Forest Fires in the United States
14 December 1999
The Wildland Fire Assessment System is a contribution of "The Fire Behavior Research Work Unit", Missoula (Montana USA) and submits a fire danger map, where the fire danger for the United States is forecasted.
Fig. 1. Fire Danger Forecast Map for 14
December 1999
(Source: Fire Behavior Research Work
Unit, Missoula)
According to the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT, as of 10 December 1999, the fire situation in the United States can be summarized by following basic fire data. Most of the fires burning in the last week were located in the southern regions of the United States.
| FIRES YEAR-TO-DATE |
HECTARES YEAR-TO-DATE |
| 92,651 | 2,279,207 |
For detailed information regarding specified regions, please refer to the whole report.
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports its Wildland Fire Update every Friday unless significant activity occurs.
A Four-Year Wildland Fire Comparison Statistic shows the number and the area of wildland fires from 1996 to 1999.
Tab. 1. Wildland Fire Comparison Statistic of the last four years (Source: NIFC)
| As of 3 Dec. 1999 | Number of Wildland Fires | Number of hectares |
| 1999 | 92,651 | 2,279,207 |
| 1998 | 75,913 | 922,101 |
| 1997 | 64,943 | 1,148,671 |
| 1996 | 94,407 | 2,431,614 |
The preliminary summary report of the National Interagency Fire Center provides also a map of the Top Ten Largest Fires in the current fire season 1999. This summary will be further updated with a final 1999 season report by the end of this year.
