2024 North American Wildfires

• In 2022, almost 80 million properties in the U.S., or 1 in 6 people, were at risk of wildfire.
• By 2052, half of the people at risk of wildfire will live in the South.
• For two to five years after a wildfire, there is an increased risk of flooding, with flash flooding in burn scars leading to debris flows, as charred vegetation and other items are picked up by rushing water.
• A study published in Forests in 2022 found that:
  • Counties with higher wildfire risks tend to have higher rates of poverty.
  • Census tracts that are majority Hispanic, Native American or Black experience 50% greater vulnerability to wildfires (compared to majority white census tracts).
• One study found that Native Americans living in tribal communities in the U.S. now face two additional extreme heat days compared to their historical lands. They also received 23% less precipitation, 36.3% of tribal lands dealt with increased drought, and 47.7% of tribes faced increased risk from wildfires. This is a direct impact of settler colonialism.
• About 85% of U.S. wildfires are caused by people.

The National Preparedness Level – set by the National Interagency Coordination Center and the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group – is currently at Level 5, which means: ”National resources are heavily committed, and additional measures are taken to support geographic areas. Active geographic areas must take emergency measures to sustain incident operations. Inactive/low activity geography areas are reaching drawdown levels.”

The National Interagency Fire Center statistics show that as of July 23, 26,468 fires this year have burned over 3.5 million acres. The year-to-date (YTD) number of wildfires is below the annual average of 32,318, but the annual acres burned is above the 10-year YTD average of 3.2 million acres.

A record heat wave in Arizona, California and Nevada dried out the land and increased the risk for fire activity. As of July 18, six large fires have burned almost 50,000 acres in Arizona.

The Watch Fire was a quickly moving fire that burned on the Carlos Apache Indian Reservation on July 11. It spread quickly through the tribal community’s land, destroying 13 homes and displacing at least 75 residents. Local media report that this was the most devastating structural fire to hit the reservation in at least 30 years. As of July 18, the Watch Fire was 100% contained.

The tribal community has a rate of poverty almost three times that of the state (40% compared to 15% for Arizona).

San Carlos Apache Tribal Chairman Terry Rambler told local media, “The human scale of this one is particularly devastating. Unfortunately, multiple families lost homes. […] I have received reports of families leaving with nothing, elders having no transportation, kids running with no shoes. We have never experienced anything like this.”

Other significant wildfires in Arizona in 2024:

• The Freeman Fire is the largest fire in Arizona this year at slightly more than 32,500.
• The Black Fire is the second-biggest fire in the state 11,162, with 85% containment as of July 23.

As of July 23, California has experienced 4,260 wildfires, with nearly 277,000 acres burned.

Evacuation orders remain in place in nine fire zones, mostly concentrated in the southern end of the state’s Central Valley.

There has been one civilian fatality, and 165 structures have been damaged (53) or destroyed (112).

Significant 2024 wildfires include:

• The Lake Fire in Santa Barbara, at 38,633 acres and 90% containment. The cause remains under investigation. Some areas of Santa Barbara County remain under evacuation orders.
• In Siskiyou County, the Shelly Fire is 55% contained and has burned about 15,500 acres since it started on July 3. More than 4,200 structures were threatened.
• The 2024 SQF Lightning Complex is composed of the Trout Fire (19,259 acres and 5% containment and the Long Fire (8,908 acres and 20% containment), which are in Tulare County.

CDP California Wildfires Fund grantee partner CalMatters maintains an interactive wildfire tracker which is updated daily.

You can support CDP’s response to wildfires in the state by donating to our California Wildfires Recovery Fund.

Related reading

Crater Road Fire: Maui Emergency Management Agency was activated on July 10 in response to a fire in Upper Kula on the island of Maui.

As of July 17, the fire spans 574 acres and is 80% contained. Hot spots continue to proliferate near the perimeter, and eucalyptus groves, which are largely inaccessible to firefighters, continue to smolder.

The fire caused multiple road closures as well as the closure of Haleakala National Park. Residents have remained on high alert, although no homes or structures have been damaged. Emergency personnel escorted stranded motorists down the mountain in the early morning hours of July 11.

Maui is still recovering from devastating wildfires that burned in Lahaina and Kula beginning the week of Aug. 6, 2023. The Lahaina fire was the worst natural hazard disaster in Hawaii’s history and the fifth-deadliest wildfire in U.S. recorded history.

The state-funded non-congregate sheltering program for displaced survivors from Lahaina ended on June 10, 2024. As of July, only 62 households are still working to finalize their transition to longer-term housing. Another 400 reside in short-term housing units, which the state rents for as much as $11,000 monthly.

For more information about the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, please see the 2023 North American Wildfires disaster profile. You can also watch the CDP webinar: Hawaii wildfires: What will recovery look like? And, you can support wildfire recovery by donating to our Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Fund.

Related reading

Two devastating wildfires in southern New Mexico began on June 18 and continued to wreak havoc, destroying over 1,400 structures, scorching more than 20,000 acres, and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents, including the entire village of Ruidoso. Ruidoso, a popular tourist destination with around 7,000 residents, saw apocalyptic scenes on June 17 – smoke-darkened skies, raining embers and visible flames as evacuation orders abruptly came through with little notice. Traffic jammed downtown streets as residents hastily fled with few belongings.

South Fork Fire: A wildfire ignited on Monday, June 17 in the Mescalero Apache tribal region and rapidly spread beyond tribal land, destroying 1,400 structures and engulfing approximately 17,500 acres by the evening of June 18. As of July 15, the fire is 99% contained.

Salt Fire: Nearly 8,000 acres of the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s land was consumed. As of July 15, the fire is 99% contained.

Flooding, mudslides and debris flows from monsoon rains pummeled the burn scars of both fires beginning July 9, creating compounded emergencies for impacted residents.

FEMA has stepped in and recovery efforts are underway. The Village of Ruidoso has increased utility rates to about $139 per month per household – this is the first bill increase in more than a decade – to address maintenance and equipment replacement needs. This will likely place a financial strain on already-strapped residents who will be economically impacted by recovery.

You can support CDP’s response to wildfires in New Mexico by donating to our Disaster Recovery Fund.

Related reading

Several recent fires burned across Oklahoma, including the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which is listed in the Texas section above.

Oklahoma Forestry Services said that between the end of February and early March, seven wildfires burned around 152,294 acres.

These fires include the Catesby Fire in Ellis County, which received a Fire Management Assistant Grant (FMAG) from FEMA to cover response costs and fire equipment. It burned 90,699 acres and was fully contained as of March 17.

The Slapout Fire in Beaver County burned 26,048 acres and was 100% contained as of March 8. Three residences were destroyed.

Other fires led to losses of several structures and livestock. The EOC said that there were 19 homes damaged or destroyed, including 12 in Ellis County. Of the other seven homes, two in Beaver County and two in Texas County were uninhabited.

You can support CDP’s response to wildfires in Oklahoma by donating to our Disaster Recovery Fund.

Related reading

As of July 24, several large fires are burning in Oregon, most with very little containment, including multiple megafires (over 100,000 acres).

The Durkee Fire and the Cow Valley Fire have merged, but are still being reported on as separate fires. Durkee is growing rapidly and is at 244,842 acres with 0% containment. There are evacuation orders in place and flash flood warnings.

The Cow Valley fire has grown since July 11 to reach 133,490 acres with 91% containment. It is located nine miles east of Ironside, Oregon. Despite windy conditions, it has not spread.

The Lone Rock Fire is 134,752 acres in size and at about 40% containment as of July 24. FEMA has authorized the use of federal funds to fight it, and evacuation orders are in place across Lonerock and other population centers in three counties that could see impacts. Because of the dangers associated with the fire, no assessment of damaged structures has been carried out.

The Falls Fire has reached 140,422 acres as of July 24 with 50% containment. It is burning in the Malhuer National Forest about 25 miles northwest of Burns. The forest is currently closed.

Smokehouse Creek Fire: A wildfire in Texas became the biggest fire ever in the state and the second-largest wildfire in U.S. history on Feb. 26. The fire burned more than 1.06 million acres in Texas and nearly 70,000 acres in Oklahoma. After burning for nearly three weeks, destroying farms and ranches, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was completely contained on March 16.

Disaster declarations were issued by Governor Greg Abbott for 60 counties in response to the Smokehouse Creek Fire and three other fires. More than 100 miles of power lines will need to be rebuilt. Approximately 30,000 people were located within the perimeter of the fire.

More than 500 structures, including homes, barns, outbuildings, and businesses were destroyed, and estimates show that more than 10,000 head of cattle died.  Many family farmers and ranchers lost everything.

Windy Deuce Fire: In the town of Fritch, the mayor estimated that at least 50 homes were destroyed by the Windy Deuce Fire in the southern part of the community in late February. Home to slightly more than 2,100 people, the north side of Fritch also burned in a wildfire in 2014.

The Windy Deuce Fire burned 144,045 acres, with 100% containment as of March 18.

You can support CDP’s response to wildfires in Texas by donating to our Disaster Recovery Fund.

Related reading

The Pioneer Fire is 30,667 acres with 14% containment after burning for more than a month. It is located 31 miles northwest of Chelan. While it is mostly burning on forestry land, any significant growth would put population centers at risk. It is burning in the 2001 Rex Creek burn’s footprint. Temperatures of 100˚F or hotter with gusty winds are increasing spread and continue to make the fire hard to fight.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) coordinates resource sharing, mutual aid and information sharing including, facilitation of wildfire cooperation and coordination.

The current National Preparedness Level is set to Level 5 meaning: “Wildland fire activity is significant within one or more jurisdictions. Firefighters and equipment in every jurisdiction in Canada is put to use, and international help has been requested.”

CIFFC’s National Situation Report is published daily between May and August and provides information on fire activity from the previous calendar day, including seasonal cumulative.

As of July 23, Canada has seen 3,686 fires, which burned 5.6 million acres of land. This is significantly lower than 2023’s year-to-date totals at the same time; by July 23, 2023, Canada had experienced 4,606 fires, which had burned 27.1 million acres.

In 2023, there were a total of 6,551 fires, which burned 45.7 million acres of land. By comparison, in 2022, there were 4,883 wildfires which scorched 3.6 million acres. This means nearly 13 times more land was destroyed in 2023 compared to 2022.

British Columbia has 438 active fires as of July 24, 2024. More than 260 of those fires are deemed ‘out of control.’ Since April 2024, BC has experienced 1.033 fires, which have burned 2 million acres.

The rapidly spreading Shetland Creek Fire poses a threat to several communities, and evacuations have been ordered by local authorities, including several First Nations tribes in the impacted B.C. Interior region. As of July 24, the fire had spread to almost 50,000 acres.

In 2023, wildfires burned a record amount of land (7.03 million acres) in the province, more than doubling the previous record set in 2018 (3.35 million acres). Over one-third of the Canadian fires in 2023 occurred in BC.

The largest-ever fire in British Columbia, the Donnie Creek Blaze, burned an area larger than Prince Edward Island. The fire burned on the traditional territory of the Blueberry River, Prophet River and Doig River First Nations and destroyed traplines, important ceremonial landmarks, massive amounts of timber, blueberries and other berries, and habitat for deer, bison and moose. This caused significant disruptions to Indigenous communities and the lumber and milling industries. The fire burned over 1.53 million acres.

In Alberta, there are 177 active fires, including three carry-over fires from 2013. As of July 24, 64 fires are under control, 56 are being held and 57 are out of control.

In the “Wildfires of Note” from the government of Alberta, there were four wildfires of note, meaning a wildfire that is highly visible or poses a potential threat to public safety, as of July 23, 2024. They are known as the Semo Complex, the Cattail Lake Complex, the Kettle River Complex and the Algar Lake Complex.

Wildfire smoke from Alberta’s fires is drifting south and may reach communities in the U.S.

In Canada’s far north, the NWT has reported a total of 143 fires in 2024 with 100 active fires and 92 fires out of control, as of July 24. 

NWT has a population of only 45,000 people. Two-thirds of this northern, near-Arctic territory was displaced by wildfires at least once during the summer of 2023, including the territory’s capital city, Yellowknife, home to 20,000 people.

The province reports 373 fires burning 560,887 acres in 2024 as of July 24, above the 10-year average of 345 fires and well above the average of 286,775 acres burned.

Local authorities lifted a ban on open fire in forested areas on July 15.

Quebec experienced a record-breaking forest fire in 2023. More than 11 million acres burned, compared to the 10-year average of 39,051 acres. This represents almost one-quarter of the country’s land lost.

There have been 414 fires in the province this year, compared to the five-year average of 282.

As of July 24, there are 103 active fires, with 14 of them not contained. The wildfires are all small, with only one “wildfire of note” which has burned less than 9,000 acres.

Fire season in Mexico is generally in February and peaks mid-March through May.

According to the June 14, 2024, North American Fire Outlook, above-normal precipitation decreased drought indices and drought-affected areas.

As of July 7, the most recently posted update, Mexico has recorded 7054 fires, burning over 942,243 hectares (2.3 million acres). Fire activity is fueled by dry conditions and high temperatures, which are exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon.

Previously, on March 27, four people were reported dead following a wave of wildfires, burning more than 32,000 acres. More than 6,000 forest firefighters were deployed. However, a shortage of firefighters in some areas caused locals to fight the fire themselves, and they were met with fire-friendly conditions such as strong winds.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: “Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States during the last two decades. Wildfires require the alignment of a number of factors, including temperature, humidity, and the lack of moisture in fuels, such as trees, shrubs, grasses, and forest debris. All these factors have strong direct or indirect ties to climate variability and climate change.”

The following images summarize the North American Seasonal Fire Assessment and Outlook, a collaborative effort between the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center, Natural Resources Canada and Servicio Meteorológico Nacional in Mexico. The document provides a general discussion and assessment of factors that affect the occurrence of wildfires in North America. The report is updated monthly with an assessment of recent fires and climate conditions and projections of future wildfire risks.

In the U.S., the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook, the National Interagency Fire Center’s monthly report, details weather, drought conditions, past incidents and potential risks.

In June, Alaska and the western mainland saw increased fire activity, especially in the final third of the month. Precipitation was below normal across the contiguous U.S., with notable exceptions in Western Washington, the Four Corners and the Upper Midwest, which experienced historic flooding.

The outlook shows above-normal significant wildfire potential across every region of the country. June brought little drought improvement in existing drought-impacted areas.

According to the July 12, 2024 North American Fire Outlook, “Although both Canadian fire numbers and area burned are close to or below normal in most jurisdictions at the start of July, an extended hot and dry spell appears set to increase numbers as the month progresses. The number of fires as of July 8 was at 2,254, about 77% of the 10-year average, and the area burned near 1 million hectares, about 61% of the 10-year average. These numbers may be closer to normal than the 10-year average suggests, given the huge amount of area burned during 2023 has elevated the means. Yukon and New Brunswick remain the only jurisdictions reporting more than the usual number of fires as of July 8, while British Columbia, Yukon, and Newfoundland have more area burned than the 10 year normal. Most of the British Columbia area burned is due to fires in the northeast.”