An extra wet and cold winter has resulted in soil moisture lasting longer across much of the Western United States. The hot, dry summers are peak fire season in this part of the United States.
So far in early August of 2023, the wildfire season in the western United States has not been as intense as prior years when a years-long drought was raging. According to data from the National Interagency Fire Center, 2023 has seen the least amount of acreage burned year-to-date in the last decade.
As of August 3, 2023, 30,800 wildfires have burned 1.2 million acres (4,800 square kilometers). Comparatively, the ten-year average for acres burned by wildfire to date is 3.8 million acres (15,400 square kilometers).
Across the United States, the National Interagency Fire Center is reporting there are 78 large active fires in early August covering 458,807 acres. Of the 11 states reporting large active fires, most are in the western United States:
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- Alaska (20)
- New Mexico (14)
- Montana (11)
- Arizona (9)
- Idaho (8)
- California (6)
- Oregon (3)
- Texas (3)
- Washington (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Colorado (1)
Alaska
Alaska had the highest number of active large fires with 20 affecting 49,520 acres still burning on August 3, 2023.
New Mexico
With 14 wildfires burning as of August 3, New Mexico has 114,908 across affected.
Oregon wildfire
As of August 3, the Forest Service reported that the Bedrock Fire had scorched 12,200 acres (49 square kilometers) and was expanding by approximately 1,000 acres (4 square kilometers) daily.
Idaho wildfire
The Elkhorn Fire, which is the most extensive blaze in the state, began in the Payette National Forest in north-central Idaho on July 24.
References
Cassidy, E. (2023, August 3). Fire season heats up in the west. NASA Earth Observatory. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151660/fire-season-heats-up-in-the-west
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- Three of Colorado’s Wildfires are the Largest in Recorded History for the State
