The fastest-growing and most destructive fires in the US (2001 to 2020)

Jennifer K. Balch; Virginia Iglesias; Adam L. Mahood; Maxwell C. Cook; Cibele Amaral; Amy DeCastro; Stefan Leyk; Tyler L. McIntosh; R. Chelsea Nagy; Lise St Denis; Ty Tuff; Erick Verleye; A. Park Williams; Crystal A. Kolden

doi:10.1126/science.adk5737

The fastest-growing and most destructive fires in the US (2001 to 2020)

Jennifer K. Balch, Virginia Iglesias, Adam L. Mahood, Maxwell C. Cook, Cibele Amaral, Amy DeCastro, Stefan Leyk, Tyler L. McIntosh, R. Chelsea Nagy, Lise St Denis, Ty Tuff, Erick Verleye, A. Park Williams, Crystal A. Kolden

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

The most destructive and deadly wildfires in US history were also fast. Using satellite data, we analyzed the daily growth rates of more than 60,000 fires from 2001 to 2020 across the contiguous US. Nearly half of the ecoregions experienced destructive fast fires that grew more than 1620 hectares in 1 day. These fires accounted for 78% of structures destroyed and 61% of suppression costs ($18.9 billion). From 2001 to 2020, the average peak daily growth rate for these fires more than doubled (+249% relative to 2001) in the Western US. Nearly 3 million structures were within 4 kilometers of a fast fire during this period across the US. Given recent devastating wildfires, understanding fast fires is crucial for improving firefighting strategies and community preparedness.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	425-431
Number of pages	7
Journal	Science
Volume	386
Issue number	6720
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adk5737
State	Published - Oct 25 2024
Externally published	Yes

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title = "The fastest-growing and most destructive fires in the US (2001 to 2020)",

abstract = "The most destructive and deadly wildfires in US history were also fast. Using satellite data, we analyzed the daily growth rates of more than 60,000 fires from 2001 to 2020 across the contiguous US. Nearly half of the ecoregions experienced destructive fast fires that grew more than 1620 hectares in 1 day. These fires accounted for 78\% of structures destroyed and 61\% of suppression costs (\$18.9 billion). From 2001 to 2020, the average peak daily growth rate for these fires more than doubled (+249\% relative to 2001) in the Western US. Nearly 3 million structures were within 4 kilometers of a fast fire during this period across the US. Given recent devastating wildfires, understanding fast fires is crucial for improving firefighting strategies and community preparedness.",

author = "Balch, \{Jennifer K.\} and Virginia Iglesias and Mahood, \{Adam L.\} and Cook, \{Maxwell C.\} and Cibele Amaral and Amy DeCastro and Stefan Leyk and McIntosh, \{Tyler L.\} and Nagy, \{R. Chelsea\} and Denis, \{Lise St\} and Ty Tuff and Erick Verleye and Williams, \{A. Park\} and Kolden, \{Crystal A.\}",

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T1 - The fastest-growing and most destructive fires in the US (2001 to 2020)

AU - Balch, Jennifer K.

AU - Iglesias, Virginia

AU - Mahood, Adam L.

AU - Cook, Maxwell C.

AU - Amaral, Cibele

AU - DeCastro, Amy

AU - Leyk, Stefan

AU - McIntosh, Tyler L.

AU - Nagy, R. Chelsea

AU - Denis, Lise St

AU - Tuff, Ty

AU - Verleye, Erick

AU - Williams, A. Park

AU - Kolden, Crystal A.

PY - 2024/10/25

Y1 - 2024/10/25

N2 - The most destructive and deadly wildfires in US history were also fast. Using satellite data, we analyzed the daily growth rates of more than 60,000 fires from 2001 to 2020 across the contiguous US. Nearly half of the ecoregions experienced destructive fast fires that grew more than 1620 hectares in 1 day. These fires accounted for 78% of structures destroyed and 61% of suppression costs ($18.9 billion). From 2001 to 2020, the average peak daily growth rate for these fires more than doubled (+249% relative to 2001) in the Western US. Nearly 3 million structures were within 4 kilometers of a fast fire during this period across the US. Given recent devastating wildfires, understanding fast fires is crucial for improving firefighting strategies and community preparedness.

AB - The most destructive and deadly wildfires in US history were also fast. Using satellite data, we analyzed the daily growth rates of more than 60,000 fires from 2001 to 2020 across the contiguous US. Nearly half of the ecoregions experienced destructive fast fires that grew more than 1620 hectares in 1 day. These fires accounted for 78% of structures destroyed and 61% of suppression costs ($18.9 billion). From 2001 to 2020, the average peak daily growth rate for these fires more than doubled (+249% relative to 2001) in the Western US. Nearly 3 million structures were within 4 kilometers of a fast fire during this period across the US. Given recent devastating wildfires, understanding fast fires is crucial for improving firefighting strategies and community preparedness.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85207368078

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DO - 10.1126/science.adk5737

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VL - 386

SP - 425

EP - 431

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6720

ER -

The fastest-growing and most destructive fires in the US (2001 to 2020)

Abstract

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