Winter Wildfire Counts: Top 5 States, 2014/15–2023/24

A ten-winter view of recorded U.S. wildfire counts explains why cold weather does not eliminate fire—and why historical counts are different from current risk.

Mark, Ougist Content Team

Dormant winter grassland with distant smoke, introducing ten winters of recorded wildfire counts.

Winter does not switch off wildfire. Dormant grass and fallen leaves can still burn, and dry, windy weather can spread a small ignition quickly. Snow in a state's mountains does not mean every nearby foothill or grassland is protected.

Explore the illustrated guide. Swipe, scroll, or focus the gallery and use the arrow keys.

Illustrative Colorado grassland wildfire scene; fifth in the selected count, 5,730 recorded fires.
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Illustrative Georgia winter wildfire scene; fourth in the selected count, 7,266 recorded fires.
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Illustrative Kansas grassland fire scene; third in the selected count, 8,393 recorded fires.
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Illustrative North Carolina woodland fire scene; second in the selected count, 11,524 recorded fires.
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Illustrative Texas grass fire scene; first in the selected count, 15,454 recorded fires.
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Illustrated winter homeowner checklist covering combustible debris, burn restrictions and evacuation preparation.
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Which states led this ten-winter count?

Our analysis of the USDA Forest Service's FPA FOD seventh edition counted recorded wildfires discovered during December, January and February in ten complete winters, 2014/15 through 2023/24. The leading five states were:

  1. Texas: 15,454 recorded fires.
  2. North Carolina: 11,524.
  3. Kansas: 8,393.
  4. Georgia: 7,266.
  5. Colorado: 5,730.

These are occurrence counts, not acres burned, deaths, property losses or a ranking of today's fire danger. They are our calculation from the federal records, not an official Forest Service top-five table.

Why cold weather can still support fire

Grass can dry out while vegetation is dormant. Leaves accumulate near buildings. Wind can move flames through these fine fuels, including during Colorado's autumn-to-spring grassland fire window. The illustrated state-by-state countdown explains these settings without treating every part of a state as equally exposed.

What the numbers cannot tell you

The dataset ends in 2024. This is not the ten winters immediately preceding publication in 2026; the January 2025 Los Angeles fires are outside the window. Reporting differs across states and years, and unusually low Texas counts in the last two winters warrant caution. Missing reports were not estimated or filled in.

A practical winter reset

Clear leaves and needles from roofs, gutters and decks. Move combustible clutter away from the house, follow local burn restrictions and avoid outdoor burning in dry, windy conditions. Check evacuation alerts and prepare medicines, pet supplies and warm layers before they are needed. Use local forecasts and official instructions for decisions today.

The carousel contains AI-generated illustrative scenes, not photographs of specific wildfire incidents.

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