National Climatic Data Center
10 January 2008
Wildfire activity diminished across the U.S. in December, following a very active and destructive fire season in 2007. Long-term moisture deficits played a critical role in the severity of the 2007 wildfire season, especially in the Southeast and West which had persistent drought conditions during the year.
Early in the year, wildfires impacted portions of the Tennessee Valley and the Southeast in March, eventually spreading to northern Minnesota in April and southern Florida in May. The fire season started slowly in June across most of the West, except in central California where numerous blazes affected the Lake Tahoe area during the month.
Fire activity increased dramatically in July across the West, as large portions of the Intermountain region were affected by wildfires. The most severe fire activity occured in the Northern Rockies, where numerous large fires burned in July and August.
Fire activity persisted into September across Idaho and Montana, but eventually began to shift southward into California later in the month.
The most destructive fires of the year occurred in Southern California during the fall, as severe to exceptional drought and strong Santa Ana winds exacerbated brush and forest fires, and destroyed homes across the region in October and November.
At the end of December fire danger remained elevated across parts of southern Florida, central Texas, Southern California, and a large portion of Nevada based on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), which was developed specifically for assessing fire potential.
For the year as a whole, over 85,000 wildland fires and more than 9.3 million acres had burned in 2007, according to the December 28th preliminary estimates from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho.
Based on annual statistics that extend back to 1960, the number of fires reported each year has shown a steady decline since the early 1980's for the entire U.S., as well as for Alaska since the early 1990's. However, the total number of acres burned each year has increased steadily since the mid-1990's. As a result, there has been an increasing trend in the size of wildfires, with six of the ten worst seasons in terms of acres burned having occurred since 2000.
| Totals as of December 28, 2007 | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 12/28/2007 | 85,583 | 9,318,710 |
| 12/28/2006 | 96,326 | 9,871,863 |
| 12/28/2005 | 66,020 | 8,681,252 |
| 12/28/2004 | 65,878 | 8,094,531 |
| 12/28/2003 | 63,269 | 3,959,223 |
| 12/28/2002 | 73,423 | 7,182,979 |
| 12/28/2001 | 83,996 | 3,570,225 |
| 12/28/2000 | 92,250 | 7,393,493 |
| 5-yr average (2003 - 2007) |
75,415 | 7,985,116 |
| 10-yr average (1997 - 2006) |
78,482 | 7,904,524 |
As shown in the table to the right, the 2007 fire season for the U.S. as a whole had the second most acres burned in the historical record, approximately 500,000 acres less than was reported in 2006.
The 2007 fire season was not an especially severe one in Alaska, which had just over half a million acres burned during the year. However, in September the Anaktuvuk River wildfire, which was caused by lightning, burned over 250,000 acres and set a record for the largest fire on the North Slope. After removing the number of acres burned in Alaska from the U.S. total, the total acres burned in 2007 was the second most on record once again behind 2006.
Fire activity diminished across most of the western U.S. in November, with the exception of Southern California where several large blazes occurred. Wildfire activity also impacted central California at the end of the month.
Long-term moisture deficits, severe drought conditions, and strong Santa Ana winds aided in the development of several late season fires north of Los Angeles. The largest of these was the Corral wildfire in late November. This fire in the coastal mountains west of Malibu destroyed homes and generated a dense smoke plume. NASA satellite imagery from November 24th shows the extent of the offshore transport of the smoke plume.
As of November 30th, there have been over 80,200 wildland fires and more than 8.9 million acres had burned so far in 2007 according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) .
The persistence of long-term rainfall deficits and severe-to-extreme drought conditions across much of the West have resulted in a region of extreme fire potential across the Southwest, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) experimental fire potential index.
At the end of November, high to very high fire danger was observed across parts of Southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, and a large portion of Arizona. In addition, the fire danger was high across the Front Range of Colorado, along with areas of northeastern Kentucky and northern Virginia.
Dead fuel moisture levels have remained extremely dry across the western U.S. during November. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on November 29th were exceptionally dry throughout most of the Southwest and Great Basin.
| Totals as of November 30th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 11/30/2007 | 80,281 | 8,900,885 |
| 11/30/2006 | 91,437 | 9,580,472 |
| 11/30/2005 | 62,844 | 8,571,270 |
| 11/30/2004 | 64,488 | 8,077,514 |
| 11/30/2003 | 59,149 | 3,825,786 |
| 11/30/2002 | 71,644 | 7,124,849 |
| 11/30/2001 | 81,681 | 3,555,138 |
| 11/30/2000 | 91,094 | 7,309,887 |
| 5-yr average (2003 - 2007) |
71,640 | 7,791,185 |
| 10-yr average (1997 - 2006) |
75,425 | 6,877,350 |
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the November 29th 100-hr and November 29th 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also very dry, with exceptionally dry fuel conditions across parts of Southern California and most of the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada).
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. across a large portion of California, as well as over portions of Nevada and southwest Arizona. At the end of November, high KBDI values and increased fire potential were also observed across parts of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.
Long-term drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds brought devastating wildfires to Southern California in October. Numerous large fires burned over 900,000 acres during the month across the region.
By the end of the month, incident managment teams had contained the largest of the wildfires in Southern California, although in early November two large fires continued to burn across Orange and San Diego counties.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), as of November 5th over 77,600 wildland fires had been reported across the U.S., with more than 9.2 million acres burned so far in 2007.
Unusually dry conditions and severe-to-extreme drought across most of the Intermountain West have resulted in a large region of extreme fire potential according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) experimental fire potential index.
At the end of October, the highest fire danger remained across parts of Southern California, eastern Montana, and Wisconsin.
The extreme fire activity in southern California generated numerous smoke plumes that generally moved westward over the ocean. However, after the Santa Ana winds subsided and the flow turned onshore the smoke and poor air quality spread across portions of the Great Basin. Wildfires and smoke also impacted parts of Baja California in Mexico.
Dead fuel moisture levels have remained extremely dry across the western U.S. during October. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on October 31st were exceptionally dry throughout most of the southwestern U.S., and were also unusually dry across the southern Appalachians due to widespread drought.
| Totals as of November 5th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 11/5/2007 | 77,691 | 9,270,348 |
| 11/5/2006 | 89,036 | 9,468,959 |
| 11/5/2005 | 57,933 | 8,318,527 |
| 11/5/2004 | 63,412 | 8,057,053 |
| 11/5/2003 | 57,372 | 3,806,134 |
| 11/5/2002 | 70,140 | 6,734,211 |
| 11/5/2001 | 73,842 | 3,255,259 |
| 11/5/2000 | 87,809 | 7,048,206 |
| 5-yr average (2003 - 2007) |
72,089 | 7,784,204 |
| 10-yr average (1997 - 2006) |
74,140 | 6,337,096 |
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the October 31st 100-hr and October 31st 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also very dry, with exceptionally dry fuel conditions across parts of the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada).
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. across a large portion of California, as well as over most of Nevada and southwest Arizona.
At the end of October, wildfires also impacted the South Kohala region of the Big Island of Hawaii. The fires were located near Puako, where homes were threatened and residents were under mandatory evacuation orders.
Fire activity in early September was focused across the Northern Rockies, with numerous large fires burning in central Idaho and western Montana.
By the end of the month, wildfire activity had mostly abated across most of the U.S., although in early October several large fires had initiated across parts of the Tennessee Valley and western North Carolina.
As of October 2nd, only 4 large fires were actively burning. According to recent estimates from the National Interagency Fire center (NIFC), over 73,000 wildland fires had been reported across the U.S., with over 8.2 million acres burned so far in 2007.
Unusually dry conditions and severe-to-extreme drought across most of the Intermountain West have resulted in a large region of extreme fire potential according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) experimental fire potential index.
At the end of September, the highest fire danger remained across parts of the Columbia Plateau in eastern Oregon and parts of eastern Montana.
In early September, fire activity in northern California generated a smoke plume and poor air quality that spread across northern portions of the Great Basin. By mid-September, wildfires and smoke were impacting parts of southern California and Nevada
Dead fuel moisture levels have remained extremely dry across the western U.S. during September. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on September 27th were exceptionally dry throughout most of the western U.S., and were also unusually dry across the Carolinas and Virginia due to widespread drought.
| Totals as of October 1st | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 10/1/2007 | 73,256 | 8,227,255 |
| 10/1/2006 | 83,912 | 9,091,808 |
| 10/1/2005 | 53,413 | 8,167,090 |
| 10/1/2004 | 61,355 | 7,732,232 |
| 10/1/2003 | 49,397 | 3,190,239 |
| 10/1/2002 | 67,424 | 6,657,049 |
| 10/1/2001 | 63,221 | 3,229,179 |
| 10/1/2000 | 80,386 | 6,891,451 |
| 5-yr average (2003 - 2007) |
64,267 | 7,281,724 |
| 10-yr average (1997 - 2006) |
66,900 | 5,722,456 |
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the September 27th 100-hr and September 27th 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also very dry, with exceptionally dry fuel conditions across an area that encompassed northern Nevada and southern Idaho.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. across a large portion of California, as well as over most of the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the Southeast.
Fire activity was focused across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies this past month. At the end of August, wildfires were burning primarily across central Idaho and western Montana, and by early September activity had spread southwestward across parts of California.
As of August 31st, 40 large fires were actively burning, with fire activity and poor air quality conditions persisting across central Idaho and northwest Montana. Wildfires also continued to affect parts of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and north-central Canada this past month.
According to estimates from the National Interagency Fire center (NIFC), as of September 10th almost 70,000 wildland fires had been reported across the U.S. so far in 2007, with approximately 7.37 million acres burned.
Unusually dry conditions and severe-to-extreme drought across most of the West have resulted in a large region of extreme fire potential according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) experimental fire potential index. At the end of August, the highest fire danger remained across parts of California, the Northern Rockies, and the northern High Plains.
The numerous active fires generated vast smoke palls and poor air quality across northern portions of the Great Plains. By mid-August, the smoke pall generated by wildfires in Idaho and Montana had spread eastward into the Tennessee Valley and the Southeast.
Dead fuel moisture levels have remained extremely dry across the western U.S. during August. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on September 3rd were exceptionally dry throughout most of the western U.S.
| Totals as of August 31st | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 8/31/2007 | 65,966 | 6,971,593 |
| 8/31/2006 | 79,944 | 7,820,449 |
| 8/31/2005 | 45,804 | 7,447,188 |
| 8/31/2004 | 55,044 | 7,381,166 |
| 8/31/2003 | 44,823 | 2,695,156 |
| 8/31/2002 | 62,549 | 6,334,283 |
| 8/31/2001 | 58,340 | 2,913,761 |
| 8/31/2000 | 73,966 | 6,482,016 |
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the August 31st 100-hr and August 31st 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also very dry, with exceptionally dry fuel conditions across an area that encompassed northern Nevada and southern Idaho.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. across a large portion of California, as well as over most of the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the Southeast.
Fire activity spread dramatically across the West this past month. During mid-July, wildfires were burning across northern Nevada, eastern Oregon, and southern and central Idaho, and during the latter-half of July activity was focused across the Northern Rockies.
As of July 31st, 46 large fires were actively burning, with fire activity in late July focused on central Idaho and northwest Montana. Wildfires were also quite active across parts of the Northwest Territories and north-central Canada this past month
According to estimates from the National Interagency Fire center (NIFC), as of August 7th over 58,300 wildland fires were reported across the U.S. so far in 2007, with approximately 5.39 million acres burned.
Unusually dry conditions and severe-to-extreme drought across most of the West has resulted in a large region of extreme fire potential according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) experimental fire potential index.
At the end of the month, the highest fire danger remained across parts of California, the Northern Rockes, the Great Basin, and the Columbia Plateau.
The numerous active fires generated vast smoke palls and poor air quality across northern portions of the Great Plains, as well as across northern and central Canada. By early August, the smoke pall generated by wildfires in Idaho and Montana had spread further south into the central Plains.
Dead fuel moisture levels have continued to dry out across the western U.S. during July. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on July 31st were exceptionally dry throughout most of the western U.S.
| Totals as of July 31st | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 7/31/2007 | 57,197 | 5,073,197 |
| 7/31/2006 | 70,948 | 5,621,014 |
| 7/31/2005 | 38,371 | 4,673,837 |
| 7/31/2004 | 47,650 | 5,495,416 |
| 7/31/2003 | 36,301 | 1,822,974 |
| 7/31/2002 | 53,070 | 4,258,849 |
| 7/31/2001 | 50,054 | 1,547,312 |
| 7/31/2000 | 60,988 | 3,550,065 |
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the July 31st 100-hr and July 31st 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also exceptionally dry, with the driest fuel conditions across a large area that encompassed most of California, the Great Basin, and Columbia Plateau.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. across California and Nevada, as well as most of the Southeast.
Over the past several months, fire activity has spread across parts of the U.S. that have experienced unusually dry conditions and severe-to-extreme drought. During June, large wildland fire activity was reported across parts of the West, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest, as well as across the Southeast and Florida.
According to estimates from the National Interagency Fire center (NIFC), over 46,000 wildland fires were reported across the U.S. through the end of June, with approximately 1.7 million acres burned.
Wildfire activity intensified in parts of California during June, with the worst impacts occurring near Lake Tahoe. A fast spreading wildfire southwest of South Lake Tahoe in late June destroyed over 200 homes, buildings and other structures.
Wildfire activity broke out across Canada in June, and has continued into early July. In northwestern Canada, fire activity increased across parts of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, generating extensive smoke plumes that drifted downwind towards Alaska. Overseas, fires broke out in late June across the northern parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
Dead fuel moisture levels were unusually dry across the western U.S. over the past month. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on July 1st were exceptionally dry throughout most of the western U.S., as well as across parts of Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the 30th June 100-hr and 30th June 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also unusually dry over the past month, with the driest conditions across a large area that encompasses the Southwest, Great Basin, and Rocky Mountains.
| Totals as of July 3rd | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 7/3/2007 | 47,224 | 1,899,367 |
| 7/3/2006 | 57,949 | 3,821,505 |
| 7/3/2005 | 30,609 | 2,483,979 |
| 7/3/2004 | 39,279 | 1,952,603 |
| 7/3/2003 | 27,671 | 849,763 |
| 7/3/2002 | 43,784 | 2,994,639 |
| 7/3/2001 | 41,374 | 1,112,053 |
The satellite-derived experimental fire potential index on July 1st had anomalously high fire potential across a very large area of the Southwest, the Great Basin and the Four Corners region.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. in southern California, Nevada, Arizona, as well as across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the panhandle of Florida.
Since the beginning of 2007, fire activity has been concentrated primarily in those parts of the country that have experienced drought and abnormally dry conditions. During May, large wildland fire activity was reported across Florida, southern Georgia, and eastern Tennessee, as well as in parts of California and the Southwest.
According to estimates from the National Interagency Fire center, over 36,000 wildland fires were reported across the U.S. through the end of May, with over 1.3 million acres burned. In the Southern area (which encompasses 13 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia), there have been over 25,000 fires reported, with over one million acres burned so far in 2007 (accounting for over two-thirds of the fires and acres burned).
On 8 May sub-tropical storm Andrea fanned flames and transported smoke plumes as the storm was located off the Southeast coast. In mid-May, fire activity had broken out in Arizona as well as in California. A GOES satellite image from 22 May shows the fires and smoke plumes associated with the fire activity in southeast Georgia.
| Totals as of June 3rd | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 6/3/2007 | 37,355 | 1,341,109 |
| 6/3/2006 | 43,077 | 2,583,037 |
| 6/3/2005 | 25,262 | 394,461 |
| 6/3/2004 | 32,339 | 541,548 |
| 6/3/2003 | 21,755 | 418,524 |
| 6/3/2002 | 31,122 | 1,200,154 |
| 6/3/2001 | 34,199 | 729,743 |
Dead fuel moisture levels were unusually dry in May. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on 31 May were extremely dry throughout most of the Southwest, as well as across parts of the Southeast. Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the 31 May 100-hr and 31 May 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also unusually dry over the past month, with the driest conditions across a large area that encompasses the Southwest and Great Basin.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. in southern California, Nevada, western parts of Arizona, and across southern Georgia and Florida. In addition, the satellite-dervied experimental fire potential index on May 31st showed anomalously high fire potential across a large area of the Southwest and Great Basin.
Large wildland fire activity at the end of the month was concentrated in northern Minnesota and in the Southeast. The areas of fire activity were in parts of the country experiencing drought and abnormally dry conditions. A satellite image from 2 May shows Southeastern fires. Another satellite image depicts the fires burning and associated smoke plumes on 8 May.
From the beginning of 2007 until the end of April, there have been over 19,000 wildland fires across the Southern area (which encompasses 13 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia), and about 375,000 acres were burned, according to estimates from the National Interagency Fire center. Two-thirds of the fires and acres burned so far this year in the contiguous United States have been in the Southern area.
In early May, a large fire had burned over 600 acres in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles. Fire activity had also increased significantly across Florida, and a state of emergency was declared by Gov. Charlie Crist on May 3rd due to the drought and extreme wildfire danger.
| Totals as of 2 May 2007 | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2/2007 | 25,307 | 498,694 |
| 5/2/2006 | 35,113 | 2,252,647 |
| 5/2/2005 | 18,404 | 268,346 |
| 5/2/2004 | 24,677 | 376,545 |
| 5/2/2003 | 16,364 | 334,387 |
| 5/2/2002 | 24,003 | 422,582 |
| 5/2/2001 | 23,817 | 483,049 |
Dead fuel moisture levels were very dry in April. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on 30 April were extremely dry throughout most of the Southwest and parts of the Southeast.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the 30 April 100-hr and 30 April 1000-hr fuel moistures) were unusually dry over the past month in a large area of the West and and in the Southeast.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. in the Southwest, Wyoming, western North Dakota, southern Georgia, and Florida. In addition, the observed experimental fire potential index was anomalously high in the Southwest.
The beginning of the month saw large wildland fire activity in southern California, but as the month progressed, numerous wildland fires occurred in the Southeast. The areas of fire activity were in parts of the country experiencing drought and abnormally dry conditions. A satellite image depicts fires burning in the Southeast on 20 March.
From the beginning of 2007 until the beginning of April, there have been over 18,000 wildland fires across the Lower 48 States, and over 300,000 acres were burned, according to estimates from the National Interagency Fire center. More than 75 percent of the fires and acres burned so far this year have been in the Southern area (which encompasses 13 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia).
| Totals as of 9 April 2007 | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 4/9/2007 | 18,080 | 308,838 |
| 4/9/2006 | 24,004 | 1,944,835 |
| 4/9/2005 | 11,352 | 176,486 |
| 4/9/2004 | 18,189 | 231,773 |
| 4/9/2003 | 9,377 | 157,852 |
| 4/9/2002 | 17,470 | 283,647 |
| 4/9/2001 | 15,307 | 284,907 |
Dead fuel moisture levels were very dry in March. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on 1 April were extremely dry throughout most of the Southwest.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the 1 April 100-hr and 1 April 1000-hr fuel moistures) were unusually dry over the past month in most of the western and eastern thirds of the country.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used index for fire risk, had the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. in southern California, Montana and Wyoming. In addition, the observed experimental fire potential index was anomalously high in southern California and northern New England.
For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data center's Climate Services Division:
Climate Services DivisionFor further information on the historical climate perspective presented in this report, contact:
David Levinson-or-
Jay Lawrimore
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/fire07.html 
