Engulfed sagebrush and cheatgrass stocked this Idaho wildfire in 2013. (Credit Michael Pellant/BLM/Wikipedia Commons)
Ignited by climate change, drought and increased human activity in fire-prone areas, wildfires are expected to consume roughly 10 million U.S. acres in 2025 and 9 million acres in 2026, according to one recent study.
Although wildfires happen nationwide, the American West is especially exposed due to its dryer climates and higher altitudes. Of the billion-dollar disasters so far in 2024, one wildfire made the list compiled the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Blazes that sparked in New Mexico in June and July and burned for weeks without containment.
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Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Elana Ashanti Jefferson serves as ALM's PropertyCasualty360 Group Chief Editor. She is a veteran journalist and communications professional. Reach her by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
