California wildfires today: fire map & active fires
Every active wildfire in California from official fire reports — size, containment and last update — plus red flag warnings and this year's fire season numbers.
Active fires in California
Fire weather alerts in California
California fire season 2026 so far
Wildfires per month, 2026
Busiest month so far: July. Current month is still in progress.
Counties with the most wildfires
| Los Angeles | 3,170 fires |
| Riverside | 581 fires |
| San Bernardino | 393 fires |
| San Diego | 311 fires |
| Kern | 244 fires |
| Shasta | 189 fires |
| Fresno | 186 fires |
Wildfires only, prescribed burns excluded · NIFC WFIGS · data updated 2026-09-29
Largest California wildfires in 2026
| Fire | Acres | Contained | County | Discovered | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug | 93,733 | 100% | Lassen | 2026-08-08 | Human |
| Biscar | 69,355 | 100% | Lassen | 2026-07-18 | Undetermined |
| Plaskett | 29,993 | 99% | Monterey | 2026-08-26 | Undetermined |
| Timber | 25,349 | 88% | Monterey | 2026-08-09 | Undetermined |
| Santa Rosa Island | 18,379 | 100% | Santa Barbara | 2026-05-15 | Human |
| Elephant | 13,930 | 100% | Plumas | 2026-07-11 | Undetermined |
| Rock | 12,008 | 100% | Inyo | 2026-07-20 | Undetermined |
| Gann | 10,339 | 100% | Calaveras | 2026-08-04 | Undetermined |
Size is the latest reported size. Cause as recorded by the reporting agency; many causes stay "undetermined" until an investigation closes.
Fires and smoke by city in California
How to follow a fire in California
The map above shows every wildfire in California that is still in the national incident system — new starts often appear within hours, large fires are updated at least daily. Red dots are fires under 50% contained; grey ones are fully contained but not yet declared out.
For evacuation orders, follow your county sheriff or emergency management office and sign up for your county's emergency alerts: fire agencies report the fire, counties order evacuations. Red flag warnings from the National Weather Service mean the weather — wind, low humidity, dry fuel — can make any new fire spread fast.
See also: fires near me · smoke and air quality · evacuation checklist · national wildfire map.
Questions
How many wildfires are burning in California right now?
The live list at the top of this page counts every wildfire in California that is currently in the national incident system, and how many are still under 50% contained. It updates each time you load the page.
How many acres have burned in California in 2026?
391,108 acres from 8,094 wildfires reported between January 1 and September 29, 2026, compared with 520,954 acres over the same period of 2025.
What was the largest wildfire in California this year?
The Bug Fire in Lassen County, at 93,733 acres by its latest reported size.
What causes most wildfires in California?
Of this year's reported wildfires in California, 3% are recorded as human-caused and 1% as natural (mostly lightning); the rest are undetermined or still under investigation.
Track California fires on your iPhone
Save your home and family's addresses, see how far the nearest active fire is and which way the wind is pushing it, and get alerts only for fires that are actually active.