Fast and Effective: How Wildfires Burn Thousands of Acres in Just Hours

Written by Brandon Ii

18 October 2025

Every year, the lives of millions around the world are threatened by something as simple as a cigarette on the ground or an unattended campfire that erupts to grow into something it wasn’t nearly as big as before. These fires, usually caused by human activity, can quickly burn thousands of acres if not attended to quickly.

General Causes of Wildfires

Almost 85% of wildfires are caused by anthropogenic activities such as unattended campfires, burning debris, improperly discarded cigarettes, equipment use and malfunctions, and intentional acts of arson. The most common natural cause of wildfires is lightning, but considering its niche circumstances, this cause is still uncommon. Other causes may include volcanic eruption and self-ignition (when the conditions are right), which are also very rare. Wildfires are also able to spread an average of 14.27 miles per hour and burn everything quickly. Fires are also able to spread even faster as they go uphill because heat rises.

Current Statistics

As of October 10, 2025; 4,711,179 acres of land were burned from fires and there were 54,615 incidents of wildfires. There were 4 large fires that burned 435,613 acres alone, and almost 3 million USD was used to recover the damage done by the wildfires. In California specifically, there have been 7,439 wildfires and 522,289 acres of land burned. There were also 16,479 structures destroyed due to the wildfires, and the fires are believed to have claimed the lives of 31 people.

A fire ravages vegetation near Los Angeles, in the Pacific Palisades.

https://www.courthousenews.com/la-county-man-admits-to-flying-drone-over-palisades-fire-that-crashed-into-firefighting-plane/

Harmful Aftereffects of Wildfires

Common belief is that once the wildfire is gone, it will not cause any more problems. However, wildfires can release particulate matter (microscopic particles that can enter the bloodstream), and they can also release carbon monoxide, which can easily kill a person when they are in contact with it for too long. In fact, particulate matter exposure has contributed to 40,000 excess deaths per year in the U.S. This number can quickly rise up to 70,000 by 2050 if not attended to quickly enough.

Conclusion

Simple mistakes that can be circumvented easily can quickly be detrimental to a community, which is why it is encouraged to always pay attention to what you are doing and leave nothing unattended. Also, it is best practice to ensure every fire is distinguished properly and that cigarettes should always be picked up from the ground in order to prevent the most wildfires possible.

Sources:

• https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

• https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/statistics

• https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/smokereadyca#:~:text=Particulate%20Matter,The%20association%20between%20PM2.

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09611-w#:~:text=We%20project%20that%20smoke%20PM2.5%20could%20result,2011%2D2020%20average%20annual%20excess%20deaths%20from%20smoke.

• https://www.fire.ca.gov/

• https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/fire/how-wildfires-start-and-spread.html