June-November 2015:

“Wildfires burned over 10.1 million acres across the U.S. in 2015, surpassing 2006 for the highest annual total of U.S. acreage burned since record-keeping began in 1960. The most costly wildfires occurred in California where over 2,500 structures were destroyed due to the Valley and Butte wildfires with the insured losses alone exceeding 1.0 (1.1) billion. The most extensive wildfires occurred in Alaska where over 5 million acres burned within the state. There was extensive burnt acreage across other western states, most notably (OR, WA, ID, MT, ND, CO, WY, TX).” — NOAA: Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

Impact:

• CPI-Adjusted Estimated Cost: $3.2 billion
• Deaths: 12

Related Resources:

• CHDS Alumni Response: Devastating Wildfires Require Largescale Response
• Wildland Fire in Alaska: A History of Organized Fire Suppression and Management in the Last Frontier (University of Alaska Fairbanks)
• HSDL In Focus: Wildfires
• HSDL search results for Wildfire

CHDS & NPS Theses relating to Wildfire:

• Improving Access to Military Aircraft During Civilian Wildfires
• Improving Air Support for Wildfire Management in the United States
• Optimizing Citizen Engagement during Emergencies through Use of Web 2.0 Technologies
• Covering the Homeland: National Guard Unmanned Aircraft Systems Support for Wildland Firefighting and Natural Disaster Events

Photo: Sockeye Wildfire, Alaska 2015 – CDC