Copper Fire

Copper Fire
In a photograph taken from the International Space Station on June 7, 2002, the Copper Fire burns in the hills outside Santa Clarita.
Date(s)	June 5 (5-06) – June 12, 2002 (2002-06-12) (8 days)
Location	Los Angeles County, Southern California, United States
Coordinates	34°28′N 118°33′W / 34.47°N 118.55°W / 34.47; -118.55
Statistics
Burned area	23,407 acres (9,472 ha; 37 sq mi; 95 km2)
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries	9
Evacuated	>2,000 people
Structures destroyed	26
Damage	$6.6 million (equivalent to about $10.7 million in 2023)
Ignition
Cause	Equipment use
Map
The fire burned in an area north of the city of Santa Clarita, in the Angeles National Forest.
The Copper Fire burned in northwestern Los Angeles County.

The Copper Fire was a wildfire in Los Angeles County, Southern California, in June 2002. After igniting on June 5 near the city of Santa Clarita, the fire burned for a week and consumed 23,407 acres (9,472 hectares), damaging wildlife habitat and historic structures in the Angeles National Forest. It was fully contained on June 12. The fire destroyed more than two dozen buildings and resulted in at least nine firefighter injuries. The federal government later sued two contractors, arguing that their negligence had sparked the fire during construction work. The suit resulted in a jury award in the government's favor of more than $36 million (equivalent to more than $50 million in 2023). The award was the first ever in the United States for environmental damages from a wildfire.