Wildfire Destruction Rose By 650% in 2024

Douglas McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief at Climate Crisis 24/7, reports that U.S. wildfires destroyed 1.78 million acres in 2024 — a staggering 650% increase over the previous year. Fires broke out in unexpected areas like New York and the Southeast due to shifting drought patterns, with West Virginia becoming one of the driest states despite its normally wet climate. As drought expands across the nation, the scale and frequency of wildfires are projected to increase.