Key Facts
- According to federal data cited by the National Park Service, humans cause about 85 percent of all wildfires yearly in the United States.
- The Annual 2022 Wildfires Report from the National Centers for Environmental Information indicates that over 7.5 million acres of wildland were consumed by fire that year.
- According to the National Interagency Fire Center, California leads the country with the most wildfires and the most acres burned. California-specific charts below on the Top 10 largest, most destructive, and deadliest wildfires.
Annual Number of Acres Burned in Wildland Fires, 1980-2023
*2004 fires and acres do not include state lands for North Carolina.
Source: National Interagency Fire Center.
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Wildfires By State, 2023
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(1) Includes Puerto Rico. Totals for the United States do not match totals shown elsewhere by the National Interagency Fire Center due to the use of different exhibits.
Source: National Interagency Fire Center.
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Homes At Risk For Extreme Wildfires, By State, 2024
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Source: CoreLogic®, a property data and analytics company.
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Top 10 States For Wildfires Ranked By Number Of Fires And By Number Of Acres Burned, 2023
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Source: National Interagency Fire Center.
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Top 10 Costliest Wildland Fires In The United States (1)
($ millions)
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(1) Includes losses sustained by private insurers and government-sponsored programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program. All fires on this list occurred in California unless otherwise noted. Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of January 2025.
(2) Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
Source: Aon.
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Top 10 Largest California Wildfires (1)
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(1) As of October 2024.
Source: Calfire.
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Top 10 Most Destructive California Wildfires (1)
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(1) As of April 2025.
(2) “Structures” include homes, outbuildings (barns, garages, sheds, etc) and commercial properties destroyed. This list does not include fire jurisdiction. These are the Top 20 regardless of whether they were state, federal, or local responsibility.
(3) Under investigation.
Source: Calfire.
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Top 10 Deadliest California Wildfires (1)
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(1) As of April 2025.
(2) Under investigation.
Source: Calfire.
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