Wildfires can uproot lives and destroy entire forests, and in recent years iconic landmarks have been at risk from flames amid costly and devastating fire seasons. Atmospheric rivers have significantly improved the drought across parts of the West, but will that be enough to prevent another destructive fire year? AccuWeather forecasters have released their annual wildfire prediction for the United States, weighing in on that question and many others.
AccuWeather’s team of long-range forecasters, led by veteran meteorologist Paul Pastelok, says that the 2023 fire season is forecast to be near to slightly above the historical averages. There will likely be 60,000 to 75,000 wildfires that burn 6.5 million to 8.25 million acres of land, close to the average of 68,707 fires and 7,000,514 acres annually between 2001 and 2020.
