Mears Fire (1951): burned area, damage and fire history

Key facts

Started	August 1, 1951
Contained	Not recorded
Burned	29,523 acres Largest fire of 1951
Cause	Miscellaneous

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Where it burned

County

Modoc County 29,523 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

1915 Tickner Rd#2 Fire Cause: Lightning 8 acres shared
1948 Unnamed fire 18,188 acres in total 15,006 acres shared
1948 Cummins Fire 16 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 14 acres shared

Burned again

1972 Mears Fire Cause: Railroad 8 acres shared
1996 Damon/Long Fire 23,380 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 2,556 acres shared
1996 Dalton 1 Fire 20 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 19 acres shared
1996 Clear Lake Fire Cause: Lightning 313 acres shared
1996 Dalton 3 Fire 2,379 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 66 acres shared
1999 Pine Fire 30,578 acres in total 944 acres shared
2007 Backscatter Fire 69 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 7 acres shared
2014 Dalton Fire 641 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 39 acres shared
2020 Dalton Fire 1,367 acres in total · Cause: Lightning 903 acres shared
2025 Radar Fire Cause: Lightning 19 acres shared

Acres are the land each fire shares with the Mears 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