In 2015, more than 9 million acres were burned in the United States as a result of wildfires. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that significant fire potential was normal across most of the United States for the first few months of 2016, with above normal potential in the Great Lakes states, the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, and the Hawaiian Islands in March and April.
Late in 2015, global risk and reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter estimated that insured losses for the year due to wildfires could reach $1.75 billion.
Wildfires themselves are not the only cause of damage — the aftermath can be just as destructive, with landslides and flash floods occurring where fire has burnt away trees and plants that prevent erosion.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
