Utah’s 2026 Wildfire Season by the Numbers

Biggest fire season on record started in January due to record-low snowpack

Utah entered 2026 with heightened concerns about the wildfire season, given the record-low snowpack. Those concerns materialized as wildfires burned across Utah, affecting nearly every corner of the state. The 2026 wildfire season might be better described as a wildfire year. For example, on Jan. 22, the Beaver Canyon Fire started near Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County. At that time […] The post Biggest fire season on record started in Janu…

Utah’s 2026 wildfire season by the numbers

Utah entered 2026 with heightened concerns about the wildfire season, given the record-low snowpack. Those concerns materialized as wildfires burned across Utah, affecting nearly every corner of the state. The 2026 wildfire season might be better described as a wildfire…

Ask an Expert – Utah’s 2026 Wildfire Season by the Numbers

USU Extension press release Article written by J. Bradley Washa, Utah State University Extension assistant professor of wildland fire science Utah entered 2026 with heightened concerns about the wildfire season, given the record-low snowpack. Those concerns materialized as wildfires burned across Utah, affecting nearly every corner of the state. The 2026 wildfire season might be better described as a wildfire […] The post Ask an Expert – Utah’s …

Utah’s 2026 wildfire year ranks among the state’s most severe in decades

State officials and experts warned early on that Utah’s record-low snowpack could set the stage for an intense wildfire season. Now, with fire activity winding down, the numbers show just how severe the year was. Utah’s 2026 wildfire season has burned more than half a million acres across the state, making it the most severe fire season since 2007. The season also saw an unusual number of large fires starting in and spreading to higher-elevation…