Rocky Fire

Rocky Fire
A helicopter with a bucket of water slung on a rope beneath it approaches a plume of smoke rising above scrubby green and brown hills
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter of the California Air National Guard performs a water drop on the Rocky Fire
Date(s)
  • July 29 (29-07) –
  • August 14, 2015 (2015-08-14)
  • (17 days)
Location
Coordinates38°53′24″N 122°28′34″W / 38.89°N 122.476°W / 38.89; -122.476
Statistics
Burned area69,438 acres (28,101 ha; 108 sq mi; 281 km2)
Impacts
Evacuated~13,000
Structures destroyed96 (8 damaged)
Damage
  • $46.1 million
  • (equivalent to about $57.9 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseFaulty water heater
Map
The Rocky Fire footprint is shown in bright orange as an irregular circle, bounded by CA 16 and CA 20 with Clear Lake to the west and Interstate 5 to the east
The Rocky Fire's footprint east of Clear Lake
The Rocky Fire is marked on the map north of the Bay Area in Northern California
The Rocky Fire is marked on the map north of the Bay Area in Northern California
The general location of the Rocky Fire in Northern California

The Rocky Fire was a large wildfire in Lake, Colusa, and Yolo counties in Northern California in 2015. The fire burned 69,438 acres (28,101 hectares) between its ignition on July 29 and its full containment on August 14. Caused by a malfunctioning water heater being used for illegal cannabis cultivation, the fire destroyed 96 structures and was the fifth largest fire of the 2015 fire season in California.