Where Large Wildfires Are Most Common in the U.S.

Brian Donegan
Published: July 26,2016
The potential for wildfires in the West is a big concern every summer. This is particularly the case this year, given the drought conditions in the West and because this is when the dry season typically ramps up.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) map below, the number of large wildfires – classified as 300 acres or bigger – was the highest in the West from 1994 to 2013.

(USGS)

Every state in the West, except Wyoming, has at least one county that is in the category with the highest wildfire frequency (between 101 and 1,308 fires). When looking at the second-highest wildfire frequency category (21 to 100 fires), you can see that the Western states stand out with a large number of counties included.
However, we should note that many of the counties in the West are much larger than counties in the states east of the Rockies. This gives some Western state counties the ability to have higher wildfire counts, given their larger geographical coverage.
East of the Rockies, parts of the Plains and South saw the highest frequency of wildfires during the 1994-2013 period. South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Florida all had at least one county in the highest frequency category.
Outside of the Lower 48 states, central Alaska had the counties with the highest wildfire frequency in the U.S.

Wildfire Outlook This Summer

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) produced the following maps to show areas that are forecast to see above- or below-average fire activity the next few months.
Here's a general summary of that forecast:
August: Given the long-term drought, the area at risk for heightened wildfire activity will stretch from California into parts of northern and central Nevada, southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho. A second area where drought has flashed quickly in late spring and summer may see enhanced wildfire risk in the northern High Plains.
In Hawaii, the risk of significant wildfire activity will also continue, though recent rain from Tropical Storm Darby has helped the long-term drought in leeward locations.

September/October: Late summer and early fall is typically the peak time for wildfires in California, as the dry season has had months to dry vegetation, and the season's first Santa Ana wind events arrive. Thus, the elevated wildfire risk into October is no surprise, there.
Another area where wildfires may become a concern is the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians, where late spring and summer have been quite dry.

MORE: California Wildfires in September 2014