Wildfire burn area has been increasing in the US
Since 1983, when federal agencies began using the current method of tracking wildfires, the annual number of acres burned in the U.S. has trended upward, with more high-severity fires. More than 7.3 million acres had burned in 2024 by late-September, well above average.
Bars show the amount of acreage burned each year. Not every year is worse than the last, but the trend is an increase.
