The National Interagency Fire Center has released statistics about the fire season nationwide so far this year. According to their posting, there have been 35,645 human-cause wildfires so far this year, for a total of 1,655,651 acres burned; and there have been 4,875 lightning-cause wildfires for a total of 2,392,456 acres burned.
California leads the US for the number of human-caused fires – a total of 6,330 so far. States most impacted by the amount of acreage burned are California in the number one spot with 728,166 acres, Arizona in number 2 with 525,289 acres, Oregon is number 3 with 515,936 acres, and Montana has the 4th highest with 475,594 acres.
Closer to home, Teton Interagency Fires reports having had to deal with 155 unattended or abandoned campfires so far this year – some that had begun escaping their confinement. Total acres burned by wildfires in the Teton Interagency area so far this year is approximately 271 acres. Statistically, hunting season, just around the corner, frequently has the highest incidence of human-caused fires.
