Fountain Fire

Fountain Fire
A map of the Fountain Fire's eventual perimeter, an irregular oval centered around Highway 299
A map of the Fountain Fire's final footprint
Date(s)
  • August 20 (20-08) –
  • August 28, 1992 (1992-08-28)
  • (9 days)
Location
Coordinates40°45′22″N 121°58′08″W / 40.756°N 121.969°W / 40.756; -121.969
Statistics[1][2]
Burned area63,960 acres (25,884 ha; 100 sq mi; 259 km2)
Land usePrivate timberland
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries≥11
Evacuated7,500
Structures destroyed636 (330 residential)
Damage
  • ~$127.6 million
  • (equivalent to about $248.8 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseProbable arson
Map
A map showing the Fountain Fire's location in the southern portion of Shasta County in far northern California
A map showing the Fountain Fire's location in the southern portion of Shasta County in far northern California
Location of the Fountain Fire in Northern California

The 1992 Fountain Fire was a large and destructive wildfire in Shasta County, California. The fire ignited on August 20 in an act of probable but unattributed arson, and was quickly driven northeast by strong winds. It outpaced firefighters for two days, exhibiting extreme behavior such as long-range spot fires, crown fire runs, and pyrocumulonimbus clouds with dry lightning. The fire was contained after burning for nine days, though work to strengthen and repair fire lines continued for more than two months.

The Fountain Fire consumed 63,960 acres (25,880 ha) and destroyed hundreds of homes, primarily in Round Mountain and Montgomery Creek along the State Route 299 corridor. In 1992, it was the third most destructive wildfire in California's recorded history, though it no longer features among the 20 most destructive California wildfires. At a suppression cost of more than $22 million (~$43 million in 2023), it was also for a time the most expensive fire to contain in state history.

At the time, the Fountain Fire was recognized not just as a major disaster, but also as a 'fire of the future'. The devastation the fire left as it moved through private timberlands interspersed with rural communities made it emblematic of the challenges residents and firefighting personnel both face in the wildland-urban interface. The Fountain Fire was surpassed by later California wildfires in metrics for losses, but it remains notable for its speed, its widespread destruction in multiple communities, and the long-term alteration of the landscape within its footprint.

  1. ^ "20 Largest California Wildland Fires (By Structures Lost)". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 2001. Archived from the original on October 31, 2001. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :39 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).