The Old Fire (2003) was a California wildfire in San Bernardino County, with 91,281 acres, 1,003 structures destroyed, 6 deaths on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. No known litigation. Status as of October 1, 2026.
The Old Fire burned 91,281 acres in and above San Bernardino in the fall of 2003, one of a group of Southern California fires that burned at the same time. It destroyed 1,003 structures and CAL FIRE attributes six deaths to it.
It is one of the few large California fires that ended in a criminal conviction of a person. Investigators took six years to bring a case. In 2009 a grand jury indicted Rickie Lee Fowler, in 2012 a jury convicted him of murder and arson, and in 2013 he was sentenced to death. That judgment is still under automatic appeal in the California Supreme Court.
Because the fire was arson and no utility or agency was found to have caused it, we have found no civil lawsuit seeking damages for the fire itself.
The lawsuits came from what followed. On December 25, 2003, heavy rain on the freshly burned slopes sent debris flows through Waterman Canyon and Cable Canyon and killed 16 people. Families sued the owner of a church camp in Waterman Canyon, which settled in 2008 for about $13 million; in 2010 a jury divided fault between the camp owner and the state transportation department. A separate case by Devore homeowners against San Bernardino County ended in the County's favor on appeal in 2011.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2003-10-25 |
| Containment date | 2003-11-05 |
| Region / counties | San Bernardino |
| Acreage | 91,281 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,003 |
| Structures damaged | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | Yes |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Cause
The Old Fire was deliberately set. A San Bernardino County jury found on August 15, 2012 that Rickie Lee Fowler started it, convicting him of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson. The murder counts were for five men who died of heart attacks during the fire. He was sentenced to death on January 28, 2013. The conviction and sentence are on automatic appeal to the California Supreme Court, case S208429, and no decision had been issued in the record we could read: the last entry we found, dated November 13, 2024, granted a final extension for a reply brief. CAL FIRE classifies the cause as human related.
What happened
The Old Fire started at 9:17 AM on October 25, 2003 near the City of San Bernardino, in the Waterman Canyon area, on a day of strong Santa Ana winds. By that evening thousands of people were being evacuated from the city, and the fire then climbed into the San Bernardino Mountains, where mandatory evacuation orders covered all residents of the mountain communities. A state commission put the number evacuated at approximately 80,000. Residents began returning on November 3, and the commission's chronology records the fire as contained on November 5, 2003 at 91,281 acres. CAL FIRE lists 1,003 structures destroyed and 6 deaths.
Old Fire timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
The Old Fire starts at 9:17 AM near the City of San Bernardino.
Source: Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, hosted by Cal OES
Federal major disaster DR-1498-CA is declared for the California wildfires.
Source: FEMA
The Old Fire is recorded as contained at 91,281 acres.
Source: Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, hosted by Cal OES
Debris flows in Waterman Canyon and Cable Canyon kill 16 people.
Source: Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, hosted by Cal OES
A grand jury indicts Rickie Lee Fowler on murder and arson charges.
Source: Associated Press, via NBC News
A jury in the Waterman Canyon debris flow case finds the camp owner 69 percent liable and Caltrans 31 percent liable.
Source: NBC Los Angeles
The Court of Appeal affirms judgment for San Bernardino County in the Devore homeowners' flooding case.
The murder and arson trial begins in San Bernardino.
Source: CBS Los Angeles
The jury finds Fowler guilty of five murders and of arson.
Source: CBS News
The jury recommends a death sentence.
Source: CBS Los Angeles
The court imposes a death sentence.
Source: CBS News
The California Supreme Court grants a final extension, to December 17, 2024, for the reply brief in the automatic appeal.
Source: Supreme Court of California
Litigation status
No known litigation. Status as of October 1, 2026.
We found no civil lawsuit over the Old Fire itself in the public sources we searched as of October 1, 2026. Two sets of civil cases arose from the debris flows of December 25, 2003 on the burned slopes. In the Waterman Canyon cases, survivors and families of those killed at a church camp sued the camp's owner, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church and Foundation, which settled in 2008 for about $13 million; the church then pursued the California Department of Transportation over the design of Highway 18, and on October 7, 2010 a jury found St. Sophia 69 percent liable and Caltrans 31 percent liable. In Gutierrez v. County of San Bernardino, homeowners in Devore sued the County for inverse condemnation over flooding; the Court of Appeal affirmed judgment for the County on August 24, 2011. The criminal case is separate: Rickie Lee Fowler was indicted on October 20, 2009, convicted on August 15, 2012 of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson, and sentenced to death on January 28, 2013. His automatic appeal, People v. Fowler, S208429, was still in briefing in the California Supreme Court at the last entry we found, dated November 13, 2024, and he remains on the state's condemned list as updated September 3, 2026.
No known litigation here refers to civil claims over the fire itself. It is a statement about the public record and our search of it, not a finding that no case exists or could exist.
Court & regulatory record
- California Supreme Court minutes, November 13, 2024: People v. Fowler (Rickie Lee) , Supreme Court of California (Case S208429)
- Gutierrez v. County of San Bernardino, opinion of August 24, 2011 , California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two, via CourtListener (Case E050452)
- Condemned inmate list , California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
- Blue Ribbon Fire Commission final report, chronology of the 2003 fires , Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, hosted by Cal OES
- Disaster declaration DR-1498-CA , Federal Emergency Management Agency
This is a reported public-record status, not advice about any individual’s legal situation. Deadlines and eligibility change over time and depend on facts specific to each person. If you have questions about yours, contact us and we will help.
Key figures on the public record
Each figure below was published by the court, agency, or company named beside it, on the date shown. These describe the case and the disaster, not any individual’s situation.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acres burned | 91,281 | CAL FIRE Top 20 list, August 4, 2026 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,003 | CAL FIRE Top 20 list, August 4, 2026 |
| Deaths attributed to the fire | 6 | CAL FIRE Top 20 list, August 4, 2026 |
| Deaths charged as murder | 5 | CBS News, August 16, 2012 |
| Residents evacuated | Approximately 80,000 | Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, April 5, 2004 |
| Deaths in the December 25, 2003 debris flows | 16 | Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, April 5, 2004 |
| Church camp settlement with families | About $13 million | NBC Los Angeles, October 12, 2010 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the Old Fire. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Jan 28, 2013Arsonist Rickie Fowler gets death sentence for California wildfire that killed fiveCBS News
- Jan 28, 2013Judge Confirms Death Sentence for Arsonist in 2003 Old FireNBC Los Angeles
- Sep 28, 2012Jury Recommends Death For 'Old Fire' Arsonist Convicted Of 5 MurdersCBS Los Angeles
- Aug 16, 2012Rickie Fowler, Calif. arsonist, found guilty of murdering five people after starting wildfireCBS News
- Oct 12, 2010Caltrans Found Partly Responsible for Deadly 2003 Mudslide: ReportNBC Los Angeles
- Oct 20, 2009Inmate charged with murder in 2003 Calif. fireAssociated Press, via NBC News
Common questions about the Old Fire
What caused the Old Fire?
The Old Fire was deliberately set. A San Bernardino County jury found on August 15, 2012 that Rickie Lee Fowler started it, convicting him of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson. The murder counts were for five men who died of heart attacks during the fire. He was sentenced to death on January 28, 2013. The conviction and sentence are on automatic appeal to the California Supreme Court, case S208429, and no decision had been issued in the record we could read: the last entry we found, dated November 13, 2024, granted a final extension for a reply brief. CAL FIRE classifies the cause as human related.
Is there litigation over the Old Fire?
No known litigation. Status as of October 1, 2026.
What areas did the Old Fire affect?
The Old Fire (San Bernardino County) affected communities including San Bernardino, Waterman Canyon, Cedar Glen, Lake Arrowhead, Del Rosa.
How large was the Old Fire?
91,281 acres, 1,003 structures destroyed, 6 fatalities, per public records as of 2026-10-01.
What caused the Old Fire in 2003?
The 2003 Old Fire in San Bernardino County, California was arson. A jury found on August 15, 2012 that Rickie Lee Fowler set it and convicted him of five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of arson. He was sentenced to death on January 28, 2013, and the judgment is under automatic appeal in the California Supreme Court.
When did the Old Fire start and how big was it?
The Old Fire started at 9:17 AM on October 25, 2003 near the City of San Bernardino, California, and was recorded as contained on November 5, 2003. It burned 91,281 acres and destroyed 1,003 structures, according to CAL FIRE.
How many people died in the Old Fire?
CAL FIRE attributes six deaths to the 2003 Old Fire. Five men who died of heart attacks during the fire were the basis of the murder charges in the criminal case. A further 16 people died on December 25, 2003 in debris flows on the burned slopes.
Is there an Old Fire lawsuit?
We have found no civil lawsuit seeking damages for the 2003 Old Fire itself, which was arson and was not attributed to a utility. Lawsuits were filed over the debris flows of December 25, 2003: a church camp owner settled with families in 2008 for about $13 million, and a jury in 2010 divided fault between the camp owner and Caltrans.
How many people were evacuated in the Old Fire?
Approximately 80,000 residents evacuated during the 2003 Old Fire as it threatened the San Bernardino Mountain communities, according to the Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission report of April 2004.
Sources
- Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires (list dated August 4, 2026), linked from CAL FIRE Statistics, CAL FIRE
- Blue Ribbon Fire Commission final report, part 5, Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, hosted by Cal OES
- Blue Ribbon Fire Commission final report, part 4, Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission, hosted by Cal OES
- Rickie Fowler, Calif. arsonist, found guilty of murdering five people after starting wildfire, CBS News
- Arsonist Rickie Fowler gets death sentence for California wildfire that killed five, CBS News
- Inmate charged with murder in 2003 Calif. fire, Associated Press, via NBC News
- California Supreme Court minutes, November 13, 2024, Supreme Court of California
- Condemned inmate list, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
- Caltrans Found Partly Responsible for Deadly 2003 Mudslide: Report, NBC Los Angeles
- Gutierrez v. County of San Bernardino, California Court of Appeal, via CourtListener
- Disaster declaration DR-1498-CA, FEMA
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.