Fire Information - Wildland Fire Statistics
Wildland Fire Season 2005

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The 2005 fire season was moderate with national resources committed. The country experienced its tenth warmest winter. Wildland fire activity was relatively light in the southern states in January and February which increased significantly in March. The spring brought warmer than normal temperatures throughout most of the states.

Fire Activity

The fire season was moderate concerning the national resources committed. A total of 66,753 fires were reported resulting in 8,689,389 acres burned. The highest number of fires for 2005 were located in the southern states. The highest number of acres burned were in the Western Great Basin. Alaska reported about 51 percent of the total number of acres burned.

A record number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires and acres burned in 2005.

Hurricane Relief Support

The Atlantic hurricane season was the busiest on record. A total of thirteen hurricanes, seven became major hurricanes, hit land in the South beginning with Dennis on July 9th and ending with Wilma on October 24th. Area Command and Incident Management Teams joined forces with FEMA, the military, state emergency response teams, local authorities, and relief agencies to assist the affected areas. These areas included Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Florida. These Incident Management Teams helped set up and manage evacuation centers, relief support distribution centers, and provided support with planning and logistical operations. A Type 2 Incident Management Team was also located in Phoenix, Arizona to manage an evacuee center. Other teams assisted with clearing debris, fire preparedness, and planning and suppression in the hurricane devastated areas. More than 5,400 personnel were reported in early October.