Fire Information - Wildland Fire Statistics
Wildland Fire Season 2001

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By the numbers, the 2001season was close to typical. The number of fires and the acres burned are close to the ten-year average. Across the country, however, some areas had more active seasons than others. For example, Alaska and the Southwest combined recorded less than 300,000 acres of land burned in wildland fire. Other states, including Florida, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, experienced more active seasons than normal. These four states account for more than half (nearly 1.6 of the 3.5 million) of the acres burned nationwide.

What sets the season apart from most others is its late start in the West and how quickly it picked up momentum. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) went from a Preparedness Level 2 (second lowest level) to a Preparedness Level 5 (the highest) in eight days. That kind of rapid escalation is unusual.

All told, nearly 3.6 million acres of land burned compared to the 10-year average of about four million. There were 84,079 fires compared to the 10-year average of 106,400 fires. A total of 731 structures were burned, and the costs of suppression to-date are $542 million. Sixteen firefighters died, including four on July 10 on the Thirty Mile Fire in Washington.

In addition to wildland fire support, the interagency wildland fire community supported recovery and relief efforts in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan, following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Over a nine-week period, four Type 1 incident management teams were dispatched to New York City and the Pentagon to assist federal, state, and local emergency organizations. A total of 268 personnel worked with the teams, assisted with communications and weather data collection, or managed supplies and equipment.

NIFC Support for Relief from 9/11 Attacks
New York and the Pentagon

268 Incident Management and support personnel sent to assist in New York and at the Pentagon.

Equipment and Supplies provided to New York and the Pentagon:

• Two catering units that served more than 30,000 meals
• Three shower units
• Laundry facilities
• A varity of nearly 50 communication kits and radios
• Remote weather stations
• Approxiamtely 55,000 pounds of miscellaneous supplies were shipped to New York City in support of rescue and relief operations. These supplies ranged from forms to clothing to hand tools.