2026 North American Wildfires

• As of July, 37,783 wildfires have burned more than 3.4 million acres across the United States, representing 130% of the 10-year average number of fires and 146% of the ten-year average number of acres burned.
• Utah has recorded the highest total in the country, with more than 239,000 acres burned. 
• Colorado is also experiencing a very active wildfire season with 187,000 acres burned. 
• Though drought conditions are decreasing, at least 40% of the United States and Puerto Rico (48% of the lower 48 states) remain in drought as of June 30. Drought along with high winds create optimal fire conditions.  
• So far this year, three firefighters have been killed. 
• The “Super El Niño” weather pattern is expected to drive drier, hotter air across the United States in 2026, fueling wildfire conditions as well as driving wildfire smoke into major cities.  

• Older adults and people living with disabilities face disproportionate risks during wildfires. Barriers such as limited access to transportation, insufficient time to evacuate safely and mobility challenges can prevent people from leaving in time when a fire threatens their communities. As a result, these populations often face the highest fatality rates due to wildfires.
• Thick smoke that blankets cities and towns far beyond the fire’s perimeter carries fine, often toxic, particulate matter that can be especially dangerous for people with chronic health conditions, children and older people.
• Wildfires that burn pasture and cropland disrupt food production, threatening the livelihoods of growers and small businesses as well as the nation’s food supply.
• Language barriers, digital divides, fears about immigration status and bureaucratic hurdles can prevent marginalized populations from accessing aid. 
• Marginalized communities, such as people with lower incomes, communities of color and immigrant populations, often live in high-risk areas due to systemic inequities in housing and land-use policies. These groups are less likely to have adequate insurance or savings to recover from catastrophic losses, making the road to recovery even more arduous.  

Loss of life, property, community 

Wildfires take lives, destroy homes, displace residents and exacerbate existing affordable housing shortages. 

As speakers described in CDP’s 2024 webinar “Insurance and Mother Nature: How does losing insurance options affect disaster philanthropy?” communities around the country are dealing with insurance companies pulling out or no longer writing home insurance policies in areas that are at risk of floods, hurricanes and wildfires. 

Displacement may last months or years while communities rebuild. Because of the challenges to rebuilding, some people may never do so and communities may never come back together. Of the 6,571 homes destroyed in the L.A. wildfires in January of 2025, only 13 have been rebuilt as of February 2026.

Environmental damage  

Ash and debris from fires can contaminate water supplies, while damaged soil becomes prone to erosion, increasing the likelihood of landslides during the rainy season.

Soil remediation after a fire can take several months or even years, forcing residents who lost their homes to rent or buy while waiting for permission to rebuild.