National Climatic Data Center
Updated 11 September 2008
Approximately 7,000 acres (2,833 ha) of the U.S. were burned by wildfires during August 2008. Large wildfires were being fought in 11 states as August began. California alone reported 12 large wildfires at the end of July. Unfortunately, unfavorable weather conditions across the Northwest U.S. contributed to an increase in wildfire activity in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana by the middle of the month. As August came to a close, 21 large fires were burning in 11 states, primarily in northern California, southern Oregon, and southern Idaho. Additional fires were being fought in several other western states, New Jersey, and along the North Carolina–Tennessee border. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the Dunn Mountain fire in Montana, which had previously been reported as contained after scorching over 60,000 acres (24,281 ha), was relisted at the end of August as zero percent (0%) contained and threatening residences, communications and power lines. The Associated Press has reported that 3 firefighting crewmembers were killed on September 1st, when their P2V Air Tanker crashed on takeoff from Reno-Stead Airport in Nevada. The aircraft had been battling the Hope Valley fire south of Lake Tahoe, CA.
As of August 29th, 64,034 wildland fires have burned more than 4.5 million acres (1.8 million ha) so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). This year to date now ranks seventh (since 2000) in quantity of acreage burnt – down from second at the end of May and third at the end of June. For the period from January 1st to August 29th, total acreage burnt falls below the 1999-2008 average of 5,564,288 acres (2,251,796 ha), while the number of fires is slightly above the 10-year average of 61,857, indicating an increased contribution of smaller fires. Six hundred seventy–four large fires have been contained to date in 2008.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought conditions deteriorated slightly in much of the western U.S. through August. Conditions improved slightly during August over parts of southern and eastern Texas, primarily as a result of the heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Edouard (landfall on Aug. 5) following closely behind Hurricane Dolly in July (see the U.S. Drought Monitor Change Map for more information). At the end of August, much of the western U.S. was in moderate to severe drought. Severe to extreme drought continued across portions of eastern Montana and western North Dakota, and extreme to exceptional drought persisted in the western Carolinas despite substantial rainfall from Tropical Storm Fay in mid-August (see NCDC's Atlantic Hurricane Season Monitoring Page for more information on these tropical cyclones).
Fire danger increased significantly through August in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, while improving across much of California, the southern U.S., the Dakotas and Minnesota, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) - Wildland Fire Assessment System. The decrease in these locations corresponds with a general lack of large wildfires in states outside of the western U.S.
| Year-To-Date Totals as of August 29th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 8/29/2008 | 64,034 | 4,573,574 |
| 8/29/2007 | 64,964 | 6,895,624 |
| 8/29/2006 | 78,822 | 7,582,939 |
| 8/29/2005 | 45,326 | 7,185,797 |
| 8/29/2004 | 54,748 | 6,976,128 |
| 8/29/2003 | 44,406 | 2,632,681 |
| 8/29/2002 | 61,630 | 6,314,411 |
| 8/29/2001 | 57,707 | 2,896,439 |
| 8/29/2000 | 72,968 | 6,241,982 |
| 5-yr average (2004 - 2008) |
57,663 | 6,642,812 |
| 10-yr average (1999 - 2008) |
61,857 | 5,564,288 |
Dead fuel moisture levels remained critically low from northern and central California northeastward to the central Dakotas. Ample rains over the southern High Plains improved fuel moisture levels and helped to reduce the spatial extent of extremely dry 10-hour fuels in that region during the first half of August. Improvements also were seen in the Pacific Northwest during the second half of August as areas of extremely low 10-hour fuel moisture levels shifted eastward.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., see August 30th 100-hr and 1000-hr fuel moistures) followed a similar pattern to the 10-hour fuel moisture, with dry conditions in the western U.S., centered on Nevada.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, continued to show extremely dry conditions across west-central California and through much of Nevada at the end of August. Smaller regions of high fire risk were present in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, the Gulf Coast, the Tennessee Valley, western North Dakota and the coastal Mid-Atlantic. A significant improvement in the KBDI index was seen across Florida during the second half of August as a result of Tropical Storm Fay, which dumped over 20 inches (50 cm) of rain on parts of the state.
July began with a number of wildfires in 12 states, most notably California and Arizona. By the middle of the month, most of the fires in the Appalachians and the Southwest U.S. had been contained. Unfortunately, a spate of large wildfires developed across central and eastern Washington state and many of the fires raging across northern California remained largely uncontained. As July came to a close, a dozen large fires continued to burn in northern and central California, while new fires sprang up in Colorado and several other western states. A total of 34 large fires were raging across the United States as of July 31st. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 2 firefighters lost their lives battling July's wildfires, and Australia and New Zealand have provided 44 fire specialists to assist in containing the fires in California.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought conditions worsened through July across the north central tier of states — especially across Montana and North Dakota. A slight improvement in conditions during July is noted for southern New Mexico and the southern tip of Texas, primarily as a result of the heavy rains associated with Hurricane Dolly. Over the past 3 months, drought conditions have deteriorated across much of northern and central California as well as parts of the Southeast, and have significantly worsened across east central Texas. At the end of July, extreme to exceptional drought was present in the Smoky Mountains, east central Texas, the western Oklahoma panhandle, and northwestern North Dakota.
As of July 31st, there have been 53,769 wildland fires and more than 3.5 million acres burned so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). This year to date now ranks sixth in quantity of acreage burnt — down from second at the end of May and third at the end of June. Between January 1st and July 31st, both the number of fires and acreage burnt fall near the 1999-2008 average. Five hundred seventy–one large fires have been contained to date in 2008.
Much needed rainfall in June resulted in a reduced fire danger at the end of June. However, that rainfall did not continue into July in some areas, and fire danger had increased across northern and central portions of the western United States by the middle of the month. At the end of July, high to extreme fire danger had greatly expanded across most of the western U.S., according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) - Wildland Fire Assessment System.
According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Experimental Fire Potential Index, large portions of the western United States extending eastward to eastern Colorado exhibited a high potential for wildfire activity going into August. Although drought continued to impact the South and southeastern U.S., fire potential remained relatively low in those regions.
| Year-To-Date Totals as of July 31st | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 7/31/2008 | 53,769 | 3,585,001 |
| 7/31/2007 | 57,017 | 5,046,917 |
| 7/31/2006 | 70,608 | 5,586,914 |
| 7/31/2005 | 38,188 | 4,641,496 |
| 7/31/2004 | 47,529 | 5,484,674 |
| 7/31/2003 | 35,987 | 1,800,473 |
| 7/31/2002 | 52,747 | 4,057,663 |
| 7/31/2001 | 49,885 | 1,531,121 |
| 7/31/2000 | 60,293 | 3,488,932 |
| 5-yr average (2004 - 2008) |
53,422 | 4,869,000 |
| 10-yr average (1999 - 2008) |
52,373 | 3,776,461 |
Dead fuel moisture levels remained critically low across portions of the West and Southwest during July. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels worsened noticeably between July 16th and July 31st over much of the western United States. By the end of July, 10-hour fuel moisture levels had recovered across much of the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio River basins.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., see July 31st 100-hr and 1000-hr fuel moistures) continued to be dry across most of the central and western states, while states east of the Mississippi River had relatively high moisture levels.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, showed a continuation of fire risk in northern California and Nevada, and a much increased risk of wildfire activity across the Gulf Coast from eastern Texas to the Florida peninsula.
Despite a relatively high fire danger across the southwestern U.S., and widespread dryness in 10-hr fuel moisture, June began with only four large fires in Florida and one in western Texas. By mid-June most of the large fires in Florida had been contained, but several new large fires flared up in Northern California and the Southern Plains. Additional large fires were reported in Nevada, Utah, Alaska and West Virginia. Unfortunately, by the end of the month numerous large fires were raging in Northern California and Arizona, many due to lightning strikes. Several large fires were also being battled in other western states, as well as the western Carolinas, Alaska and Louisiana.
Although drought conditions have improved slightly in North Dakota and western Alaska since the end of May, conditions have worsened across the West, South and Southeast U.S., with many areas transitioning from moderate or severe to extreme or exceptional drought through June. Hawaii and southern Puerto Rico continued to experience substantial moisture deficits, and parts of New England were also abnormally dry as of the end of the month.
As of June 30th, there have been 36,761 wildland fires and more than 2.1 million acres burned so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Thanks in part to June rainfall and the efforts of fire fighters, the year 2008 now ranks third behind 2006 and 2002 in quantity of acreage burnt to date — down from second at the end of May — and the number of fires falls well below the 1998-2008 average. Approximately 466 large fires have been contained to date in 2008.
Through the month of June, fire danger, which had been high at the end of May, greatly diminished across New Mexico and western Texas. However, by the middle of the month, fire danger began to increase across the Great Basin and worsen in Colorado, Arizona and Southern California. At the end of the month, fire danger was highest across Nevada and Southern California, with the highest danger around Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) - Wildland Fire Assessment System.
According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Experimental Fire Potential Index, large portions of the western United States, stretching from Washington and Idaho south to Southern California and western Arizona, exhibited the greatest potential for wildfire activity. Although drought continues to impact the South and southeastern U.S., fire potential is relatively low in those regions.
| Year-To-Date Totals as of June 30th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 6/30/2008 | 36,761 | 2,138,704 |
| 6/30/2007 | 46,171 | 1,849,642 |
| 6/30/2006 | 56,869 | 3,714,877 |
| 6/30/2005 | 30,079 | 1,880,076 |
| 6/30/2004 | 39,739 | 1,530,108 |
| 6/30/2003 | 26,880 | 728,615 |
| 6/30/2002 | 44,661 | 2,795,216 |
| 6/30/2001 | 40,806 | 1,080,332 |
| 6/30/2000 | 49,000 | 1,653,941 |
| 5-yr average (2004 - 2008) |
41,924 | 2,222,681 |
| 10-yr average (1999 - 2008) |
41,795 | 1,853,573 |
Dead fuel moisture levels remained critically low across portions of the West and Southwest during June. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels also dried out noticeably between June 8th and June 15th over much of the western United States. By June 30th, 10-hour fuel moisture levels had recovered slightly in parts of the Southwest, but dried out across portions of the western Central Plains and east into Wisconsin.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the June 30th 100-hr and 1000-hr fuel moistures) continued to be dry across most of the central and southern states of the western U.S., and showed substantial drying across the western and north-central parts of the U.S. from the start of the month.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, showed continuation of fire risk across Nevada and much of southern and western Texas, but improved conditions at the end of June for Florida, as compared to the June 8th KBDI.
At the beginning of May, wildfires continued to burn in the Southwestern U.S., as well as in central California, Florida, and the Southern Appalachians. Several large arson-suspected fires erupted in the middle of the month in Florida and the Southeast. May closed with only three large fires in Florida and one in western Texas. No large fires were reported in Alaska during May.
Long-term moisture deficits have continued to maintain moderate to severe drought conditions across portions of the southern and western United States, including California, Florida, Texas, and the Oklahoma panhandle. Western North Dakota also experienced severe to extreme drought conditions as of the end of May.
As of June 9th, there have been over 28,000 wildland fires and more than 1.5 million acres burned so far this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The year 2008 ranks second behind 2006 in quanity of acreage burnt to date, though the number of fires falls well below the 1998-2008 average.
The persistence of moderate-to-severe drought conditions across parts of the West has aided in perpetuating a region of extreme fire potential across parts of the Southwest, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Experimental Fire Potential Index.
At the end of May, high to very high fire danger was observed across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, southeastern California and west Texas. Adequate precipitation has reduced the fire potential across the southern Atlantic States that had existed in April.
| Year-To-Date Totals as of June 9th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 6/09/2008 | 28,690 | 1,562,878 |
| 6/09/2007 | 41,448 | 1,442,932 |
| 6/09/2006 | 44,751 | 2,682,263 |
| 6/09/2005 | 25,835 | 453,472 |
| 6/09/2004 | 33,611 | 574,797 |
| 6/09/2003 | 22,714 | 426,583 |
| 6/09/2002 | 33,247 | 1,313,713 |
| 6/09/2001 | 35,120 | 741,282 |
| 6/09/2000 | 44,169 | 1,200,506 |
| 6-yr average (2003 - 2008) |
34,867 | 1,343,268 |
| 11-yr average (1998 - 2008) |
35,231 | 1,124,934 |
Dead fuel moisture levels remained critically low across portions of the West and Southwest during May. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels also dried out noticeably between April 28th and May 20th over portions of the central and southeastern United States. By June 8th, 10-hour fuel moisture levels were exceptionally dry throughout much of the western U.S., and the eastern U.S. had become substantially drier. Only portions of the Great Lakes and the northern Rockies remained relatively moist.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the June 8th 100-hr and June 8th 1000-hr fuel moistures) continued to be dry in the Southwest, while 100-hour moisture levels showed significant drying across the eastern United States since April 28th.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, showed a slight improvement in conditions across Nevada, but worsened conditions at the end of May for Texas and Florida, as compared to the April 28 KBDI.
Wildfire activity continued in the southern Plains into April, with fires in Oklahoma, Nebraska, west Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Additional fires flared in the central Gulf states and the central Appalachian mountains. The southern Plains and southwest continued to be a hotspot for fire activity into the middle of the month, and additional fires occurred at Friday Creek, Alaska, Hughett, Oregon and the Florida Panhandle. By the end of April the majority of fires in the southern Plains states had been contained, while new fires developed in the southwest and the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
Long-term moisture deficits have continued to maintain moderate to severe drought conditions across large portions of the western and southeastern U.S. in late April.
As of May 7th, there have been over 21,000 wildland fires and more than 1.3 million acres burned so far in 2008, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The year 2008 ranks second behind 2006 in quanity of acreage burnt to date, and is nearly twice the 2001-2008 average.
The persistence of moderate-to-severe drought conditions across parts of the West have aided in developing a region of extreme fire potential across parts of the Southwest, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Experimental Fire Potential Index.
At the end of April, high to very high fire danger was observed across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and west Texas. In addition, moderate to high fire danger existed across the Atlantic states from northeastern Georgia to southern Virgina.
| Year-To-Date Totals as of May 7th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 5/07/2008 | 21,121 | 1,342,963 |
| 5/07/2007 | 26,410 | 555,258 |
| 5/07/2006 | 37,383 | 2,328,258 |
| 5/07/2005 | 20,801 | 292,309 |
| 5/07/2004 | 26,177 | 388,676 |
| 5/07/2003 | 15,413 | 353,524 |
| 5/07/2002 | 25,156 | 489,759 |
| 5/07/2001 | 25,644 | 501,518 |
| 5/07/2000 | 31,415 | 791,236 |
| 6-yr average (2003 - 2008) |
26,378 | 981,584 |
| 9-yr average (2000 - 2008) |
25,935 | 774,275 |
Dead fuel moisture levels continued to dry out across the Southwest during April. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on April 28th were exceptionally dry throughout much of the western U.S., with the Southwest being extremely dry.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the April 28th 100-hr and April 28th 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also very dry, with the driest fuel conditions extending from Southern California up through Nevada and across to west Texas.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a widely used drought index for fire risk, continued to have the largest potential for wildland fire activity in the contiguous U.S. across portions of the Great Basin, southwest Texas and New Mexico, as well as over portions of south Florida.
Fire activity that developed across the southern Plains in February persisted into early March, as numerous large blazes burned range and grasslands in Texas and Oklahoma.
Wildfire activity also impacted the central Gulf Coast region, and spread eastward into the Tennessee Valley and the Mid-Atlantic region later in the month.
Long-term moisture deficits have continued to maintain moderate to severe drought conditions across large portions of the western U.S. in late March. These conditions across the West have persisted into early April, as seen in the U.S. Drought Monitor from April 8.
As of April 4th, there have been over 12,000 wildland fires and more than 1 million acres burned so far in 2008, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
The persistence of moderate-to-severe drought conditions across parts of the West have aided in developing a region of extreme fire potential across parts of the Southwest, according to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Experimental Fire Potential Index.
At the end of March, high to very high fire danger was observed across parts of Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas, with fires burning into early April in the Texas Panhandle. In addition, the fire danger was moderate across parts of Pennsylvannia and New York at the end of March.
| Year-To-Date Totals as of March 28th | Nationwide Number of Fires | Nationwide Number of Acres Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 3/28/2008 | 11,088 | 516,243 |
| 3/28/2007 | 15,936 | 254,827 |
| 3/28/2006 | 19,116 | 1,812,628 |
| 3/28/2005 | 9,253 | 130,797 |
| 3/28/2004 | 13,658 | 150,630 |
| 3/28/2003 | 7,223 | 91,712 |
| 3/28/2002 | 14,718 | 200,752 |
| 3/28/2001 | 14,412 | 266,547 |
| 3/28/2000 | 20,346 | 569,567 |
| 6-yr average (2003 - 2008) |
13,810 | 573,025 |
| 9-yr average (2000 - 2008) |
12,651 | 498,718 |
Dead fuel moisture levels have dried-out across the Southwest during March. The 10-hour fuel moisture levels on March 30th were exceptionally dry throughout most of New Mexico, western Colorado and southern Arizona.
Medium to larger fuels (i.e., the March 31st 100-hr and March 31st 1000-hr fuel moistures) were also very dry, with the driest fuel conditions across southern Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas.
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 portions of the Great Basin, west Texas and New Mexico, as well as over portions of south Florida.
For all climate questions, please contact the National Climatic Data center's Climate Services and Monitoring Division:
Climate Services and Monitoring Division
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2008/fire08.html 
