U.S. National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for June 13, 2022, Shows Wildfire Danger Remains High

The U.S. National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported on Monday (6-13-22) that 5 large new fires were reported yesterday, 2 each in Alaska and Arizona and 1 in California. That increases the total number of wildfires currently burning throughout the U.S. to 33, with more than 1,089,844 acres in five states now burning.

There are currently 20 wildfires burning in Alaska, 6 in New Mexico, 3 each in both Arizona and California, and 1 in Texas. The NIFC is reporting that as of today, only 1 of the 33 wildfires has been partially contained. There are now 6,200 wildland firefighters and support personnel assigned to these incidents.

The current number of wildfires currently exceeds both 2021, as well as 10-year averages. The NIFC offers this simple comparison as an example:

• From 1/1/22 through 6/13/22, 29,629 wildfires have been reported and they had burned 2,477,977 acres.
• From 1/1/21 through 6/13/21, 27,220 wildfires had been reported and they had burned 935,832 acres
• The NIFC notes that 10-year average (2012 – 2021) for the same time period was 22,897 wildfires that consumed 1,082,125 acres.

The current hot, dry, and windy weather patterns across much of the U.S., according to the NIFC, are creating favorable conditions for the expansion of current wildfires and increasing the potential for new wildfires to start.