Wildfire Prevention: Where Safety and Environmentalism Connect

"As of the beginning of September 2025, the country has seen 47,413 wildfires with over 4.17 million acres burned , compared to the 10-year average of 41,932 fires and 5,665,148 acres. However, wildfire season now runs almost all year, and another record could still be broken. The devastating January 2025 Southern California wildfires that burned Los Angeles alone killed between 31 and 440 people , forced more than 200,000 to evacuate, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures, and burned over 57,000 acres."

"The American West and many other environments are adapted to seasonal wildfires; it was a natural part of life before the Forest Service began treating all fires as if they were bad. Decades of fire suppression have reversed the benefits of centuries of natural, indigenous land management that lowered the risk of uncontrolled wildfire. Extreme weather and poor forest fuel reduction efforts, combined with climate change and careless human activities, have produced recurring ."

"Every year, human-caused wildfires account on average for approximately 85% of wildfires in the United States. An untended campfire can spread. A cigarette tossed from a car window or a spark from an exhaust pipe can set off grass fires that spread to nearby forests. Unlike controlled burns that clear underbrush and encourage new growth, human-sparked wildfires do tremendous damage to the environment and are d angerous to people's health , even when they are hundreds of miles away from the blaze."

Smokey Bear’s prevention message remains vital as 2025 saw 47,413 wildfires burning over 4.17 million acres by early September, with wildfire season nearing year-round. The January 2025 Southern California fires killed dozens to hundreds, forced over 200,000 evacuations, destroyed more than 18,000 structures, and burned 57,000 acres. Decades of aggressive fire suppression disrupted indigenous and natural fire regimes, increasing fuel loads. Climate change, extreme weather, and inadequate fuel reduction exacerbate risk. Approximately 85% of U.S. wildfires are human-caused from campfires, cigarettes, equipment sparks, and gasoline-powered tools; many of these fires are preventable.

Read at Earth911