This year has proven deadly and challenging for firefighters battling wildfires across the United States. In response, fire management agencies are strategically deploying firefighters, engines, aircraft, and heavy equipment to areas at highest risk of wildfire activity. The goal is to catch new fires early and prevent them from growing into catastrophic blazes that threaten lives, homes, and natural resources.
The conditions fueling this difficult fire season include persistent drought, record-low snowpack levels, and prolonged periods of hot, dry, and windy weather. These factors have combined to create an environment ripe for wildfire outbreaks. Already, hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and the firefighting community has suffered tragic losses. Three firefighters were killed fighting fires in Colorado, and a helicopter pilot assisting with a Colorado blaze recently died when his aircraft crashed into a reservoir.
Although the national wildfire preparedness level has not yet reached its maximum, resources are increasingly stretched thin as new fires ignite daily. The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is prioritizing the pre-positioning of crews, engines, and aircraft in areas with the highest likelihood of fire activity. This pre-positioning allows for a quicker initial attack on new wildfires, which is often the most effective way to keep fires small and manageable.
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), a collaboration of federal and state agencies that coordinates wildfire response, sets preparedness levels from 1 to 5 based on current fire activity, resource demand, and weather conditions. In late June, a surge in wildfire outbreaks prompted the NIFC to raise the preparedness level to 4, signaling a significant increase in fire risk and the mobilization of additional firefighting resources to the most active regions.
Since early July alone, the NIFC has confirmed more than 2,000 wildfires nationwide. This spike in fire activity has necessitated deploying highly skilled incident management teams, some traveling from as far as Alaska and California to assist with fires in the Great Basin region. As of early July, 16 incident management teams were overseeing nearly 17,000 personnel across more than a dozen states.
Typically, wildfire preparedness intensifies during July and August, but this year, fire managers hope to maintain a balance that prevents exhausting their resources. Over the past decade, the nation has reached the highest preparedness tier for an average of 25 days each year, with the longest continuous stretch occurring in 2021. The earliest recorded transition to the highest preparedness level was on June 21, 2002.
The United States is divided into 10 geographic area coordination centers (GACCs), which oversee the mobilization and allocation of firefighting assets. In Colorado, for example, the state's Division of Fire Prevention and Control director, Mike Morgan, expressed gratitude for assistance from an Alaska-based incident management team during a July news conference. While he felt reasonably confident about current capabilities, he voiced concern about the uncertain progression of the fire season.
In Utah, additional crews were dispatched to combat the Babylon Fire, which has grown to become the largest active fire in the country, covering 166 square miles-larger than the city of Seattle. Across the U.S., more than 5,600 square miles have burned so far this year, exceeding the combined size of Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks. This total surpasses the average acreage burned annually over the past decade.
The latest wildfire outlook highlights above-normal fire potential throughout July, particularly in the Four Corners region-where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah meet-extending northward to Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Fire risk is not expected to diminish substantially until September.
Christopher Dunn, an assistant professor of wildfire risk science at Oregon State University, explained that these seasonal outlooks guide decisions on where to deploy firefighting resources. Because fire activity shifts geographically throughout the season, resources are continually reallocated to meet emerging threats.
In this busy fire season, states face a difficult dilemma: whether to release their firefighting resources to assist other regions or to retain crews locally in case of increased fire risk. This tension, sometimes described as "hoarding" resources, requires careful balance and cooperation among states and federal agencies. Dunn emphasized that sharing resources benefits all parties but warned against overextending personnel to the point where they are unable to respond effectively.
A consequence of this resource sharing and extended deployments is increased pressure on firefighters, leading to longer work hours, more overtime, and a heightened risk of burnout. Dunn noted that the growing demand for wildfire response means firefighters must work harder and longer, potentially burning out more quickly.
The ongoing fire seasons have reignited discussions about the need for sustained public investment in a permanent wildland firefighting workforce. Retaining experienced personnel is critical, as seasoned firefighters bring invaluable knowledge for managing extreme fire conditions. Camille Stevens-Rumann, a former wildland firefighter and associate professor at Colorado State University, underscored the importance of experience in battling wildfires.
Despite these efforts, firefighters face limitations when confronting prolonged periods of adverse weather-such as multiple days of strong winds, low humidity, and high temperatures-that fuel uncontrollable fire behavior. Stevens-Rumann highlighted the role of strategically positioning resources ahead of time, enabling crews to respond swiftly when conditions improve, such as during cooler evening hours. However, when "red flag warnings" and high winds persist day after day, controlling fires becomes exceedingly difficult.
For Stevens-Rumann, who has both fought fires and studied them academically, the experience of seeing wildfire threats close to home is particularly unsettling. While firefighters often operate in unfamiliar locations, fighting fires as a job, the emotional impact is different when flames threaten one's own community.
This year, fire management strategies have shifted toward aggressively attacking every new fire as quickly as possible to limit its growth. This approach reverses a decades-long trend in which some fires were allowed to burn naturally to clear brush and reduce the risk of future large fires. Stevens-Rumann cautioned that this shift raises concerns about firefighter safety and the long-term effects on the landscape. She pointed out that constructing extensive fire lines only to have them repeatedly overtaken by flames is not an effective strategy. Newer approaches are helping managers determine the best locations to make stands against advancing fires.
Early detection of wildfires remains a critical component of effective response. Historically, thousands of fire lookout towers helped spot fires before they spread. Today, only about 350 lookout towers remain in the U.S., many staffed by volunteers due to budget constraints, according to Michael Guerin, chairman of the Forest Fire Lookout Association. These towers are not limited to the West; states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maine maintain lookouts as well.
In recent weeks, some lookout towers in Colorado have been evacuated due to nearby fires. Meanwhile, volunteers in California prepare for the arrival of Santa Ana winds, which typically bring high fire danger during late summer and fall.
Looking ahead, satellite technology promises to enhance wildfire detection capabilities. In early July, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced the launch of the first satellites in a space-based wildfire detection system. Until such technologies become fully operational, lookout volunteers continue to rely on traditional tools like maps, compasses, and familiarity with local landmarks to pinpoint fire locations for initial attack teams. Guerin emphasized that lookouts also serve as "overwatch," helping keep ground crews safe while they carry out firefighting operations.
In summary, the 2024 wildfire season in the United States has presented significant challenges due to severe drought, extreme weather, and widespread fire activity. Firefighting agencies have responded by strategically positioning resources to swiftly attack new fires, deploying experienced incident management teams, and relying on both traditional and emerging detection methods. However, the season has already resulted in tragic firefighter fatalities and widespread property loss, underscoring the ongoing risks and complexities of wildfire management. The situation continues to evolve, with above-average fire potential expected across much of the West through at least September, requiring sustained vigilance and cooperation among fire agencies and communities.