Slater Fire

Wildfire in Siskiyou and Del Norte counties, September 2020

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Printed October 28, 2026 from www.firezones.info/fire/8164/slater-fire-2020

Key facts

Started September 8, 2020
Contained December 12, 2020, after 95 days
Burned 157,430 acres
7th largest fire of 2020 and 27th largest in California's records
Cause Not recorded
Buildings 353 destroyed, 24 damaged
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Where it burned

Counties

  1. Siskiyou County 80,736 acres
  2. Del Norte County 30,834 acres

Community

  1. Happy Camp 5,514 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.

Buildings damaged

  1. Destroyed Over 50% damaged 353
  2. Major damage 25 to 50% damaged 7
  3. Minor damage 10 to 25% damaged 4
  4. Affected Up to 10% damaged 13

Buildings CAL FIRE inspected after the fire, by how badly each was damaged. Inspectors record homes, businesses and outbuildings within 100 meters of the fire, and cannot always reach every one, so the counts can differ slightly from other reports.

The same land, other fires

Burned before

  1. 1911 N/A Fire 257 acres shared
  2. 1917 N/A Fire 2,970 acres in total · Cause: Debris burning 2,258 acres shared
  3. 1932 N/A Fire Cause: Debris burning 289 acres shared
  4. 1939 Miller Fire Cause: Arson 152 acres shared
  5. 1953 Majestic Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 44 acres shared
  6. 1954 Bald Hornet Fire Cause: Equipment use 101 acres shared
  7. 1955 East Fk. Access Fire Cause: Miscellaneous 729 acres shared
  8. 1966 Indian Ridge Fire 11,744 acres in total · Cause: Arson 8,767 acres shared
  9. 1968 Unnamed fire 48 acres shared
  10. 1987 Slater Fire 5,554 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 5,427 acres shared
  11. 1987 Thompson Fire 8,909 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 4,023 acres shared
  12. 1987 Ten Bald Fire 18,355 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 293 acres shared
  13. 1987 Snow Brush Fire Cause: Lightning 116 acres shared
  14. 1987 Slide Fire Cause: Lightning 115 acres shared
  15. 1992 Ben Fire Cause: Lightning 295 acres shared
  16. 2007 Little Grider Fire Cause: Lightning 2,172 acres shared
  17. 2014 Kemper Fire Cause: Lightning 173 acres shared
  18. 2017 Oak Fire 91,125 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 2,161 acres shared
  19. 2018 Natchez Fire 38,118 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 4,439 acres shared

Burned again

  1. 2023 Kelly Fire 89,326 acres in total 274 acres shared

And 19 more fires that burned less of the same land. Acres are the land each fire shares with the Slater 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