U.S. fires became larger, more frequent, and more widespread in the 2000s
Study key findings & significance
- Fires have gotten larger, more frequent and more widespread across the United States since 2000.
- There were more fires across all regions in the contiguous United States in 2005-2018 compared to the previous two decades.
- In the West and Great Plains, the largest wildfires grew bigger and ignited more often in the 2000s.
- Throughout the record, large fires were more likely to occur around the same time as other large fires.
Author quotes
"Projected changes in climate, fuel and ignitions suggest that we'll see more and larger fires in the future. Our analyses show that those changes are already happening," said
Virginia Iglesias, lead author and research scientist with CU Boulder's Earth Lab
Abstract
Recent fires have fueled concerns that regional and global warming trends are leading to more extreme burning. We found compelling evidence that average fire events in regions of the United States are up to four times the size, triple the frequency, and more widespread in the 2000s than in the previous two decades. Moreover, the most extreme fires are also larger, more common, and more likely to co-occur with other extreme fires. This documented shift in burning patterns across most of the country aligns with the palpable change in fire dynamics noted by the media, public, and fire-fighting officials.
