The main graphic, provided by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), shows peak fire seasons for different regions throughout the United States

TL;DR: Wildfire season in the U.S. varies by region, but climate change is making fire seasons longer, more intense, and less predictable nationwide. Once seen as a West Coast issue, wildfires now pose growing threats to air quality, health, and infrastructure across the country. From Alaska to Florida, and Texas to the Midwest, shifting weather patterns and human development are increasing fire risk. Monitoring air quality and taking preventive measures can help protect communities as wildfires become an increasingly widespread concern.

Wildfire season is the time of year when the weather is hot and dry, and wildfires are typically more common. This often overlaps with the summer months, with August being the peak month for wildfires. However, wildfire season can change from year to year and varies by region. 

While wildfires are a healthy and natural part of the ecosystem, larger wildfires can pose a significant threat to wildlife, public health, and infrastructure. With fire suppression and global warming, the risk of severe wildfires is growing. 

This graph, provided by NASA, demonstrates how wildfires have been growing in intensity over the last half century.

Extreme wildfires are often seen as a West Coast phenomenon, with California standing out as a particularly notorious example. However, climate change is expanding the threat. As the climate warms, not only is the West experiencing more destructive fires, but areas across the United States are also facing increasingly severe wildfires and longer, more dangerous fire seasons.

In short, wildfires are no longer just a West Coast issue. 

This FEMA graph shows the wildfire risk differences across the United States. 

Southern and Southeastern wildfire seasons 

In 2024, the Northwestern United States saw the most acres burned, but the Southern region, interestingly, experienced the highest number of wildfires. Some states in the South use controlled burning practices, which can help reduce wildfire severity. 

Some parts of the central Southern United States have very long fire seasons. Texas, for example, has a wildfire season that spans the entire year, with peaks in the winter, from February through April, and in the summer, from August through October.

This area has recently seen extensive wildland-urban interface (WUI) growth, which can lead to more destructive fires affecting buildings and communities as well as wildlife. In the 2010s, Texas added 534,000 total WUI houses, and by 2020, the state hosted 3.2 million in total. 

All wildfires release harmful smoke, which degrades air quality and harms public health. However, fires in the wildland-urban interface burn man-made structures and chemicals, releasing even more harmful and toxic air pollutants. This image is provided by Venti Views via Unsplash. 

The Southeastern wildfire season

The Southeast fire season mainly coincides with Spring. Florida, for instance, sees the most wildfires from March through May. The region also experiences frequent wildfires in the fall, from October through November. The Eastern Temperate forests in this area have seen a rise in wildfire frequency and area burned, which aligns with the trend toward a warmer, drier climate. 

This graphic shows the number of wildfires, their average size, and the total hectares burned in the Eastern Temperate Forest region of the United States between 1984 and 2020. The darker colors towards the Southern part of that region indicate higher fire activity. 

By mid-century, wildfires ignited by lightning are projected to increase by 34% in the Southeast, but human activity remains a major cause of wildfires. This year, a particularly dry spring has led to Florida already having twice as many fires this year so far compared to the same period last year. 

Midwestern wildfire season

In the upper Midwest, wildfire season typically peaks in spring. The mountainous areas differ from the plains, seeing the most fire from June through September. Some states, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota, experience a “bimodal fire season” in which fires often ignite in the Spring and then again in the fall, with a lull over the Summer months. However, some recent years have seen one long fire season that stretches through the summer months without much of a break. 

Most of Wisconsin’s wildfires occur in the spring. This image of Wisconsin’s beautiful scenery was provided by Dave Hoefler via Unsplash. 

Although the Midwest frequently experiences wildfires, until recently, its wildfire season was largely overlooked. Fires in this region are growing more intense due to climate change. In May 2025, the Midwest experienced unseasonably high temperatures and dry conditions, which fueled over 20 wildfires in several states. 

Hawaiian and Alaskan wildfire seasons 

Hawaii’s wildfire season

Hawaii’s wildfire season is generally considered to be year-round. However, Hawaii’s peak fire season begins mid-November and continues for about six months. Each year, roughly 0.5% of Hawaii’s total land area is burned, with over 98% of wildfires caused by humans. 

Hawaii sees its fair share of devastating wildfires. The Lahaina fire on Maui in August 2023 killed at least 100 people and wreaked unprecedented destruction on the area. The frequency of wildfires has been rising in this state since the 1990s. 

Wildfires threaten Hawaii year-round, requiring extra precautions. This image of Maui is provided by Benjamin R. via Unsplash. 

Alaska’s wildfire season

Alaska’s fire season occurs from May through August when the weather is often hot, dry, and windy. The majority of fire activity occurs in the interior of the state between the Alaska and Brooks ranges. 

Over the past 60 years, the average temperature across the state has increased by more than twice the rate of the rest of the United States. Subsequently, wildfires have been increasing in intensity and growing less predictable as global warming alters the state’s weather patterns. In 2022, Southwest Alaska, where wildfires are usually rare, saw over a million acres burned. 

Alaska’s wildfires are a large source of black carbon in the Arctic and subarctic. This air pollutant is especially harmful in these regions, where it can reduce the albedo of snow and ice, limiting their ability to reflect solar radiation and accelerating global warming. 

Black carbon, also known as soot, is an air pollutant that comes from wildfires and harms human health. Clarity Movement’s Black Carbon Module measures this air pollutant and attaches seamlessly to our flagship Node-S air quality Monitor, which detects particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. 

The East Coast wildfire season

East Coast wildfire season occurs during March, April, and May. This area also experiences elevated wildfire activity from October through November. Occasionally, fire season can stretch into summer under certain wind conditions. 

Interestingly, while wildfires are increasing in other areas of the United States, this region is more complicated. Despite experiencing some intermittent droughts, the area has seen increased precipitation over the last fifty years, contrasting with the drier climates elsewhere. 

Vermont mostly experiences wildfires in the Spring, but occasionally dry years will bring fires in the summer or fall. Image of Vermont’s trees provided by Peter James Eisenhaure via Unsplash. 

This is not a coincidence, but rather connected to the drought and increased fire risk in the West. Climate change has led to the warming of the western Pacific Ocean, which in turn disrupts climate patterns and creates what is known as a weather regime. This climate disruption leads to more extreme weather on each coast of the United States, allowing East Coast winter storms to coexist with West Coast droughts. 

The East Coast is not immune to wildfires, however. With past fire suppression and expanded WUI interface, wildfires will still be an issue even as precipitation increases. 

Looking Forward

The best way to prevent devastating wildfires is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming. However, there are measures that communities, governments, and individuals can take to protect infrastructure and public health. 

Clarity offers air quality monitors and modules that detect several harmful components of wildfire smoke, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and black carbon, to better protect communities from this increasingly present air quality threat.