Wildfire: A National Risk

Although 2023’s fire activity was well below average, long-term trends show increasing wildfire risk across the country, burning hotter and larger with increasing damage to communities, infrastructure and the environment. 

It’s estimated that more than 70,000 communities across the country are at increased risk from wildfire.

From 2014 to 2020, the five-year average of structures destroyed by wildfire rose from 2,873 to 12,255. The four-fold increase is attributed to increased development in wildland areas and effects from climate change and drought. The resulting wildfire activity is indiscriminate.

The recent Smith River Complex Fires on the Six Rivers National Forest in Northwest California exemplifies just what’s at stake, and how land management projects with partners and interagency suppression strategies can make a difference. 

View the story map here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/608a136e539f434d8e07f2629c2f2602