Harlow Fire

Harlow Fire
A tanker truck and a firefighter standing against the Harlow Fire
Date(s)	July 10 (10-07) – July 15, 1961 (1961-07-15) (6 days)
Location	Mariposa County and Madera County, California, United States
Coordinates	37°21′58″N 119°43′34″W / 37.366°N 119.726°W / 37.366; -119.726
Statistics
Burned area	43,329 acres (17,535 ha; 68 sq mi; 175 km2)
Impacts
Deaths	2
Non-fatal injuries	22
Structures destroyed	106 (20 damaged)
Damage	$2 million (equivalent to about $15.6 million in 2023)
Ignition
Cause	Arson
Map
The extent of the Harlow Fire
The general location of the fire, in Central California's Mariposa and Madera counties

The Harlow Fire was a large wildfire in Central California's Mariposa and Madera counties in mid-July 1961. The fire ignited on July 10 and burned rapidly, spreading to 43,329 acres (17,535 hectares) before it was fully surrounded by containment lines on July 13 and fully controlled on July 15. During those six days the Harlow Fire destroyed more than one hundred buildings, devastating the rural communities of Ahwahnee and Nipinnawasee in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the west of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra National Forest. The latter town never recovered. Two residents of Ahwahnee died fleeing the fire in their car and twenty-two injuries occurred among civilians and firefighters. A law enforcement investigation determined the fire was intentionally set by a local teenager who claimed to be trying to clear away brush; he was charged with arson but found innocent by a jury.