Data from the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) shows that the area burned in the United States fluctuates annually.
Databoks compiled data on the area burned over two decades, specifically from 2000 to 2023.
The largest area burned was 10.02 million hectares in 2017. There were 71,400 fire incidents.
The cost of handling these fires totaled US$2.41 billion from the Forest Service and US$508 million from the Department of the Interior (DOI), for a total of $2.91 billion.
The smallest area burned in these two decades was 2.69 million hectares in 2023, the lowest since 1998. There were 56,000 fire incidents.
The cost of handling these fires was US$2.7 billion from the Forest Service and US$466.3 million from the DOI, totaling US$3.16 billion.
(Read also: [Link to Indonesian article about Indonesian forest fires])
This data does not include recent major wildfires.
According to CBS News, a fire in Palisades, Los Angeles, California, has consumed nearly 20,000 hectares since it started Tuesday morning (US time) in the upscale Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. This is the largest wildfire in the area.
"The fire started as a brush fire that exploded as strong winds swept through the area," wrote CBS News in an update on Friday, January 10, 2025.
The New York Times reported that the death toll had risen to 10 by Thursday night, citing a statement from the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. This number is still developing as officials need time to investigate.
"No further information will be released until next of kin have been notified," wrote journalist Rachel Nostrant on Friday, January 10, 2025.
Katadata reports that local authorities have not yet provided estimates of buildings damaged or destroyed by the wildfire, but they say at least 70,000 residents were ordered to evacuate and nearly 30,000 buildings are threatened.
(Read Katadata: [Link to Indonesian article about celebrities affected by the Los Angeles fire])