The Southern California Wildfires of 1993

Beginning on October 27, 1993, Santa Ana conditions exacerbated a series of fires that burned over 300 square mailes and destroyed more than 1,000 structures in Southern California over 10 days. The fires occurred in two series. For the first outbreaks, occurring October 27-29, preliminary estimates of damage stand at $500 million, although this figure is expected to rise. At the height of the emergency, there were major fires burning in five counties with approximately 15,000 fire fighters battling the blazes. Of the 14 fires in the region, the worst blaze was the Laguna Beach fire in Orange County, which claimed 366 homes and burned nearly 17,000 acres. The fire was finally extinguished on Sunday, October 31, after a five-day battle. The Altadena/Sierra Madre fire destroyed 151 homes in a 5,700-acre blaze. Although there were no deaths in these fires or among those fighting them, 67 fire fighters were injured and four were seriously or critically burned.

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