Rankin Ranch Fire

Wildfire in Kern County, September 1970

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Printed October 28, 2026 from www.firezones.info/fire/2588/rankin-ranch-fire-1970

Key facts

Started September 25, 1970
Contained Not recorded
Burned 35,976 acres
6th largest fire of 1970
Cause Miscellaneous
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Where it burned

County

  1. Kern County 35,976 acres

Acres are the land the fire burned in each county and community, and places where it burned less than an acre are not listed. Communities are cities, towns and the unincorporated places the Census Bureau names, so land outside any of them is counted only in its county.

The same land, other fires

Burned before

  1. 1922 Unnamed fire 5,101 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 12 acres shared
  2. 1966 Breckenridge Fire 5,322 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 2,194 acres shared

Burned again

  1. 1985 Rich Bar Fire 8,264 acres in total · Cause: Equipment use 15 acres shared
  2. 1994 Lucas #4 Fire 6,221 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 120 acres shared
  3. 2011 Breckenridge Complex 25,223 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 5,714 acres shared
  4. 2011 Baker Fire 1,711 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 1,587 acres shared
  5. 2024 Borel Fire 59,289 acres in total 1,828 acres shared

Acres are the land each fire shares with the Rankin Ranch Fire, and fires that shared 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 history
CAL FIRE Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Published 28 July 2026
Building damage
CAL FIRE Damage Inspection
Updated 19 October 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