Thirty years ago veteran firefighters had never seen anything like the 49er Fire, a wildfire started by a mentally-ill transient burning toilet paper. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Sean Griffis was a 25-year-old rookie when the fire broke out on Sept. 11, 1988 and he remembers a conversation with a seasoned firefighter.
“The battalion chief said this is going to be the fire of the future,” Griffis recalled. “This is going to be the fire of the new millennium.” Over the course of three days, the 49er Fire covered 53 square miles and destroyed 148 homes. At the time it was the third most destructive wildfire in California history.
80 percent of the homes destroyed in the 49er Fire lacked adequate defensible space. California later adopted stricter standards for areas at high risk for fire; 100 feet of clear space around homes and other structures.