These National Parks Are on Fire Right Now

By Evan Comen  •  August 20, 2025
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Last week, the Dragon Bravo fire in Grand Canyon National Park surpassed 100,000 acres, officially achieving megafire status. While Dragon Bravo is by far the largest wildfire in the country right now, it is only one of more than three dozen wildfires that are currently burning in U.S. national parks and national forests.

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Taken altogether, there are more than 500,000 acres of national park and national forest on fire right now. Wildfires are spreading dangerous smoke plumes throughout federal lands, pushing concentrations of particulate matter to dangerous highs. In Arizona, the Dragon Bravo fire has caused closures and evacuations throughout Grand Canyon National Park, and is only 61% contained at last estimate. National parks can be particularly dangerous places for wildfires, as dry vegetation allows for rapid spread, and lack of firefighting infrastructure can allow burns to endure for longer than urban fires. A closer look at the data reveals the national parks that are on fire right now.

To determine the national parks that are on fire right now, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on current wildfire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center. National lands were ranked based on the total sum of current wildfire acreage as of August 20, 2025. Supplemental data on park size is from the National Park Service, while data on current smoke concentration is from the NOAA.

10. San Juan National Forest

Photo by Mick Kirchman on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 8,346 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Stoner Mesa Fire (8,346 acres)
  • Total park size: 1,841,756 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 0.9 µg/m³
 

9. Olympic National Forest

Photo by sarah b on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 8,368 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Bear Gulch Fire (8,368 acres)
  • Total park size: 223,417 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 0.0 µg/m³
 

8. Selawik National Wildlife Refuge

Photo by Josh McCausland on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 8,578 acres (3 fires)
  • Largest fire: Kawichiark 1 Fire (4,626 acres)
  • Total park size: 2,301,075 acres
  • Smoke concentration: N/A
 

7. Santa Fe National Forest

Photo by Avery Murray on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 17,415 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Laguna Fire (17,415 acres)
  • Total park size: 836,796 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 1.1 µg/m³
 

6. Tonto National Forest

Photo by Sam Goodgame on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 21,643 acres (2 fires)
  • Largest fire: Billy Fire (21,093 acres)
  • Total park size: 2,866,646 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 0.7 µg/m³
 

5. Payette National Forest

Photo by Koy Gregerson on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 22,837 acres (2 fires)
  • Largest fire: Big Bear Fire (15,273 acres)
  • Total park size: 1,745,982 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 3.8 µg/m³
 

4. Gila National Forest

Photo by Gennady Zakharin on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 24,178 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Trout Fire (47,294 acres)
  • Total park size: 3,112,170 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 0.5 µg/m³
 

3. Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Photo by David Frankel on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 64,065 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Christian Fire (64,065 acres)
  • Total park size: 1,638,034 acres
  • Smoke concentration: N/A
 

2. Fishlake National Forest

Photo by Dmitriy Panchenko on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 73,655 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Monroe Canyon Fire (73,655 acres)
  • Total park size: 164,001 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 0.6 µg/m³
 

1. Grand Canyon National Park

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

  • Burn area of current wildfires: 144,984 acres (1 fire)
  • Largest fire: Dragon Bravo Fire (144,984 acres)
  • Total park size: 463,971 acres
  • Smoke concentration: 0.6 µg/m³
 

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