The Worst Years for Man-Made Wildfires in the US
https://climate-crisis-247-bucket.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/07210556/leuowir5dqe-150x150.jpgSo far, 2025 has been an especially active wildfire season in the United States. Between January 1 and August 4, 2025, there have been over 41,400 wildfires nationwide, nearly double the 22,900 reported across the U.S. over the same period in 2024. One of the most destructive wildfires so far this year is the Dragon Bravo fire, which started near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon following a lighting strike. Currently, the Dragon Bravo fire is only about 12% contained and has already burned over 116,000 acres. Many of the most destructive fires in recent decades have been the result of lightning strikes – but each year, the vast majority of wildfires in the U.S. are caused by human activity.
According to data from the National Interagency Fire Center, there were over 1.6 million wildfires nationwide between 2001 and 2024 – and nearly 87% of them were human-caused. While most wildfire disasters are manmade, fires ignited by natural causes tend to be the most destructive. Lightning strikes account for only about 13% of all wildfires in the last 24 years. But these same fires burned an estimated 96 million acres – or 57% of all land area damaged by wildfires since 2001.
Man-made wildfires often start from discarded cigarette butts, campfires, or downed powerlines in dry areas. With months remaining in the 2025 wildfire season, the NIFC recently issued a warning that sparks and hot bullet fragments from target shooting can ignite dry grass and brush, potentially posing wildfire risks. When proper precautions are taken – including fully extinguishing campfires and discarded cigarettes, and target shooting in areas free of flammable materials – human-caused wildfires are largely preventable. Yet, man-made wildfire disasters have been ubiquitous in recent years, consuming some 72.3 million acres between 2001 and 2024.
Using data from the NIFC, Climate Crisis 247 identified the worst years for human-caused wildfires so far in the 21st century. We reviewed annual wildfire data from 2001 through 2024 ranked each year on the total number acres burned by man-made wildfires. All supplemental data is also from the NIFC.
Depending on the year, anywhere from 964,800 to 8.3 million acres have been consumed annually by man-made, largely preventable, wildfires in the United States since 2001.
24. 2004
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 964,800 acres (12.1% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 54,101 (82.6% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2004: 65,485 wildfires, 8.0 million acres burned
23. 2014
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 985,114 acres (32.9% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 55,679 (87.5% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2014: 63,612 wildfires, 3.0 million acres burned
22. 2019
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.2 million acres (26.1% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 44,115 (87.4% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2019: 50,477 wildfires, 4.7 million acres burned
21. 2013
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.3 million acres (29.2% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 38,349 (80.6% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2013: 47,579 wildfires, 4.3 million acres burned
20. 2010
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.3 million acres (38.1% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 64,807 (90.0% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2010: 71,971 wildfires, 3.4 million acres burned
19. 2005
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.5 million acres (17.5% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 58,430 (87.5% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2005: 66,753 wildfires, 8.7 million acres burned
18. 2023
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.5 million acres (56.9% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 50,697 (89.6% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2023: 56,580 wildfires, 2.7 million acres burned
17. 2001
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.8 million acres (49.2% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 71,456 (83.5% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2001: 85,550 wildfires, 3.6 million acres burned
16. 2003
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 1.9 million acres (48.5% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 50,815 (79.9% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2003: 63,591 wildfires, 4.0 million acres burned
15. 2015
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 2.0 million acres (19.9% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 58,916 (86.4% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2015: 68,151 wildfires, 10.1 million acres burned
14. 2009
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 2.1 million acres (35.0% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 69,650 (88.4% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2009: 78,792 wildfires, 5.9 million acres burned
13. 2012
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 2.5 million acres (26.8% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 58,331 (86.1% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2012: 67,774 wildfires, 9.3 million acres burned
12. 2021
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 3.0 million acres (42.4% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 52,641 (89.2% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2021: 58,985 wildfires, 7.1 million acres burned
11. 2002
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 3.1 million acres (42.9% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 62,022 (84.4% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2002: 73,457 wildfires, 7.2 million acres burned
10. 2022
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 3.4 million acres (44.5% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 61,429 (89.2% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2022: 68,896 wildfires, 7.6 million acres burned
9. 2008
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 3.4 million acres (64.8% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 70,093 (88.8% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2008: 78,949 wildfires, 5.3 million acres burned
8. 2007
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 3.4 million acres (37.0% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 73,446 (85.7% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2007: 85,707 wildfires, 9.3 million acres burned
7. 2016
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 3.8 million acres (68.4% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 60,932 (90.0% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2016: 67,722 wildfires, 5.5 million acres burned
6. 2006
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 4.4 million acres (44.6% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 80,220 (83.2% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2006: 96,385 wildfires, 9.9 million acres burned
5. 2024
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 4.7 million acres (52.3% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 57,962 (89.3% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2024: 64,897 wildfires, 8.9 million acres burned
4. 2017
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 4.8 million acres (48.2% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 63,546 (88.9% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2017: 71,499 wildfires, 10.0 million acres burned
3. 2011
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 5.6 million acres (64.1% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 51,576 (88.8% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2018: 58,083 wildfires, 8.7 million acres burned
2. 2018
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 5.6 million acres (64.1% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 51,576 (88.8% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2018: 58,083 wildfires, 8.7 million acres burned
1. 2020
- Land area burned by human-caused wildfires: 8.3 million acres (66.9% of all wildfire damage)
- Number of human-caused wildfires: 53,563 (90.9% of all wildfires)
- All wildfires in 2020: 58,950 wildfires, 12.4 million acres burned
Sponsor
Find a Vetted Financial Advisor
- Finding a fiduciary financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area in 5 minutes.
- Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Get on the path toward achieving your financial goals!