Laguna Fire

Wildfire in San Diego County, September 1970

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Printed October 28, 2026 from www.firezones.info/fire/2593/laguna-fire-1970

Key facts

Started September 26, 1970
Contained September 26, 1970, after 0 days
Burned 174,162 acres
Largest fire of 1970 and 20th largest in California's records
Cause Campfire
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Where it burned

County

  1. San Diego County 174,162 acres

Communities

  1. Jamul 8,114 acres
  2. Harbison Canyon 4,401 acres
  3. Crest 4,179 acres
  4. Alpine 3,914 acres
  5. Rancho San Diego 2,473 acres
  6. Spring Valley 928 acres
  7. Pine Valley 874 acres
  8. Granite Hills 867 acres
  9. El Cajon 136 acres
  10. Chula Vista 122 acres
  11. San Diego 6 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. 1911 Unnamed fire 10,394 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 3,834 acres shared
  2. 1912 Unnamed fire 6,929 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 6,212 acres shared
  3. 1915 Unnamed fire 4,833 acres shared
  4. 1926 Unnamed fire 10,371 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 8,715 acres shared
  5. 1928 Unnamed fire 5,693 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 4,260 acres shared
  6. 1943 Unnamed fire 13,707 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 13,068 acres shared
  7. 1943 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 5,981 acres shared
  8. 1943 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 3,911 acres shared
  9. 1943 Unnamed fire 4,836 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 3,419 acres shared
  10. 1944 Unnamed fire 64,420 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 8,387 acres shared
  11. 1945 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 9,845 acres shared
  12. 1947 Unnamed fire 3,186 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 3,071 acres shared
  13. 1950 Sequan #2 Fire 5,332 acres in total 5,203 acres shared
  14. 1953 Bronco Flats Fire 8,817 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 7,241 acres shared

Burned again

  1. 1985 Miller Fire 8,270 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 3,758 acres shared
  2. 2001 Viejas Fire 10,438 acres in total · Cause: Smoking 10,080 acres shared
  3. 2003 Cedar Fire 270,686 acres in total · Cause: Equipment use 8,029 acres shared
  4. 2006 Horse Fire Cause: Campfire 16,678 acres shared
  5. 2007 Harris 2 Fire 90,728 acres in total 21,340 acres shared
  6. 2020 Valley Fire 16,386 acres shared

And 199 more fires that burned less of the same land. Acres are the land each fire shares with the Laguna 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