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U.S. Large Wildfire History

Name: United States large wildfire history (1,000+ acres, since 1980)
Creator: National Interagency Fire Center
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

The NIFC perimeter archive maps 9,201 wildfires of 1,000 acres or more across the United States since 1980. The largest burned 578,404 ac.

Separate from the federal disaster declarations elsewhere on this site: this is the mapped-fire record, not a list of fires that drew federal aid.

Largest on record

Elk Mountain · ID · 2007578,404 ac 832015 · AK · 1988558,929 ac Long Draw · OR · 2012558,054 ac Boundary · AK · 2004538,652 ac Wallow · AZ · 2011538,052 ac Minto Flats South · AK · 2009534,912 ac Biscuit · CA · 2002501,082 ac Dall City · AK · 2004500,352 ac Biscuit · OR · 2002500,329 ac Inowak · AK · 1997489,738 ac North Fork · WY · 1988489,214 ac Billy Creek · AK · 2004462,173 ac Holloway · NV · 2012460,843 ac Rodeo-Chediski · AZ · 2002460,563 ac Holloway · OR · 2012448,547 ac

States that burn most

California2,299 fires · largest 501,082 ac Alaska1,662 fires · largest 558,929 ac Idaho1,035 fires · largest 578,404 ac Oregon607 fires · largest 558,054 ac Nevada572 fires · largest 460,843 ac Arizona506 fires · largest 538,052 ac Utah437 fires · largest 337,677 ac New Mexico400 fires · largest 428,846 ac Montana309 fires · largest 271,421 ac Wyoming284 fires · largest 489,214 ac Colorado273 fires · largest 138,287 ac Washington248 fires · largest 230,102 ac Florida188 fires · largest 124,590 ac Texas89 fires · largest 314,377 ac South Dakota45 fires · largest 83,548 ac Virginia38 fires · largest 18,055 ac Oklahoma26 fires · largest 20,305 ac Louisiana22 fires · largest 11,236 ac North Dakota21 fires · largest 59,608 ac Nebraska21 fires · largest 56,471 ac Arkansas19 fires · largest 8,403 ac Tennessee13 fires · largest 15,643 ac Minnesota12 fires · largest 14,545 ac Kansas11 fires · largest 60,039 ac Missouri11 fires · largest 4,762 ac Hawaii10 fires · largest 10,938 ac North Carolina10 fires · largest 21,331 ac Georgia9 fires · largest 152,528 ac Alabama7 fires · largest 2,672 ac South Carolina6 fires · largest 1,695 ac Mississippi4 fires · largest 4,248 ac West Virginia4 fires · largest 12,325 ac Indiana1 fires · largest 1,978 ac Puerto Rico1 fires · largest 3,671 ac Kentucky1 fires · largest 1,896 ac

Most recent

Clearwater · WY · 20241,966 ac Dry Fork · WY · 20213,382 ac Hanna · SD · 20211,679 ac Sand Mountain · ID · 20211,606 ac Cuervito · NM · 20211,588 ac Burks · OK · 20211,061 ac Apple · CA · 202033,236 ac Goldfield · AZ · 20201,737 ac Elk Lake · MT · 20201,523 ac Marion · ID · 20201,520 ac Ivanpah · CA · 20201,052 ac Frozen Calf · AK · 2019237,494 ac Old Grouch Top · AK · 2019223,694 ac Hess Creek · AK · 2019182,908 ac Swan Lake · AK · 2019167,182 ac

Source: National Interagency Fire Center, Interagency Fire Perimeter History. Only fires with a mapped perimeter of 1,000 acres or more are included; smaller fires and older fires with no digitised perimeter are not. Acreage is the mapped GIS area. This is a historical record, not a forecast.