US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for June 21, 2022: Hot & Dry Conditions Continue to Increase Wildfire Danger Throughout the US

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported on Tuesday (6-21-22) that 5 large new fires were reported yesterday: 3 in Alaska and 1 each in Florida and North Carolina. That increases the total number of wildfires currently burning throughout the US to 38, with more than 1,726,992 acres in nine states now burning.

There are currently 21 wildfires burning in Alaska; 6 in Arizona; 4 in New Mexico; 2 in Georgia; and 1 each in Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. The NIFC is reporting that as of today, only 1 of the 38 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 latest comparison is as follows:

• Between 1/1/22 through 6/21/22, 31,000 wildfires have been reported and they had burned 3,215,435 acres.
• Between 1/1/21 through 6/21/21, 28,926 wildfires had been reported and they had burned 1,097,061 acres.
• The 10-year average (2012–2021) for the same time period was 24,230 wildfires that consumed 1,236,117 acres.

The current hot, dry, and windy weather patterns across much of the US continue to create favorable conditions for the expansion of current wildfires and increase the potential for new wildfires, according to the NIFC.