Human-caused wildfires in the U.S. resulted in more than 4.6 million acres being burned in 2024, roughly a three-fold increase from the previous year. The scale of wildfires has reached unprecedented levels in recent years, with the fire seasons in 2018 and 2020 being particularly devastating. There were 57,962 human-caused wildfires in the United States in 2024, while lightning was the most common naturally occurring cause for wildfires.
Acres burned by human-caused wildfires in the United States from 2001 to 2024
(in 1,000s)
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National Interagency Fire Center. (January 30, 2025). Acres burned by human-caused wildfires in the United States from 2001 to 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 10, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/943663/acres-burned-human-caused-wildfires-us/
National Interagency Fire Center. "Acres burned by human-caused wildfires in the United States from 2001 to 2024 (in 1,000s)." Chart. January 30, 2025. Statista. Accessed May 10, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/943663/acres-burned-human-caused-wildfires-us/
National Interagency Fire Center. (2025). Acres burned by human-caused wildfires in the United States from 2001 to 2024 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 10, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/943663/acres-burned-human-caused-wildfires-us/
National Interagency Fire Center. "Acres Burned by Human-caused Wildfires in The United States from 2001 to 2024 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jan 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/943663/acres-burned-human-caused-wildfires-us/
National Interagency Fire Center, Acres burned by human-caused wildfires in the United States from 2001 to 2024 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/943663/acres-burned-human-caused-wildfires-us/ (last visited May 10, 2025)
Acres burned by human-caused wildfires in the United States from 2001 to 2024 (in 1,000s) [Graph], National Interagency Fire Center, January 30, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/943663/acres-burned-human-caused-wildfires-us/
