rdwyer@fastmail.com · junk-mail

Wildfires: How much land are they burning?

Tue Aug 18, 2026 · 12:00 AM EDT

From: "USAFacts" <info@usafacts.org>
To: <rdwyer@fastmail.com>

[View in Your Browser](manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/web-vie=
w?a=3DSH8aQb&c=3D01JBSC11EDFS954TE7X5EZD7WY&k=3D336f018cd7fc47daef1b8d7f39d=
145be&se=3Drdwyer%40fastmail.com&m=3D01M08S3831KEMDCYE9ACY1W4TP&r=3D01M09FH=
XAB2FQZ5XGDJTDMAJDQ)

[USAFacts](usafacts.org/)

Wildfire destruction by the numbers

Wildfires have burned more than 230 million acres nationwide since 1983=E2=
=80=94 that=E2=80=99s more than twice the area of California. They=E2=80=99=
re burning more land on average ever since federal fire agency tracking beg=
an in the 1980s. [How many wildfires happen in the US](usafacts.org=
/articles/how-much-damage-do-wildfires-do-in-the-us/?utm_content=3Dsection1=
_text), and how have they changed over time?

Wildfires burned an average of over 7 million acres of land each year of th=
e last decade.=E2=80=AFHowever, last year, wildfires burned 5.1 million acr=
es, down 43% from 2024=E2=80=99s total (8.9 million).=E2=80=AF
=C2=A0

Wildfires burned in every state last year, but they burned the most acres i=
n Alaska (1.01 million). California had the second-most acres destroyed: 50=
5,994.
=C2=A0

However, looking at acres burned per 10,000 acres in a state tells a differ=
ent story. After adjusting for state sizes, Oklahoma had the most destructi=
on: 68 acres burned for every 10,000. Florida had the second-most (55.5 bur=
ned acres per 10,000), while Washington had the third (54.1 acres).

[Wildfire acreage per every 10,00 acres](usafacts.org/articles/how-=
much-damage-do-wildfires-do-in-the-us/?utm_content=3Dsection1_chart)

Costs for containing and extinguishing fires, known as fire suppression, ha=
ve risen even when adjusting for inflation. In 2001, suppression costs were=
less than $2.0 billion (adjusted to 2024 dollars). Annual costs have avera=
ged $3.8 billion in the five most recent years of data.
=C2=A0

In 2025, wildfires damaged a reported 18,385 structures. Nearly 90% of thes=
e buildings, about 16,324, were in Southern California.

[See the data](usafacts.org/articles/how-much-damage-…ldfires-d=
o-in-the-us/?utm_content=3Dsection1_button)

[USAFacts](usafacts.org/)

=E2=80=8B=E2=80=8BShare the factsforward this newsletter to a friend!

[USAFacts](usafacts.org/)

How much does your state pay for Medicaid?

Medicaid provides free or low-cost health coverage through both federal and=
state funding, but not every state splits the check equally. In fiscal yea=
r 2024, states covered 35.2% of [Medicaid costs](usafacts.org/answe=
rs/what-share-of-medicaid-costs-do-states-pay/country/united-states/?utm_co=
ntent=3Dsection2_text) on average, while the federal government picked up t=
he remaining 64.8%. Last year=E2=80=99s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bi=
ll Act could change those numbers.

In FY 2024, Massachusetts paid the largest share of Medicaid costs of any s=
tate (43.8%), followed by Wyoming (43.3%) and New Hampshire (43.2%). The sm=
allest state share was New Mexico=E2=80=99s 21.9%.

[Share of Medicaid costs per state government](usafacts.org/answers=
/what-share-of-medicaid-costs-do-states-pay/country/united-states/?utm_cont=
ent=3Dsection2_chart)

A state=E2=80=99s share of Medicaid spending is based on a federal formula =
tied to per-person income. The idea is to provide more federal support to s=
tates with average per-person incomes below the national average. This is c=
alled the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP for short).
=C2=A0

The FMAP is just a baseline. For example, states that expanded Medicaid und=
er the Affordable Care Act receive an enhanced federal match (90%) for newl=
y eligible adults.
=C2=A0

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act limits how states can fund and structure the=
ir Medicaid programs. This includes:

ending the temporary 5-percentage-point FMAP bonus for states that expanded=
Medicaid after 2021;
=C2=A0

reducing or eliminating federal reimbursement for certain services, includi=
ng emergency care for undocumented immigrants;
=C2=A0

and requiring states to implement work requirements and cost-sharing for so=
me adult recipients.
=C2=A0

In July, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it was deferri=
ng more than $1 billion in Medicaid payments to [California](usafac=
ts.org/articles/california-and-medicaid-what-the-data-says/?utm_content=3Ds=
ection2_text) and [Minnesota](usafacts.org/articles/minnesota-and-m=
edicaid-what-the-data-says/?utm_content=3Dsection2_text) while it investiga=
tes allegations of fraud.
=C2=A0

Learn more about Medicaid in [this video with Steve Ballmer](usafac=
ts.org/just-the-facts/do-you-qualify/health/?utm_content=3Dsection2_text).

=E2=80=8B

[See the data](usafacts.org/answers/what-share-of-med…-costs-do=
-states-pay/country/united-states/?utm_content=3Dsection2_button)

[USAFacts](usafacts.org/)

Data behind the news

Tens of thousands of people are without power after Tropical Storm LaLa wro=
ught extensive damage across Hawaii. [Here=E2=80=99s the latest data](https=
://usafacts.org/answers/how-active-is-the-latest-hurricane-season/country/u=
nited-states/?utm_content=3Ddbtn_text) on 2026 tropical storms and hurrican=
es.

The nation's unemployment rate was 4.1% last month, down 0.1 percentage poi=
nt from June. See unemployment data for the nation and your state [here](ht=
tps://usafacts.org/answers/what-is-the-unemployment-rate/country/united-sta=
tes/?utm_content=3Ddbtn_text).

The [weekly fact quiz](usafacts.org/weekly-fact-quiz/?utm_content=
=3Ddbtn_text) is ready for you!

[USAFacts](usafacts.org/)

One last fact

[More than a third of middle class wealth is in real estate](usafac=
ts.org/answers/how-much-wealth-does-the-american-middle-class-have/country/=
united-states/?utm_content=3Donelastfact_chart)

The [middle class](usafacts.org/answers/how-much-wealth-does-the-am=
erican-middle-class-have/country/united-states/?utm_content=3Donelastfact_t=
ext) had $13.6 trillion in household wealth in the first quarter of 2026, 8=
% of the nation=E2=80=99s total. That=E2=80=99s an average of $503,300 per =
middle-class household.

Over half of middle-class wealth was in real estate (35.9%) and retirement =
accounts (19.8%).

Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up](usafacts.org/signup/) fo=
r your own weekly issue of the USAFacts newsletter.

[USAFacts](usafacts.org/)

[Economy](usafacts.org/economy/)

[Crime](usafacts.org/crime/)

[About](usafacts.org/about-usafacts/)

[FAQs](usafacts.org/faq/)

[instagram](www.instagram.com/usafacts/#)
[twitter](www.tiktok.com/@usafacts.org?lang=3Den)
[facebook](www.facebook.com/USAFacts)
[youtube](www.youtube.com/@USAFacts_Official)
[Custom](x.com/USAFacts)
[Custom](bsky.app/profile/usafacts.org)

Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up here](usafacts.org/signup=
/?_kx=3DKeXKMooUjJOiwoNgC5AaQA.SH8aQb&utm_campaign=3D3_5_25_Mar%20Data%20Do=
wnload_Nat&utm_medium=3Demail&utm_source=3DUSAFacts_Klaviyo) for your own w=
eekly issue of the USAFacts newsletter.

[Manage Preferences](manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/update?a=
=3DSH8aQb&c=3D01JBSC11EDFS954TE7X5EZD7WY&k=3D336f018cd7fc47daef1b8d7f39d145=
be&se=3Drdwyer%40fastmail.com&m=3D01M08S3831KEMDCYE9ACY1W4TP&r=3D01M09FHXAB=
2FQZ5XGDJTDMAJDQ) |=C2=A0[Unsubscribe](manage.kmail-lists.com/subsc=
riptions/unsubscribe?a=3DSH8aQb&c=3D01JBSC11EDFS954TE7X5EZD7WY&k=3D336f018c=
d7fc47daef1b8d7f39d145be&se=3Drdwyer%40fastmail.com&m=3D01M08S3831KEMDCYE9A=
CY1W4TP&r=3D01M09FHXAB2FQZ5XGDJTDMAJDQ)