Trends in Wildfire Activity (2000–2023)
Declining Number of Fires
The number of wildfires has shown a declining trend over the years.
Persistent Burned Area
Despite fewer fires, the total area burned remains relatively unchanged.
Welcome to the Wildfire Story.
This visualization explores the trends, causes, and impacts of wildfires across the U.S., highlighting key patterns and preparedness challenges.
Wildfire occurences across states in the U.S. from 2019 to 2023. The stacked bar heights are log of number of fires in each state by year.
The number of wildfires has shown a declining trend over the years.
Despite fewer fires, the total area burned remains relatively unchanged.
Wildfires remain a pressing concern across the United States. While the number of fires has declined over time, the total area burned remains high which indicating a rise in intensity.
Natural causes like lightning continue to dominate, especially during the dry summer months. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity could play a critical role but the thourough study is needed to confirm it.
When it comes to preparedness, states like California are leading in fire station infrastructure compared to other states.
This story highlights the importance of investing in prevention, understanding root causes, and supporting states with appropriate firefighting infrastructure.