The Fossil Fuels behind Forest Fires in Washington

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that 48% of the rise in fire-danger conditions in western North America since 1901 and 37% of the cumulative burned forest area since 1986 are attributable to emissions from the 88 largest fossil fuel companies and cement manufacturers. In Washington state, nearly 8,000 wildfires burned over 2.5 million acres between 2017 and 2022. The document argues for holding these companies accountable and urges state governments to implement resilience-building policies, including reducing human-ignited fires, improving forest health, and protecting vulnerable communities.

• Emissions from the 88 largest fossil fuel companies (including Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron) and cement manufacturers are responsible for 48 percent of the increase in fire-danger conditions—measured by vapor pressure deficit—in western North America since 1901.
• Since 1986, 37 percent of the cumulative burned forest area in western North America is attributable to emissions from these 88 carbon producers. Out of 53.0 million total acres burned in the region during this period, nearly 19.8 million acres are linked to these emissions.
• Washington state has faced severe wildfire impacts, with nearly 8,000 wildfires burning more than 2.5 million acres and destroying almost 1,000 businesses and homes between 2017 and 2022. A specific extreme event occurred in September 2020, where over 500,000 acres burned within 36 hours.
• The document recommends that state governments hold fossil fuel companies accountable by preserving court access for impacted communities, pressuring companies to stop greenwashing and climate disinformation, and requiring business models aligned with the Paris Agreement.
• To build wildfire resilience, the report advises states to enact legislation for electric utilities to prevent infrastructure-sparked fires, increase funding for science-informed forest treatments and prescribed fire, and limit development in the wildland-urban interface.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2023). The Fossil Fuels behind Forest Fires in Washington. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/fossil-fuels-behind-forest-fires-WA.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. The Fossil Fuels behind Forest Fires in Washington. 2023. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/fossil-fuels-behind-forest-fires-WA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=The Fossil Fuels behind Forest Fires in Washington |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/fossil-fuels-behind-forest-fires-WA.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2023fossil, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{The Fossil Fuels behind Forest Fires in Washington}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/fossil-fuels-behind-forest-fires-WA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }