September 2020 Western United States wildfires facts for kids

A view of the wildfires in Los Angeles

In 2020, the Western United States experienced a series of major wildfires.

Intense August thunderstorms lit many wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington, followed in early September by additional ignitions across the West Coast.

Fanned by strong, gusty winds and fueled by hot, dry terrains, many of the fires exploded and coalesced into record-breaking, fire cloud producing, megafires, burning more than 4.6 million acres (1.9 million hectares) of land. It has killed at least 35 people, with many more still missing.

Climate change and poor forest management practices led to the severity of the wildfires.

Images for kids

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  Fire regimes of United States vegetation

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  Year-to-date (through September 8, 2020) animation of extent and intensity of drought in the United States maintained by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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  National Interagency Fire Center Geographic Area Coordination Centers

See also

In Spanish: Incendios en el oeste de Estados Unidos de 2020 para niños