Wildfire
Wildfires are growing in frequency and intensity, threatening communities, forests, and the economies that depend on them.
Warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation have lengthened the fire season in many areas. Factors such as changing land use, large-scale insect infestations, fuel availability, and management practices also play an important role in the frequency and intensity of wildfire.
Drought can create conditions that are ideal for wildfires—dry trees and vegetation provide fuel while low moisture in the soil and air make it easy for fires to spread. In these conditions, a spark from lightning or electrical equipment, human error, or planned fires can quickly get out of control. As Earth’s climate warms and precipitation patterns change, droughts will leave some areas vulnerable to increasingly severe fires. Prescribed fires are one way of promoting resilience of forests and rangelands, which help build forest resilience by selecting areas for treatment, avoiding drought and high winds.
The U.S. Federal government coordinates input from local, Tribal, and state agencies to ensure that all groups have access to a single authoritative source of current information on fires. Federal agencies also promote coordination and sharing of strategies, personnel, and equipment for fire management, including Indigenous fire stewardship practices. Learn more from the National Interagency Fire Center ».
As smoke from wildfires adversely affects air quality and exposes people to health risks, federal agencies and others are encouraging the public to take steps that can reduce their health risk related to wildfires through the Smoke-Ready Toolbox for Wildfires .
Maps
The federal government has extensive data resources that can be used at national, regional, and local levels to monitor wildfire conditions and reveal trends. Here's a sampling of maps and data visualizations related to wildfire.
Current wildfires and air quality
This map shows near real-time fire events. It also shows areas with moderate through hazardous air quality, which may be related to fires.
Click or tap symbols on the map to explore details about current fires. In some cases, zooming in will reveal the fire perimeter.
Future conditions
Climate models project continuing increases in temperature for wildfire-prone areas over the coming decades. Many areas are also projected to see longer periods without precipitation, setting up the conditions for worsening fire weather.
This map plots projections of two variables: consecutive days without precipitation and days over 90 degrees. Bright orange indicates where the greatest extremes of dry and hot conditions occur together. Data are displayed only for areas that currently have moderate to very high wildfire risk, based on vegetation and wildland fuels data.
Resources to explore
Here's a selection of federal resources related to wildfire.