BlockBefore

Califa, California

19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1916 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the Chowchilla census division. It lies in ZIP code area 93610. The Survey maps it on the Berenda quadrangle. It stands 249 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.

Califa within Madera County

Then and now

1916 to 1983

The same ground, surveyed 67 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Califa (historical), surveyed 1983
Topographic sheet of Califa (historical), surveyed 1916

Topographic sheets covering this place

11 surveys from 19 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

820 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 820 fires within 5 miles of Califa (historical) between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,321 acres in total. None started naturally. 52 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/undetermined508
Equipment and vehicle use150
Debris and open burning55
Arson/incendiarism52
Smoking35
Misuse of fire by a minor16
Railroad operations and maintenance3
Recreation and ceremony1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCalifornia Department of Forestry & Fire ProtectionMAPLE ST CCWF
9 September 2002Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMerced-Mariposa UnitROADSIDE 15655
9 September 2000Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreMerced-Mariposa UnitROADSIDE 13775
9 September 1998Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresMerced-Mariposa UnitROADSIDE 13095
9 September 1998Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresMerced-Mariposa UnitROADSIDE 13092
8 September 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresMerced-Mariposa UnitSANTA FE
8 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMerced-Mariposa UnitHWY 99 S/ AVE 20 2
8 September 1996Debris and open burning2.0 acresMerced-Mariposa UnitMERRIAM

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Madera County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Califa (historical): 2 producers, 2 past producers, 1 occurrence. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold, Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Borrow PitStonePast Producer
Ash Slough PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Berenda Slough Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Cross LoadGoldPast Producer
Cross LoadGoldOccurrence

Every working recorded in Madera County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Fairmead1.0 miles19
Chowchilla3.8 miles15
Berenda4.2 miles19
Sharon4.2 miles19
Medano (historical)4.2 miles16
Minturn5.2 miles16
Ash (historical)5.2 miles15
Tyler (historical)6.0 miles15

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.

Wikipedia article on Califa (historical)An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q5019910The 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 1666145. 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.