The 7 largest wildfires in recent SLO County history

In the history of great wildfires in California, the Central Coast has not been left unscorched.

Unruly flames swept through large swaths of land, burning homes on the edge of wildlands and threatening densely populated communities.

Here’s a look at seven large local fires, in order by acreage:

1. The Highway 58 Fire burned 106,000 acres and destroyed 13 homes and numerous other structures and vehicles in September 1996. It started near Highway 58 and Shell Creek Road, quickly spread to the south and east into the Los Padres National Forest, and died just east of Pozo.

2. The Las Pilitas Fire burned 75,000 acres and destroyed 10 homes in July 1985. It started on Las Pilitas Road near Santa Margarita and burned into coastal mountains behind the cities of Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo.

3. The Logan Fire burned 50,000 acres in a remote, unpopulated area in August 1997. It burned in the southeast portion of the coastal mountains near Highway 166.

4. The Highway 41 Fire burned 49,000 acres and destroyed 42 homes, 61 other structures and 91 vehicles in August 1994, the worst of the damage occurring in Tassajara Canyon. It started in the coastal mountains, threatening Morro Bay until the winds shifted it in the direction of Atascadero.

5. The Chimney Fire burned 46,235 acres and destroyed 49 homes and 21 other structures in August 2016. It broke out near Lake Nacimiento, burned along the Santa Lucia ridge line and came within two miles of Hearst Castle.

6. The Alamo Fire burned 28,687 acres and destroyed one home and 13 other structures in July 2017. The fire started near the Twitchell Reservoir in San Luis Obispo County east of Santa Maria and spread to mostly burn in Santa Barbara County.

7. The Chispa Fire burned 10,000 acres and destroyed 12 homes and numerous outbuildings in July 1989. It started near the Chalk Mountain Golf Course in Atascadero and spread toward Santa Margarita.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 5:38 PM with the headline "The 7 largest wildfires in recent SLO County history."