Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and shifting weather patterns have created the perfect conditions for fires to spread faster and burn longer, devastating communities and natural landscapes.
Wildfires in the United States are becoming more frequent and destructive, fueled by the growing impacts of global warming and climate change. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and shifting weather patterns have created the perfect conditions for fires to spread faster and burn longer, devastating communities and natural landscapes. In recent years, wildfires have caused unprecedented damage to homes, wildlife, and infrastructure while also contributing to worsening air quality and health risks. Over the past 40 years, the average number of acres of forested land consumed by wildfire each year in the United States has increased by 1,000%, according to National Geographic. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports wildfires caused $81.6 billion in damage from 2017 to 2021, a nearly 10-fold increase from 2012 to 2016 when damages totaled $8.6 billion. A report in March 2022 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science revealed a concerning trend in fires that occurred in the past 13 years compared to the previous 20 years. Notably, on the West and East coasts, fire frequency doubled, underscoring the regional impact of this issue. In the Great Plains, fire frequency quadrupled. As the planet continues to warm, the danger posed by wildfires will only increase, demanding urgent action to mitigate climate change and protect vulnerable areas.
In addition to the severe environmental aspect, the negative economic impact of wildfires on many homeowners is reaching a crisis. In California for example, where wildfires have devastated entire communities, many insurance underwriters are dropping homeowners coverage and refusing to write any new policies. In March 2024, State Farm announced that it would discontinue coverage on 72,000 residential homes. Furthermore, those homeowners who can still get coverage are seeing their premiums increase 50% annually. Many are being forced to seek coverage from the California State Department of Insurance which offers only minimal coverage at high rates, and many homeowners without mortgages are choosing to roll the dice and self-insure.
