Nevada County

County in California

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Report created October 27, 2026 at www.firezones.info/county/057/nevada

  • Fire hazard severity zones

    Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

    52% Very High

    Most of the Very High land is in the State Responsibility Area, where the State Fire Marshal's zones apply.

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  • Fire history

    Share of the land inside a recorded wildfire perimeter

    26% has burned

    Most recently the 2025 Nichols Fire, which burned 12 acres here, one of 231 fires on record.

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  • Power line fire risk

    Share of the land in the High Fire-Threat District

    32% Extreme

    Utilities may shut off power in the CPUC High Fire-Threat District in fire weather, and homes outside it can lose power when their lines run through it.

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Land by hazard class

  1. Very High 324,857 acres · 303,916 state, 20,941 local 52%
  2. High 79,938 acres · 75,891 state, 4,046 local 13%
  3. Moderate 2,486 acres · 2,193 state, 293 local <1%
  4. Non-wildland 126 acres · Local Responsibility Area <1%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 215,821 acres · Mostly federal land 35%

623,229 acres of land in all, 382,001 in the State Responsibility Area and 25,407 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since 1 April 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

Largest fires

  1. 1988 49'Er Fire Of 36,343 acres in all · Cause: Debris burning 34,834 acres
  2. 1960 Donner Ridge Fire Of 43,374 acres in all · Cause: Debris burning 19,210 acres
  3. 1924 Unnamed fire Of 16,267 acres in all · Cause: Miscellaneous 14,251 acres
  4. 1947 Unnamed fire Of 9,005 acres in all · Cause: Miscellaneous 6,621 acres
  5. 1917 Unnamed fire 6,261 acres
  6. 1960 North San Juan Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 5,838 acres
  7. 2001 Martis Fire Of 14,127 acres in all · Cause: Campfire 5,323 acres
  8. 1926 Unnamed fire 5,245 acres
  9. 1924 Unnamed fire Of 14,671 acres in all · Cause: Miscellaneous 4,831 acres
  10. 1910 Unnamed fire 4,411 acres

And 221 smaller fires. In all, 164,893 acres of Nevada County have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history

Sources

Fire hazard severity zones
CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal
State map published 27 June 2025, local map 2 February 2026
Fire history
CAL FIRE Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Published 28 July 2026
Power line fire risk
California Public Utilities Commission
Published 23 February 2026

This site is independent and not affiliated with CAL FIRE or the CPUC, so for an official determination, check with the agency or your city or county. How we read the data

Nearby areas

Cities and towns in Nevada County

Unincorporated communities in Nevada County

ZIP codes in Nevada County

Neighboring counties

  1. Nevada County 52% Very High · this area
  2. Placer County 25% Very High
  3. Sierra County 20% Very High
  4. Yuba County 29% Very High