Wildfires have burned 6.51 million acres so far this year, with 51 large fires active in 11 states this weekend, says the National Interagency Fire Center. California had the most active, large fires, with 14. Total wildfire damage already is 40-percent larger than the 10-year average of 4.65 million acres. Earlier this year, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said the agency expected to spend around $1.225 billion on wildfire suppression, an above-average figure in the face of an anticipated active fire season. The wildfire season has grown longer in recent decades, with more and more-severe fires.
The Insurance Information Institute says the 10 most wildfire-prone states are in the West, with California having nearly 2 million households at high or extreme risk from wildfires.