Western U.S. Wildfires and the Climate Change Connection

This fact sheet explains how climate change—specifically rising temperatures and earlier snowmelt—is driving more frequent and longer-lasting large wildfires in the Western United States, with risks expected to grow as global temperatures rise.

• Climate change is identified as a significant driver of changes in fire activity in the Western United States. Specifically, earlier spring snowmelt and increases in temperatures during the summer and spring are strongly linked to more frequent large wildfires and wildfires that last longer.
• Fire risk is increasing across the region due to drier and warmer conditions. These risks are projected to continue to rise as global temperatures increase, which will likely result in more frequent large wildfires.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Western U.S. Wildfires and the Climate Change Connection. https://www.wri.org/research/western-us-wildfires-and-climate-change-connection

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Western U.S. Wildfires and the Climate Change Connection. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/western-us-wildfires-and-climate-change-connection.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Western U.S. Wildfires and the Climate Change Connection |url=https://www.wri.org/research/western-us-wildfires-and-climate-change-connection |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendwestern, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Western U.S. Wildfires and the Climate Change Connection}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/western-us-wildfires-and-climate-change-connection}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }