages were attributed to wildfire in the 10-year period prior to 2015.

The Camp Fire, the Woolsey Fire, and the Carr Fire demonstrate the catastrophic potential of wildfire ignition in a WUI area. Communities developed in this terrain are more vulnerable to the uncontrolled structure-to-structure burning, known as urban conflagrations, because of their construction, materials composition, and proximity. While devastating urban conflagrations like the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Baltimore Fire of 1904 have been effectively eliminated in metropolitan areas over the last century, this phenomenon is emerging as communities are increasingly developed in wildfire-prone landscapes. This has contributed to the increase in large-scale wildfire incidents over the last several years, shifting the distribution of estimated property losses in this report from urban environments to suburban environments.

The $8.47 billion loss associated with the Camp Fire is roughly 69 percent of the total wildfire loss reported in this study. The majority of these losses resulted from the destruction of 1,820 structures, including 1,077 homes. The total residential personal property losses, including homes, condominiums, and mobile homes, was estimated at $7.44 billion, or 88 percent of the fire’s total losses. Total commercial property losses, including apartment buildings, office buildings, and retail stores, was estimated at $903 million, or 11 percent of the fire’s total losses. The remaining losses, including automobiles, aircraft, and machinery, was estimated at $130 million, or roughly 2 percent of the total Camp Fire losses. Although 456 fire personnel fought to suppress the fire, the cost of their efforts is not included in the estimates produced in this report. Additional costs, including business interruption and temporary shelter costs, are also excluded from these total-loss calculations.

The $2.93 billion loss associated with the Woolsey Fire is roughly 24 percent of the total wildfire losses reported in this study. This wildfire spread through wealthy communities in Los Angeles, destroying 1,500 structures, including a number of high-value properties. As a result, losses to residential personal properties were estimated at $2.66 billion, or 91 percent of the total Woolsey Fire losses. Commercial property loss, estimated at $236 million, and other losses, estimated at $37 million, accounted for 8 percent and 1 percent of the total Woolsey Fire losses, respectively.

The $893 million loss associated with the Carr Fire is roughly 7 percent of the total wildfire losses reported in this study. These losses include the destruction of 1,079 residential structures, 22 commercial structures, and 503 other structures. Residential personal property loss was estimated at $850 million, or 95 percent of the fire’s total losses. The total commercial property loss was estimated at $23 million, and other losses were estimated at $19 million. These estimates account for 3 percent and 2 percent of the total Carr Fire losses, respectively. 

MATTHEW FOLEY is a research associate in NFPA's Applied Research Group. Top photograph: Getty Images