SALT LAKE CITY — It has been an extraordinary fire year in Utah, with more than half a million acres already burned across the state. And while human-caused fires typically make up a large portion of Utah's total, this year is different as natural fire starts are currently outnumbering those caused by people.
This year has already earned its place among the biggest in Utah's history. So far, 1,126 fires have burned 559,525 acres across Utah.
But one of the most interesting parts of this year's fire story is how those fires started.
“This is one of our busiest natural ignition years,” said Kayli Guild, Prevention and Education Coordinator with Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
There have been 598 natural-caused fires so far this year, compared with 477 human-caused fires and 51 where the cause remains unknown.
Most of those natural ignitions are from lightning — and that number has already put 2026 in the record books as the second-busiest year for natural fire starts.
The current record was set in 2012, when Utah recorded 857 naturally started fires. And we're not done yet.
“We've got, you know, several more months left for fire season,” Guild said.
The unusually high number of natural starts is only part of the story.
Utah has also seen some extreme fire behavior this year, including on the Widemouth2 Fire.
The fire burned 129,741 acres, making it the second-largest wildfire ever recorded in Utah.
The Milford Flat Fire, which burned 363,052 acres in 2007, remains the largest wildfire in state history.
And while temperatures typically begin to cool as fall arrives, that doesn't necessarily mean Utah's wildfire threat immediately goes away.
“Back in the day, early 2000s, you know, we were kind of seeing it more, you'd run through October and that would be your fire season,” Guild said.
But that's changing.
“We don't typically call it a season anymore. It's more of a fire year.”
This fire year is still very much in progress, and Guild reminds Utahns to continue using good fire sense when recreating outdoors — especially with temperatures expected to climb again this week.
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