Cedar Fire

The Cedar Fire was a wildfire which burned a large area of land in San Diego County, California in October 2003. The Cedar Fire was one of 15 wildfires burning throughout Southern California during that month, which became known as the "2003 Firestorm" and the "Fire Siege of 2003." The October 2003 California wildfires were estimated to have burned a total of 800,000 acres (3,200 km²). The Cedar Fire was the largest wildfire in recorded California history, with the possible exception of the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889.

Size

Driven by Santa Ana winds, the Cedar Fire burned 280,278 acres (1,134.2 km²) 2,820 buildings (including 2,232 homes) and killed 15 people including one firefighter before being contained on November 3, making it the largest fire in recorded California history. However, the Cedar Fire continued to burn within its perimeter for a little over a month, until it was 100% controlled on December 5.

Fire chronology

The Cedar Fire began in Cuyamaca Mountains within the Cleveland National Forest. It was first reported at 5:37 P.M PDT, on October 25, 2003, to the south of Ramona in central San Diego County. Within ten minutes of the initial report of the fire, the U.S. Forest Service had deployed 10 fire engines, two water tenders, two hand crews and two chief officers. Within 30 minutes, 320 firefighters and six fire chiefs were en route. A San Diego County Sheriff's Department ASTREA helicopter that was rescuing a hunter spotted the fire at about the same time as the first phone report was received and called for an air response. Another Sheriff's helicopter equipped with a Bambi bucket was dispatched to drop water on the fire. When the helicopter was only minutes away from the fire, a Forest Service fire chief cancelled the water drop because policy cut-off aerial firefighting 30 minutes before sunset.