2017 wildfires in the United States

2017 wildfires in the United States
Name	2017 wildfires in the United States
Location	United States
Date	2017
Area	~10,000,000 acres
Fatalities	>40
Buildings	thousands
Cause	Various (lightning, arson, accidental ignition)

2017 wildfires in the United States were a series of large, destructive wildfires across multiple states, involving notable incidents such as the Thomas Fire, the Tubbs Fire, the Rim Fire, the Detwiler Fire, and the Cedar Fire-era comparisons. The season affected vast tracts of California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico, prompting responses from agencies including the United States Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the National Interagency Fire Center, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Losses included lives, homes, infrastructure, and ecosystem services, and the season influenced debates in the United States Congress, state legislatures such as the California State Legislature, and policy bodies like the United Nations panels on climate.

Overview and statistics

The 2017 season saw roughly ~10,000,000 acres burned, with major episodes recorded in California, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and Alaska, producing smoke plumes tracked by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency air quality monitors. Fatalities and injuries involved residents of Santa Rosa, Ventura County, and rural communities near Redding and Fresno, triggering emergency declarations by Governor Jerry Brown and coordination with the United States Department of Homeland Security and local sheriff offices such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Economic estimates cited losses by insurers like Allstate, State Farm, and statements to legislative committees including hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Satellite records from Landsat and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer were used alongside assessments by the United States Geological Survey and academic teams from institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, University of Washington, and University of Colorado Boulder.

Major fires by region

In California, the Thomas Fire in Ventura County and the Santa Barbara County region, the Tubbs Fire in Napa County and Sonoma County, the Atlas Fire, and conflagrations near Santa Rosa were among the most destructive, impacting communities like Malibu and Santa Barbara. In the Pacific Northwest, fires in Oregon and Washington affected the Columbia River Gorge, the Sierra Nevada, and national forests such as the Shasta–Trinity National Forest and the Sierra National Forest. The Rim Fire region near Yosemite National Park and the Detwiler Fire near Mariposa County were significant in the interior Sierra Nevada ecosystems. In the Southwest, blazes in Arizona and New Mexico threatened communities near Flagstaff and Santa Fe, while in the Interior West, fires in Colorado and Montana affected rural counties, prompting mobilizations by state agencies like the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Causes and contributing factors

Ignition sources included lightning storms tracked by the Storm Prediction Center, accidental human causes investigated by county fire investigators and sheriff offices, and isolated incidents of arson prosecuted in state courts such as the Superior Court of California. Fuel conditions were worsened by prolonged drought monitored by the U.S. Drought Monitor and by bark beetle outbreaks documented by the United States Forest Service and entomologists at Colorado State University. Climate influences cited analyses from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the National Climate Assessment, and researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography showing links between warming, snowpack decline, and fire season length. Land management practices, including historic fire suppression policies from the United States Forest Service and grazing practices in regions like the Great Basin, were cited by researchers from University of California, Davis and Oregon State University as altering fuel loads.

Human and ecological impacts

Human impacts included fatalities, mass evacuations of residents from municipalities like Santa Rosa and Ventura County, destruction of thousands of structures insured by companies including Farmers Insurance Group and Chubb Limited, and public health effects from smoke recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ecological consequences affected habitats for species such as the California condor, the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and riparian ecosystems along the Sacramento River and Klamath River. Post-fire erosion and sedimentation concerns involved agencies like the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, while restoration work engaged NGOs including the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and local land trusts. Cultural heritage losses included damage to sites administered by the National Park Service in areas near Yosemite National Park and Channel Islands National Park, invoking responses from tribal nations such as the Yurok and Karuk peoples.

Response and firefighting efforts

Firefighting involved interagency coordination under frameworks such as the National Incident Management System and resource mobilizations by the National Interagency Fire Center, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and state forestry agencies. Tactics employed included aerial firefighting with assets from companies like Boeing and operators of airtankers, ground crews from the Hotshot crew program, and National Guard activations coordinated with the United States Department of Defense in state emergencies. Mutual aid compacts such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact enabled interstate support from entities in Texas, Oregon, and Arizona. Investigations into cause and suppression costs were conducted by insurance adjusters, state investigators, and congressional staffers from committees such as the United States House Committee on Natural Resources.

Policy, recovery, and prevention initiatives

Aftermath actions included policy proposals in the United States Congress and the California State Legislature addressing forest resilience, funding for hazardous fuel reduction by the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, and grant programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for rebuilding and mitigation. Research initiatives at universities including University of California, Berkeley, Yale University, and University of Michigan examined fire behavior, community resilience, and insurance mechanisms involving companies such as Allianz. Local ordinances in counties like Napa County and Sonoma County updated building codes and defensible space regulations, while collaborations with NGOs including the World Wildlife Fund and the International Association of Fire Chiefs promoted prescribed burning and community preparedness. Federal and state agencies continued to adapt strategies informed by reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and international assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Category:Wildfires in the United States