Historical eventDecember 42017

Thomas Fire

The Thomas Fire starts near Santa Paula in California. It eventually became the largest wildfire in modern California history to date after burning 1,140 square kilometers (440 sq mi) in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Everything on December 4Original source

In context

When
Monday, December 4 20179 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2017.

What happened

The Thomas Fire was a massive wildfire that affected Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and one of multiple wildfires that ignited in Southern California in December 2017. It burned approximately 281,893 acres before being fully contained on January 12, 2018, making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time. It was surpassed by the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex, in August 2018. The fire is currently the eighth-largest wildfire in modern California history, as of 2025.

December 4 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1996Murder of Fernando Balderas Sánchez and Yolanda Figueroa
  2. 1998Unity (ISS module)
  3. 2005December 2005 protest for democracy in Hong Kong
  4. 2006Jena Six
  5. 2012Canto degli italiani
  6. 2014Caucasus Emirate
  7. 20152015 Cairo restaurant fire
  8. 2017Thomas Fire
  9. 2021Semeru
  10. 2024UnitedHealth Group
  11. 2025Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab

Also in 2017

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  • September 15Parsons Green train bombingA homemade bomb partially exploded on an eastbound District line train at Parsons Green tube station in West London, injuring 30 passengers.
  • September 18Toys "R" UsToy retail chain Toys "R" Us files for bankruptcy protection in the United States and Canada.
  • October 20Syrian civil warSyrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign.
  • June 14Grenfell Tower fireA fire severely damaged Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London, killing 72 people.
  • June 14Steve ScaliseRepublican U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and three others, are shot and wounded while practicing for the annual Co…
  • September 32017 North Korean nuclear testNorth Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test at Punggye-ri, causing a magnitude-6.3 earthquake.
  • September 3North KoreaNorth Korea conducts its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

Everything we record for 2017 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Thomas Fire”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/thomas-fire-2017-december-4, accessed October 26, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Thomas Fire happen?

December 4 2017 — 9 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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