BlockBefore

Empire, California

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1920 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Laytonville-Leggett census division. It lies in ZIP code area 95585. It stands on Elk Creek. The Survey maps it on the Tan Oak Park quadrangle. It stands 1,339 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.

Empire within Mendocino County

Then and now

1920 to 1981

The same ground, surveyed 61 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Empire (historical), surveyed 1981
Topographic sheet of Empire (historical), surveyed 1920

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 14 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

81 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 81 fires within 5 miles of Empire (historical) between 1992 and 2018, burning about 16,558 acres in total. 7 started naturally. 3 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/undetermined34
Equipment and vehicle use25
Debris and open burning8
Natural7
Arson/incendiarism3
Recreation and ceremony2
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

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 1996Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresMendocino UnitMAD CREEK #2
8 September 1996Recreation and ceremony2.0 acresMendocino UnitMAD CREEK #1
4 September 2010Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMendocino UnitTAN OAK PARK LEGG
4 September 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresNorthern California DistrictDANN
4 September 2003Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNorthern California DistrictLIGHTNING 92
21 September 1996Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresMendocino UnitBLUE
19 September 2014Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresMendocino UnitIRON 3
15 September 2000Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNorthern California DistrictCUMMINGS

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Mendocino County

Mines and quarries near this place

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Empire (historical): 3 occurrences, 2 prospects, 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Manganese, Chromium, Clay. 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
Sugar PineChromiumUnknown
Unnamed LocationClayOccurrence
Shell RockManganeseOccurrence
Shell Rock DepositsManganeseProspect1918
Spy Rock GuthrieManganeseOccurrence
Spy Rock ProspectManganeseProspect1916

Every working recorded in Mendocino 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
Tan Oak Park0.5 miles14
Twin Rocks1.5 miles14
Cummings2.1 miles14
Bowman Place3.0 miles14
South Leggett6.2 miles14
Underwood Park6.9 miles14
Leggett6.9 miles14
Bell Springs8.7 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.

Wikidata item Q5373996The 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 1666471. 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.