Big Ripples, California
28 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the Oroville census division. It lies in ZIP code area 95965. It lies near Bloomer Ravine. The Survey maps it on the Berry Creek quadrangle. It stands 902 feet above sea level. The federal gazetteer marks this settlement historical: it is no longer a populated place, though the surveys that recorded it still are.
Then and now
1888 to 1994The same ground, surveyed 106 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


Compare 1888 against another survey:
Topographic sheets covering this place
13 surveys from 28 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1888 USGS Bidwell Bar quadrangle1:125000
- 1891 USGS Bidwell Bar quadrangle1:125000
- 1893 USGS Bidwell Bar quadrangle1:125000
- 1895 USGS Bidwell Bar quadrangle1:125000
- 1897 USGS Bidwell Bar quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1948 USGS Big Bend Mtn quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
- 1948 USGS Las Plumas quadrangle1:24000
- 1950 USGS Las Plumas quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Chico quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1960 USGS Chico quadrangle1:250000
- 1970 USGS Berry Creek quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1980 USGS Chico quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1994 USGS Berry Creek quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
304 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 304 fires within 5 miles of Big Ripples (historical) between 1992 and 2020, burning about 17,241 acres in total. 14 started naturally. 42 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 99 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 78 |
| Debris and open burning | 44 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 42 |
| Natural | 14 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 8 |
| Smoking | 7 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Firearms and explosives use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1994 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Butte Unit | TRUCK |
| 7 September 2001 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Butte Unit | CHEROKEE |
| 7 September 1997 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Butte Unit | CHEROKEE |
| 6 September 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 3.8 acres | Butte Unit | MEADOW |
| 6 September 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | 76 acres | Northern California District | CHEROKEE |
| 6 September 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8,333 acres | Butte Unit | POE |
| 6 September 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Butte Unit | KUKRAL |
| 5 September 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection | CANYON |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 85 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 85 workings within 5 miles of Big Ripples (historical): 31 past producers, 24 unknowns, 22 occurrences, 7 producers. 7 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Manganese, Arsenic, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomer Hill | Gold, Copper | Occurrence | Replacement | |
| Cherokee Mine | Gold, Platinum, Diamond | Past Producer | 1854 | |
| Cherokee and Morris Ravine Placer Mines | Gemstone | Occurrence | ||
| Cherokee and Morris Ravine Plcr Mns | Abrasive | Unknown | ||
| Jacks Ranch | Gold, Copper, Silver | Past Producer | ||
| Pentz Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| St Clair Mine | Gold, Gypsum-Anhydrite | Unknown | ||
| St. Clair Mine Hydraulic Vinton | Gypsum-Anhydrite, Gold | Occurrence | Sedimentary | |
| Surcease | Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver, Zinc | Unknown | ||
| Surcease Bunker Hill and Treasure Hill | Silver, Zinc, Lead, Gold, Copper | Producer |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomer (historical) | 0.2 miles | 29 | |
| Cherokee | 2.8 miles | 29 | |
| Oregon City | 3.0 miles | 29 | |
| Las Plumas (historical) | 3.2 miles | 28 | |
| Moseley (historical) | 3.4 miles | 28 | |
| James | 3.5 miles | 29 | |
| Pipers (historical) | 3.8 miles | 28 | |
| Berry Creek | 4.9 miles | 28 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikidata item Q4906193 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1723845. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.












