(TLP:CLEAR) Research Report – Wildfire Weather Increasing Across the U.S.

Summary: Amid Earth’s warming climate, the U.S. is experiencing more frequent fire weather in areas across the country. Warming temperatures and increasingly dry air, vegetation, and soils make it easier for fires to spread, and harder to fight or prevent, according to a recent report from Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization.

Analyst Note: Wildfires present a direct risk to property and water and wastewater infrastructure assets, in addition to potential degradation of the water supply. When drinking water systems are damaged in a fire, “we can have ash, smoke, soot, other debris and gases get sucked into the water piping network,” said Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University engineering professor. WaterISAC has previously reported about the threat of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) resulting from fires to the drinking water supply.

According to Climate Central, a record-warm winter and an extreme March heat wave have pushed the western U.S. into a historic snow drought. These hot, dry conditions are increasing concern about wildfire risk in the coming months by drying out vegetation and making it more flammable. Furthermore, by mid-April 2026, the total area burned by wildfires in the U.S. was already about double the previous record for that point in the year. Continued drought and above-normal wildfire potential are expected in the Southwest, Northwest, and Northern California through mid-summer. Around the world, more than 150 million hectares burned globally in the first months of 2026. Given the forecast for a supercharged El Nino, the second half of the year could result in even more areas being burned, according to media reports.

As part of its research, Climate Central analyzed data from 476 weather stations to assess fire weather trends in 245 climate divisions spanning the contiguous U.S. from 1973 to 2025. Fire weather is classified as a combination of hot, dry, windy conditions. Some of Climate Central’s main findings are listed below:

• On average, climate divisions in the western U.S. experience 32 fire weather days annually. That’s four times more than in the eastern U.S. 
• Wildfire seasons are lengthening and intensifying, particularly in the western U.S. Parts of the eastern U.S. have seen smaller but impactful increases in fire weather days.
• Much of the country has seen fire weather increase the most during spring. The Southwest is also seeing more fire weather during summer.
• As fire weather becomes more prevalent, there are more days when extreme conditions can turn small blazes into big ones or fuel the growth of large wildfires.

Original Source: https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/more-us-fire-weather

Additional Reading:

• Most of the U.S. West Will Face Above-Normal Wildfire Risk This Summer
• Why the American Southeast is becoming a new hot spot for wildfires
• Hotter 2026 and El Nino could trigger extreme fires

Mitigation Recommendations:

• EPA – Incident Action Checklist – Wildfire
• EPA – Wildfire Conditions and Risk Map for Utilities
• EPA – Addressing Contamination of Drinking Water Distribution Systems from VOCs After Wildfires

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 16 & 17