When Is Wildfire Season?
Wildfire season in the U.S. runs roughly from late winter through fall, but it peaks at different times by region: the Southern Plains and Florida peak in late winter and spring (February–June), the Southwest in May–June before the monsoon, and the Western and Mountain states in summer and early fall (July–October).
There's no single national wildfire season — risk peaks at different times across the country, and the most destructive fires often ride seasonal winds that fall outside the "normal" window. Here’s when each state peaks, and why seasons keep getting longer.
Last updated June 2026 · FireRisk.ai editorial team
Wildfire season across the U.S., at a glance
Late winter & spring (Feb–Jun)
Southern Plains grass fires and Southwest forests peak before the summer monsoon arrives.
Summer & early fall (Jul–Oct)
The classic Western peak — driest fuels and frequent wind events across the Mountain West and Pacific states.
Nearly year-round (wind-driven)
Front Range grass fires can ignite on dry Chinook-wind days in any month — the Marshall Fire burned on December 30.
Peak wildfire season by month, state by state
When risk peaks across the year — from the Southeast and Southern Plains in late winter and spring, through the Southwest in early summer, to the Western and Mountain states at the height of summer and fall.
| State | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | ○Jan: Elevated risk | ○Feb: Elevated risk | ●Mar: Peak risk | ●Apr: Peak risk | ●May: Peak risk | ●Jun: Peak risk | ○Jul: Elevated risk | Aug: Lower risk | Sep: Lower risk | Oct: Lower risk | Nov: Lower risk | ○Dec: Elevated risk |
| Texas (Southern Plains) | ○Jan: Elevated risk | ●Feb: Peak risk | ●Mar: Peak risk | ●Apr: Peak risk | ○May: Elevated risk | Jun: Lower risk | ○Jul: Elevated risk | ○Aug: Elevated risk | Sep: Lower risk | Oct: Lower risk | Nov: Lower risk | ○Dec: Elevated risk |
| New Mexico | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | ●Mar: Peak risk | ●Apr: Peak risk | ●May: Peak risk | ●Jun: Peak risk | ○Jul: Elevated risk | ○Aug: Elevated risk | Sep: Lower risk | Oct: Lower risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Arizona | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | ○Mar: Elevated risk | ○Apr: Elevated risk | ●May: Peak risk | ●Jun: Peak risk | ○Jul: Elevated risk | ○Aug: Elevated risk | Sep: Lower risk | Oct: Lower risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| California | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | ○May: Elevated risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ●Oct: Peak risk | ●Nov: Peak risk | ○Dec: Elevated risk |
| Oregon | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Washington | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Nevada | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ●Oct: Peak risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Idaho | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Montana | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Utah | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Wyoming | Jan: Lower risk | Feb: Lower risk | Mar: Lower risk | Apr: Lower risk | May: Lower risk | ○Jun: Elevated risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | Nov: Lower risk | Dec: Lower risk |
| Colorado | ○Jan: Elevated risk | ○Feb: Elevated risk | ○Mar: Elevated risk | ○Apr: Elevated risk | ○May: Elevated risk | ●Jun: Peak risk | ●Jul: Peak risk | ●Aug: Peak risk | ●Sep: Peak risk | ○Oct: Elevated risk | ○Nov: Elevated risk | ○Dec: Elevated risk |
Peak windows reflect each region's published fire-season descriptions. Sources: NIFC National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook, Florida Forest Service (FDACS), and Texas A&M Forest Service. Wildfires can occur outside peak months on dry, windy days.
Florida & the Southern Plains: the late-winter and spring season
Wildfire season isn't just a Western summer story. Two of the most active regions peak when much of the country isn’t thinking about fire at all.
Florida
Florida risk →Florida's wildfire season runs year-round but peaks April through June, at the end of the dry season (roughly October–May) when months of low rainfall leave vegetation tinder-dry. Cold fronts pull in dry air and gusty winds that push grass and palmetto fires fast. The Florida Forest Service describes April, May, and June as the heart of peak season.
Texas & the Southern Plains
Texas risk →The Southern Plains run a "dormant" fire season through winter and spring. Per Texas A&M Forest Service, fires burn in freeze-cured grasses behind dry cold fronts, most actively mid-February through April across the Panhandle, High Plains, and areas west of Interstate 35. Heavy grass loads from a wet prior year make these fires large and hard to control. The Hill Country adds a second window during summer drought.
Sources: Florida Forest Service (FDACS) · Texas A&M Forest Service.
The 2026 wildfire-season outlook
The federal National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook (June through September 2026) — compiled by the Predictive Services units of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) — finds the country running well ahead of average heading into summer. As of late May 2026, 2,412,214 acres had burned nationally (195% of the previous 10-year average), with 30,588 wildfires reported (140% of average).
- June: Above-normal significant fire potential is forecast across above-normal significant wildfire potential across parts of the interior West and Great Basin.
- July: Above-normal potential expands to an expanding area of above-normal potential across the West as summer heat builds.
Source: NIFC — National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook (issued June 1, 2026). Next issuance July 1, 2026. Outlooks change monthly — check the live map for current conditions.
Why wildfire season keeps getting longer
Across the Western U.S., fire season has stretched by months over recent decades. Warmer temperatures, earlier snowmelt, and longer, deeper droughts dry out vegetation for more of the year, while development pushes more homes into the wildland-urban interface. The result: many places that once had a defined summer season now face serious risk in spring and fall — and, on wind events, even in winter. The practical takeaway is to treat wildfire readiness as year-round, not seasonal.
Wildfire season by state
When risk peaks in each state we cover — tap through for that state's live fire map and risk profile.
California
California risk →California's fire season runs roughly May through November and peaks late summer into fall, when fuels are at their driest. Southern California's most destructive fires arrive with autumn and winter Santa Ana winds, while the Sierra and north state peak July-October.
Oregon
Oregon risk →Oregon's fire season runs June through October, peaking August-September. The dry east side and southern valleys are most exposed, and Labor Day east-wind events are the historic worst case (the 2020 Almeda Fire).
Colorado
Colorado risk →Colorado's Front Range grass fires can ignite nearly year-round on Chinook-wind days — the record-setting Marshall Fire burned on December 30. Mountain forest fires peak June through September, and worst in drought years.
Washington
Washington risk →Washington's fire season peaks July through September, almost entirely east of the Cascades. Dry interior east winds drive the largest range and timber fires.
Arizona
Arizona risk →Arizona is driest and most dangerous in May and June, before the summer monsoon arrives. The high country — Flagstaff, Prescott, the Mogollon Rim — carries the heaviest forest-fire risk.
Texas
Texas risk →Texas has two windows: late-winter and spring (February-April) grass fires in the Panhandle and plains, and summer drought in the Hill Country. The largest fires ride strong, dry spring winds.
New Mexico
New Mexico risk →New Mexico is driest March through June, before the monsoon. The largest fires — including the record 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire — come with spring winds in the northern mountains.
Nevada
Nevada risk →Nevada's fire season runs July through October across the Sierra Front and interior ranges, but dry downslope winds can drive Reno-area fires into the cool season (the 2024 Davis Fire burned in September).
Idaho
Idaho risk →Idaho's fire season peaks July through September. Central Idaho's vast forests routinely produce large fires and weeks of heavy smoke in dry years.
Montana
Montana risk →Montana's fire season peaks July through September and is worst in drought. Western Montana's forests burn at large scale, and mountain valleys trap smoke for weeks.
Utah
Utah risk →Utah's fire season runs June through September. Drought and wind drive Wasatch Front and southern-Utah fires, peaking in mid-to-late summer.
Wyoming
Wyoming risk →Wyoming's fire season peaks July through September. Beetle-killed timber in the ranges — the Medicine Bow, the Bighorns, the Tetons — fuels large, long-burning fires in dry years.
Related
Wildfire season FAQ
When is wildfire season in California?
California’s wildfire season runs roughly May through November and peaks late summer into fall, when fuels are at their driest. Southern California’s most destructive fires often arrive later, with autumn and winter Santa Ana winds, while the Sierra and north state peak July through October. In practice, California now sees fire risk in nearly every month.
When is wildfire season in general / across the U.S.?
There’s no single national wildfire season. Broadly, the Western U.S. peaks July through September, the Southwest is most dangerous in May–June before the monsoon, the Southern Plains (like the Texas Panhandle) peak in late winter and spring, and Colorado’s Front Range can burn nearly year-round on dry, windy days. Timing depends on when each region’s fuels dry out and the winds arrive.
Is wildfire season getting longer?
Yes. Across the Western U.S., the fire season has lengthened by several months over recent decades as warmer temperatures, earlier snowmelt, and longer droughts dry fuels for more of the year. Many areas that once had a defined summer season now see significant fire risk in spring and fall — and, on wind events, even in winter.
What months are most dangerous for wildfires?
For most of the West, late summer and early fall (July–October) are the peak, because that’s when vegetation is driest and wind events are common. But the single most destructive fires often come with seasonal wind events — California’s autumn Santa Anas, Colorado’s winter Chinooks, Oregon’s Labor Day east winds — which can fall outside the "typical" season.
When is wildfire season in Florida?
Florida’s wildfire season runs year-round, but the peak is April through June at the end of the state’s dry season, when months of low rainfall have dried out vegetation. The Florida Forest Service describes April, May, and June as the heart of peak wildfire season, with risk building through the dry season (roughly October–May).
When is wildfire season in Texas and the Southern Plains?
The Southern Plains have a "dormant" wildfire season that runs through winter and spring. According to Texas A&M Forest Service, fires burn in freeze-cured grasses driven by strong, dry winds behind cold fronts, with the most active period roughly mid-February through April across the Panhandle, High Plains, and areas west of Interstate 35. Central Texas can see a second window during summer drought.
Does wildfire season mean I’m only at risk part of the year?
No. Wildfire season tells you when risk peaks, not when it’s the only time fires happen. The Marshall Fire — Colorado’s most destructive — burned on December 30. Treat the season as the time to be most vigilant, but keep defensible space and an evacuation plan year-round, especially in wind-prone areas.
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