Chalk Fire

Wildfire in Monterey County, September 2008

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Printed October 28, 2026 from www.firezones.info/fire/6770/chalk-fire-2008

Key facts

Started September 27, 2008
Contained October 30, 2008, after 33 days
Burned 16,266 acres
21st largest fire of 2008
Cause Miscellaneous
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Where it burned

County

  1. Monterey County 16,266 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 3,374 acres in total 2,731 acres shared
  2. 1917 Unnamed fire 3,095 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 2,135 acres shared
  3. 1921 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 362 acres shared
  4. 1928 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 1,582 acres shared
  5. 1930 Unnamed fire 440 acres shared
  6. 1933 Unnamed fire 945 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 252 acres shared
  7. 1948 Unnamed fire Cause: Miscellaneous 682 acres shared
  8. 1979 Nacimiento Fire 6,070 acres in total · Cause: Arson 55 acres shared
  9. 1985 Wizard Fire 4,830 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 131 acres shared
  10. 1985 Gorda-Rat Fire 56,158 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 8,119 acres shared
  11. 1996 Wild Fire 25,512 acres in total · Cause: Arson 3,046 acres shared
  12. 1999 Kirk Fire 85,835 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 9,164 acres shared

Burned again

  1. 2019 Mill Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 322 acres shared
  2. 2020 Dolan Fire 124,527 acres in total 16,111 acres shared

Acres are the land each fire shares with the Chalk 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