Wildfires Race Across The West As Three Firefighters Die

By Douglas McIntyre  •  July 4, 2026
RDNE Stock project Pexels

So far this year, there have been 36,594 wildfires that have burned 3,237,346 acres,according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The acre count for the same period last year was 1,815,545. The 2026 figures for both the number of fires and the number of acres are the highest in 10 years. In the process, so far this year, three firefighters have died.  The fire that killed them was along the Utah border with Colorado.

While most of these wildfires are in the West, drought conditions make it much more likely they will occur elsewhere. While the U.S. Drought Monitor shows extremely high drought in Colorado and Nevada, every state in the West is reporting some level of drought.

The Drought Monitor map shows large pockets of severe drought in Virginia and Florida. Drought conditions also exist in every state along the Atlantic coast. 

The wildfires are deadly in two ways. One is the death caused by wildfires. The other is wildfire smoke, which can spread for over 1,000 miles from its source. Wildfire smoke causes serious health problems for those who have preexisting conditions. The Clean Air Research Center reports that “People with pre-existing conditions, such as lung and heart disease, are more vulnerable to the effects of wildfire smoke. They can be at risk of an acute event, like a stroke or heart attack, during a wildfire.” The same research showed that the healthy firefighters who fought the LA Wildfires, suffered from inflammation. 

The Western Fire Chiefs Association recently released data that showed, “Although it depends on the wind pattern and atmospheric conditions, wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles.” The smoke can linger in the atmosphere for weeks. Jama issued an article titled “Wildfire Smoke Exposure and Cause-Specific Hospitalization in Older Adults”. This documented a spike in emergency room visits.

This year may be the most active wildfire season in decades, or at least as far back as records go. 

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