United States wildfires

United States wildfires
Name	United States wildfires
Location	United States
Date	Ongoing
Area	Varies annually
Cause	Natural and human

United States wildfires are recurring large-scale wildfire events affecting ecosystems across the United States including the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, Southeastern United States, and the Alaska and Hawaii regions; they receive attention from agencies such as the United States Forest Service, the National Interagency Fire Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These events influence policy debates in the United States Congress, affect communities served by the Red Cross (United States), and intersect with scientific programs at institutions like the United States Geological Survey, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and major research universities including University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Colorado State University.

Overview and Definitions

Wildfire terminology encompasses concepts used by agencies such as the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the National Interagency Fire Center, and the National Fire Protection Association; key terms include wildfire, crown fire, ground fire, and surface fire as defined by the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations. Fire behavior descriptors from the Rothermel model and operational doctrines from the Incident Command System inform suppression tactics used by crews from organizations like the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

History and Notable Events

Historical episodes include the Great Fire of 1910 that affected Idaho and Montana, the Yosemite fire history episodes in California, the Cedar Fire (2003) and Camp Fire (2018) in California, the Hayman Fire in Colorado, the Waldo Canyon Fire and Marshall Fire (2021) in Colorado, the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, and large seasons such as the 2020 and 2021 wildfire seasons affecting California, Oregon, Washington (state), and British Columbia-border areas. Major structural losses and fatalities prompted reviews involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the California Public Utilities Commission, and utility companies like Pacific Gas and Electric Company following investigations after the Camp Fire (2018) and litigation such as cases before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California.

Causes and Contributing Factors

Ignition sources range from lightning documented by the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to human-related causes including operations of utility companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company, rail incidents like those investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, arson prosecuted by local district attorneys, and accidental ignitions tied to recreation on public lands managed by the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. Climatic drivers include phenomena studied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, such as warming trends recorded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and changing precipitation patterns affecting regions like California and the Southwest United States; fuel conditions are influenced by forest management histories tied to the United States Forest Service and indigenous stewardship practices discussed in work with tribes like the Yurok and Karuk.

Impacts and Consequences

Wildfire impacts include loss of life and property addressed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local agencies such as the California Office of Emergency Services, ecosystem changes documented by the United States Geological Survey, and air quality degradation monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency and state air boards like the California Air Resources Board. Economic consequences affect sectors represented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Realtors through impacts on timber managed by the United States Forest Service, tourism in locations such as Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon National Park, and insurance markets overseen by state regulators and national groups like the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Public health ramifications have been analyzed by institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and university medical centers including University of California, San Francisco.

Fire Management and Prevention

Management strategies integrate suppression tactics utilized by interagency crews coordinated through the Incident Command System and landscape approaches including prescribed burning guided by the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Policy and restoration programs in collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Community resilience efforts draw on standards from the National Fire Protection Association and local codes enforced by municipal governments such as those in Los Angeles and San Francisco; fuel reduction projects often involve partnerships between the United States Forest Service, state forestry agencies, and tribal governments including the Yurok and Karuk.

Policy, Legislation, and Funding

Federal legislation and appropriations from the United States Congress shape wildfire response funding mechanisms conducted through the Department of the Interior and the United States Department of Agriculture; statutory frameworks include elements of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 and appropriations overseen by committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations and the United States House Committee on Natural Resources. Legal and regulatory actions have involved the California Public Utilities Commission and litigation in federal courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, while federal initiatives like the Wildland Fire Decision Support System and budget proposals from administrations including the Biden administration influence program priorities.

Research, Technology, and Monitoring

Research and monitoring employ satellite assets from National Aeronautics and Space Administration programs (e.g., MODIS, VIIRS) and modeling by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Geological Survey; operational tools include the Fire Weather Index systems used by the National Weather Service, the Remote Automated Weather Station network, and computational models developed at universities such as University of Washington and Pennsylvania State University. Innovations in aerial firefighting have involved resources like the U.S. Navy-contracted aircraft in some operations, and cross-agency collaborations link the National Interagency Fire Center with research centers like the Joint Fire Science Program and academic partners including University of California, Davis.

Category:Wildfires in the United States