What the numbers tells us about a catastrophic year of wildfires

A historic drought and record-breaking heatwaves combined to spark blazed that burned nearly 7.7m acres this year

2021 proved another disastrous fire year for the American west.

Amid a historic drought and record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires that erupted across the US burned close to 7.7m acres. Some broke records that had only recently been set. And while the amount of land burned this year didn't reach 2020 levels, a troubling new trend emerged: fires are getting harder to fight.

Wildfires used to be largely confined to a four-month period but the threats are now felt through the year. By 21 June, close to 29,000 wildfires had already ignited across the US - roughly 4,000 more than average years according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The threats didn't subside after the summer and autumn. Blazes burned through Montana and Colorado into December this year and fire weather warnings prompted power safety shutoffs in southern California over the Thanksgiving holiday in late November.