Wildfires burn over 7 million acres of land in the US annually, with fire suppression costing an average of $3.0 billion according to estimates from the National Interagency Fire Center.
How many wildfires happen in the US?
Since 1983, federal fire agencies have tracked 2.9 million wildfires across 216 million combined acres. That’s more than twice the area of California.
From 2014 to 2023, an annual average of 62,277 wildfires have burned an average of 7.02 million acres. Total annual acres eclipsed 10 million three times in that period: in 2015, 2017, and 2020.
Are wildfires becoming more frequent?
In general, wildfires are not happening more frequently, but they’re burning more and more land. The total area covered has risen since federal fire agency tracking began in the 1980s.
The 2.7-million total acres burned in 2023 was down nearly 60% from 2022 and lower than in any year since 1998. However, preliminary data suggests above-average totals for both fires and acreage in 2024.
How much damage do wildfires do in the US?
Wildfires pose a risk to nearby communities, threatening both damage to infrastructure and the loss of human life. In 2023, 4,318 structures were reported to be damaged by wildfires, including 3,060 homes, 1,228 minor structures, and 51 mixed-use buildings.
Most of the structural damage in 2023 was in Maui, Hawaii, where the Lahaina and Upcountry Fires burned in August. One hundred people died in the Lahaina fire, making it the nation’s deadliest wildfire in over a century.
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How much does it cost to suppress wildfires?
Both the Forest Service (a part of the Department of Agriculture) and the Department of the Interior handle wildfire suppression. The Forest Service handles most of the costs.
The costs associated with suppressing wildfires have risen over the years, after adjusting for inflation. Suppression costs were under $2.0 billion (in 2023 dollars) until the turn of the century and first hit $3.0 billion in 2017. Costs have averaged this amount for the last five years.
Importantly, this does not include the cost of damages, only the cost of the efforts to suppress the fires.
Where are most US wildfires?
In 2023, wildfires affected all states except for Delaware. California had the most acres burned at 332,722, followed by Alaska at 314,276 and New Mexico at 212,378.
There were 10 wildfires that grew to at least 40,000 acres — four in Alaska, three in California, and one each in Washington, New Mexico, and Nebraska.
After adjusting for state sizes, Nebraska and Oklahoma had the most acres of wildfire per 10,000 total acres, followed by Washington, New Jersey, Oregon, and California.
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Page sources and methodology
All of the data on the page was sourced directly from government agencies. The analysis and final review was performed by USAFacts.
National Interagency Fire Center
National Interagency Coordination Center
