Average area burnt per wildfire in United States
United States: Average area burnt per wildfire was 471.1 hectares in 2026. ▲ Rising
Average area burnt per wildfire in United States, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2026, average area burnt per wildfire in United States stood at 471.1 hectares.
The figure is up 29.7% on the previous year and up 37.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average area burnt per wildfire in United States peaked at 478.33 hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 323.77 hectares, in 2023.
United States ranks 17th of 182 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Average area burnt per wildfire in United States, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 431.16 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 343.37 hectares | -20.4% |
| 2014 | 325.28 hectares | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 413.24 hectares | +27.0% |
| 2016 | 341.89 hectares | -17.3% |
| 2017 | 401.93 hectares | +17.6% |
| 2018 | 397.68 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 327.37 hectares | -17.7% |
| 2020 | 478.33 hectares | +46.1% |
| 2021 | 422.06 hectares | -11.8% |
| 2022 | 373.1 hectares | -11.6% |
| 2023 | 323.77 hectares | -13.2% |
| 2024 | 440.96 hectares | +36.2% |
| 2025 | 363.25 hectares | -17.6% |
| 2026 | 471.1 hectares | +29.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 471.1 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 215 hectares, 2.2× the median. (59 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 372.74 hectares | 325.28 hectares | 431.16 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 410.37 hectares | 323.77 hectares | 478.33 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average area burnt per wildfire in United States?
- Average area burnt per wildfire in United States was 471.1 hectares in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 478.33 hectares in 2020.
- What is the lowest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 323.77 hectares in 2023.
- How does United States rank for average area burnt per wildfire?
- United States ranks 17th out of 182 countries with data for 2026.
- Is average area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average area burnt per wildfire. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average area burnt per wildfire, in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.