Facts + Statistics: Wildfires

Wildland fires

As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by people, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.

According to Verisk’s 2017 Wildfire Risk Analysis 4.5 million U.S. homes were identified at high or extreme risk of wildfire, with more than 2 million in California alone. Losses from wildfires added up to $5.1 billion over the past 10 years.

Wildfires by year

2018: From January 1 to December 21, 2018, there were 55,911 wildfires, compared to 64,610 wildfires in the same period in 2017, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 8.6 million acres were burned in the 2018 period, compared with 9.6 million in 2017.

The Mendocino Complex Fire broke out on July 27 in Northern California and grew to be the largest fire in state history with 459,123 acres burned.

The Carr Fire, which broke out on July 23 in Northern California, is the 6th most destructive fire in the state’s history. Seven fatalities are attributed to the fire, and 1,604 structures have been destroyed.

Insured residential, commercial and auto losses from the Carr and Mendocino Complex Fires topped $845 million, according to the California Department of Insurance. The two fires resulted in 8,900 homes, 329 businesses, and 800 private autos, commercial vehicles, and other types of property damaged or destroyed. More than 10,000 claims have been filed.

The Camp Fire broke out in Butte County, Northern California on November 8 and became the deadliest and most destructive fire on record. At least 88 people perished. About 153,000 acres were burned and 18,800 structures have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire statistics. The fire burned almost 14,000 residences and about 530 commercial structures. The remainder were minor structures.

Further south two other major fires, the Hill and Woolsey Fires, also caused considerable damage. Both fires started on November 8. The Woolsey Fire burned about 97,000 acres according to Cal Fire.  It destroyed about 1,600 structures and killed three people. The Hill Fire burned about 4,500 acres and destroyed four structures.

Although insured losses from the Camp and Woolsey Fires have not been released, they are likely to be among the costliest wildfires on record.

2017: In 2017, there were 71,499 wildfires, compared to 65,575 wildfires in the same period in 2016, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 10 million acres were burned in the 2017 period, compared with 5.4 million in 2016. 2017 acres burned were higher than the 10-year average.

Beginning October 6 and continuing until October 25, eight counties in Northern California were hit by a devastating outbreak of wildfires which led to at least 23 fatalities, burned 245,000 acres and destroyed over 8,700 structures.

In December five major fires in Southern California destroyed over a thousand homes and buildings. One of the fires, the Thomas Fire, became the largest wildfire ever recorded in California. Loss estimates are not yet available from the Property Claims Services (PCS) unit of ISO, but it has provided relative rankings for the Atlas, Tubbs and Thomas fires as the costliest wildfires in the United States. All three are estimated to have caused more than $2.8 billion in insured losses. The California Department of Insurance reported that insurance claims from the October-December fires add up to almost $12 billion, which makes the 2017 fire season the costliest on record. However, the 2018 Camp and Woolsey Fires are likely to become the most costly fires in U.S. history when insured loss data are compiled.

2016: There were a total of 5.5 million acres burned by wildfires in 2016. On May 1 of that year, a wildfire broke out in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray. The fire was the costliest ever Canadian natural disaster for insurers, with 1,600 buildings destroyed and more under threat. Two fatalities are attributed to the fire and the entire population of about 90,000 were evacuated. The smoke from the fire could be seen as far south as Iowa.

Number of Acres Burned in Wildfires, 1980–2016

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Source: National Interagency Fire Center.

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Wildfire Losses In The United States, 2008-2017 (1)

(2017 $ millions)

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(1) Adjusted for inflation by Munich Re based on the Consumer Price Index.

Source: © 2018 Munich Re, NatCatSERVICE.

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