Paradise Fire

Wildfire in San Diego County, October 2003

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Printed October 28, 2026 from www.firezones.info/fire/6000/paradise-fire-2003

Key facts

Started October 26, 2003
Contained November 4, 2003, after 9 days
Burned 56,546 acres
5th largest fire of 2003
Cause Arson
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Where it burned

County

  1. San Diego County 56,546 acres

Communities

  1. Valley Center 4,275 acres
  2. Escondido 1,308 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. 1913 Unnamed fire 62,426 acres in total 8,210 acres shared
  2. 1921 Unnamed fire 6,006 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 3,958 acres shared
  3. 1925 Unnamed fire 6,180 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 2,317 acres shared
  4. 1927 Unnamed fire 2,899 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 1,664 acres shared
  5. 1943 Unnamed fire 689 acres shared
  6. 1947 Unnamed fire 2,318 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 938 acres shared
  7. 1949 Unnamed fire 1,871 acres shared
  8. 1950 Guejito Fire 8,025 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 7,883 acres shared
  9. 1950 Harris Fire 3,671 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 3,420 acres shared
  10. 1955 Oakvale Lodge Fire 8,198 acres in total 1,882 acres shared
  11. 1956 Pine Mtn. Fire 7,782 acres in total 5,058 acres shared
  12. 1962 Bear Ridge Fire 1,855 acres in total 1,702 acres shared
  13. 1974 River Fire 1,702 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 841 acres shared
  14. 1985 Rey Fire 1,474 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 1,108 acres shared
  15. 1987 Grade Fire 2,748 acres in total · Cause: Arson 1,554 acres shared
  16. 1993 Boden Fire 1,630 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 1,467 acres shared
  17. 1994 Second Fire 5,779 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 1,868 acres shared
  18. 1996 Rincon Fire 1,984 acres in total · Cause: Equipment use 1,624 acres shared

Burned again

  1. 2007 Witch Fire 162,070 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 13,201 acres shared
  2. 2007 Poomacha Fire 49,411 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 15,196 acres shared

And 39 more fires that burned less of the same land. Acres are the land each fire shares with the Paradise 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