Tree cover loss from wildfires in United States
United States: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 530,978 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising
Tree cover loss from wildfires in United States, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tree cover loss from wildfires in United States is 530,978 hectares, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 75.9% on the previous year and up 100.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in United States peaked at 978,022 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 263,583 hectares, in 2011.
United States ranks 5th of 152 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 597,469 hectares | 283,621 hectares | 917,220 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 527,084 hectares | 263,583 hectares | 939,205 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 672,159 hectares | 301,855 hectares | 978,022 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
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Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss from wildfires in United States?
- Tree cover loss from wildfires in United States was 530,978 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 978,022 hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 263,583 hectares in 2011.
- How does United States rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
- United States ranks 5th out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss from wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Tree cover loss due to fire with no visible human conversion or agricultural activity afterward. Fires may be started by natural causes (e.g. lightning) or may be related to human activities (accidental or deliberate).