Examining the state of wildfire risk in 2024
The number of fires in 2024 is lower than the 10-year to-date average, but the number of acres burned has surpassed the 10-year average of 4.1 million.
As of August 14, 29,132 fires have burned more than 5.2 million acres in the United States this year, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center, with 78 large active fires being managed nationwide. Of the 78 active fires, 23 are in Oregon, 14 in Idaho, and 9 are in Washington, with the others spread across areas of California, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Florida and Texas.
The number of fires in 2024 is lower than the 10-year to-date average of 37,156, but the number of acres burned has surpassed the 10-year average of 4.1 million. The NIFC reports that in the same period in 2023, there were 34,045 fires that burned about 1.6 million acres.
Below, we’ll examine a few of the more notable, destructive U.S. wildfires to happen in 2024 so far.
Smokehouse Creek Fire
The Smokehouse Creek fire was the largest wildfire in Texas history. It burned 1,058,482 acres in Texas and almost 70,000 acres in Oklahoma from February 26 to March 16, when it was completely contained. Farms and ranches in the area were heavily affected by the fire, with many losing everything. More than 500 structures were destroyed, and it’s estimated that more than 10,000 head of cattle died in the blaze. As such, the Smokehouse Creek fire was the costliest wildfire in the state for agricultural losses, which AgriLife estimated to be around $123 million.
This fire also did major damage to infrastructure, with more than 100 miles of power lines within the perimeter of the fire requiring replacement.
Park Fire
The Park Fire began on July 24 and has affected areas of Butte, Tehama, Shasta and Plumas Counties in California. As of the time of publication, the Park Fire continues to burn, Cal Fire reports, and is 39% contained. As of August 13, this wildfire has burned 429,263 acres, making it the fourth-largest wildfire in California history. CalFire reports that between Butte and Tehama County, there have been 641 destroyed and 52 damaged structures, including infrastructure.
The Lassen National Forest has also taken heavy damage from the Park Fire, with 113,736 acres burned.
Watch Fire
The Watch Fire, which began in eastern Arizona on July 11, was the most devastating structural fire to affect the Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in at least 30 years. The fire, which is suspected to have begun from arson, destroyed 21 homes and displaced 73 residents in the community. An estimated 2,162 acres were burned. Though this may seem like a smaller fire compared to others, its community impact was immense.
Risk mitigation strategies
Across the globe, only around 5% of wildfires start naturally, Swiss Re reports, and in the U.S., around 85% of wildfires are started by humans. These acts are exasperated by climate change, which contributes to the drying of vegetation, along with strong winds that allow these fires to spread.
According to Swiss Re, up to 75% of wildfire losses are insured, since the peril is included in most homeowners and business insurance policies. These mounting losses have had a massive effect on insurers – and their appetite for business in certain areas. Swiss Re estimates that from 2013 to 2022, wildfires caused $98.87 billion in global economic losses, and $69.92 billion in insured losses.
While wildfires may seem imminent in some areas, there are ways for communities to implement mitigation measures to reduce some of the risk. Some of the risk mitigation tactics suggested by Swiss Re include:
- Restricting development in wildfire-urban interface (WUI) areas to reduce the loss of property and life if a fire occurs;
- Performing proper maintenance of underbrush to reduce burnable vegetation;
- Building with flame retardant materials;
- Maintaining safe perimeters around buildings that are free of flammable materials;
- Upgrading utility poles and maintaining the vegetation around power lines to prevent fires caused by electricity, and to protect the utilities’ functions during a wildfire; and
- Reducing CO2 emissions to address climate change that is driving the increase in destructive wildfires.