2015 Wildfire Acreage Tops 10 Million for the First Time

2015 was a significant year for wildfires with the total acreage cresting 10 million for the first time on record. To put it in perspective, 10 million acres is roughly 7.5 million football fields, 12,000 Central Parks, or 15 Rhode Islands.

Reported Wildfires from GeoMac and Fire Statistics from NIFC

2015 actually saw fewer fires than the 10-year average, but the total acres burned was more than 3.5 million greater than average. Alaska’s dozens of huge wildfires accounted for more than half of the total acres burned nationwide. Acreage-wise, an area the size of the entire state of Massachusetts burned inside of Alaska.

The Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions were quieter than normal. Major wildfire complexes raged for weeks in Idaho, NE Washington, Northern California, and Oregon. In terms of destruction, Northern California’s Butte and Valley wildfires combined to destroy 818 and 1958 structures respectively, the 7^th and 3^rd most in the state’s history.