49er Fire

49er Fire
Very large, bright yellow flames are visible above green treetops in the background, with a red Cal Fire pickup truck visible in the foreground
Flames appear behind a firefighting vehicle during the 49er Fire
Date(s)
  • September 11 (11-09) –
  • September 16, 1988 (1988-09-16)
  • (6 days)
LocationNevada County
& Yuba County, California, United States
Coordinates39°19′41″N 121°06′40″W / 39.328°N 121.111°W / 39.328; -121.111
Statistics
Burned area33,700 acres (13,638 ha; 53 sq mi; 136 km2)
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries≥500
Evacuated≥8,000
Structures destroyed312
Damage
  • $29.1 million
  • (equivalent to about $64.7 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseBurning debris
Map
The 49er Fire footprint is shown in vivid orange, originating near Highway 49 and spreading down and to the left towards multiple towns against a white and green backdrop
The fire burned southwest from Highway 49 in a two-pronged arc over several days, crossing both the Yuba River and Highway 20.
A map of California and its counties, with a flame symbol marking the location of the 49er Fire in the northern third, west of Lake Tahoe
A map of California and its counties, with a flame symbol marking the location of the 49er Fire in the northern third, west of Lake Tahoe
The 49er Fire burned in California's Nevada and Yuba counties, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

The 49er Fire was a destructive wildfire in 1988 in Northern California's Nevada County and Yuba County. The fire ignited on September 11 when a man accidentally set brush on fire by burning toilet paper near Highway 49. Driven by severe drought conditions and strong, dry winds, firefighting crews were hard-pressed to stop the fire's advance until winds calmed and humidity levels recovered. The fire burned 33,700 acres (13,600 hectares) throughout the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, impinging on the communities of Lake Wildwood, Rough and Ready, and Smartsville before officials declared it fully contained on September 16.

The 49er Fire destroyed 312 structures, including more than 140 homes, making it the most destructive wildfire in Nevada County's history and—at the time—one of the five most destructive wildfires in recorded Californian history. It was also the seventh most expensive California wildfire in terms of losses, which amounted to approximately $23 million (equivalent to about $51 million in 2023). The 49er Fire highlighted the rapid pace and the potential consequences of development in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), and was sometimes called the 'wildfire of the 1990s' by state officials in an effort to raise awareness of the growing challenges of firefighting in areas where human structures intermingle with wildland fuels.