More U.S. wildfires burned fewer acres in 2022 according to the recently-released annual wildland fire summary report from the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC). The activity resulted in a lower involvement of aerial firefighting helicopters, below the ten-year average, with the exception of Type 1, heavy helicopters, which saw a slight increase.
During 2022, 68,988 wildfires burned 7,577,183 acres compared to 58,985 wildfires that burned 7,125,643 acres in 2021. However, burned acreage surged compared to historical averages in certain regions including Alaska and the southern lower 48 states. Burned Alaska acreage average increased by 170 percent, while 25 percent fewer fires in select southern states consumed 90 percent greater acreage. Altogether, the total amount of acreage consumed was close to historical five and ten-year averages, according to the NICC. Lightning strikes continued to be the leading cause of fire, accounting for 4.2 million acres burned, while human caused fires comprised the remainder.
More In Rotorcraft
