How much land do wildfires burn in the US?
US wildfires burned 5.1 million acres in 2025, down 43% from 2024. Since 1983, fires have burned more than 230 million acres—over 2x California's size.
In the last decade, wildfires have burned over 7 million acres of land in the US annually, with fire suppression costing an average of $3.4 billion.
How many wildfires happen in the US?
Since 1983, federal fire agencies have tracked 3.0 million wildfires across 230.0 million combined acres. That’s more than twice the area of California.
From 2016 to 2025, an annual average of 63,405 wildfires have burned an average of 7.1 million acres. Total annual acres eclipsed 10 million two times in that period: in 2017 and 2020.
The US averages nearly 70,000 wildfires annually.
Total US wildfires, 1983–2025
Are wildfires becoming more frequent?
In general, wildfires are not happening more frequently, but they’re burning more land. The total area covered has risen since federal fire agency tracking began in the 1980s.
The 5.1-million total acres burned in 2025 were down 43% from 2024 and nearly double the acreage burned in 2023. However, preliminary data suggests above-average totals for both fires and acreage in 2026.
Wildfires burned 43% fewer acres in 2025 than in 2024.
Total acres burned by US wildfires, 1983–2025
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 2025, 18,385 structures were reported to be damaged by wildfires, including 12,773 homes, 5,116 minor structures, and 496 commercial structures.
Most of the structural damage in 2025 occurred in the Southern California geographic area, where 16,324 structures—nearly 90% of all structures destroyed—were lost.
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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 2025 dollars) until the turn of the century and first went over $3.0 billion in 2017. Costs have averaged $3.8 billion in the last five years.
Wildfire suppression costs have risen over time, averaging $3.8 billion in the last five years.
Total US wildfire suppression cost by agency, 1985–2024, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars)
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 2025, wildfires affected all states. Alaska had the most acres burned at 1,006,158, followed by California at 505,994 and Arizona at 326,813. The largest wildfire, the Dragon Bravo, occurred in Arizona and burned a total of 145,504 acres.
There were 23 wildfires that burned more than 40,000 acres in 12 states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
In 2025, wildfires burned over 1 million acres in Alaska.
Total US wildfire acreage by state
After adjusting for state sizes, Oklahoma and Florida had the most acres of wildfire per 10,000 total acres, followed by Washington, Oregon, and New Jersey.
Oklahoma and Florida had the most acres of wildfire per 10,000 acres.
Total US wildfire acreage by state, 2025
Where does this data come from?
Where does this data come from?
Data in this article comes from the National Interagency Fire Center, a division of the Department of the Interior. The agency publishes annual information on total wildfires, acres burned, and suppression costs. Additionally, the National Interagency Coordination Center annually releases the Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Report, which provides detailed information on wildfires, including state-level wildfire data.
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