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Annual wildfires have ravaged the country in the past few years, taking over the news cycle each summer. Of the ten most expensive wildfires on record, only two occurred before 2017, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The Western states aren’t the only ones worried about fire season anymore. Smoky orange skies continue to trend online as winds carry smoke and ash thousands of miles across the nation. This previously-rare weather phenomenon is now to be expected every year.
But the damage from wildfires doesn’t stop at the burn zone. Wildfire smoke carries fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that can travel thousands of miles, turning clear skies hazy and pushing air quality into unhealthy ranges in cities far from any active blaze. In 2023, Canadian wildfire smoke drove New York City’s AQI above 400—a level classified as ‘hazardous.’ For homeowners across the country, understanding which states face the greatest wildfire risk isn’t just about fire safety—it’s about knowing when your indoor air quality may be compromised and what steps to take to protect your family.
The defining wildfire event of early 2025—the Palisades Fire—ignited in January due to extreme Santa Ana winds and record-low humidity. It quickly became one of the most devastating wildfires in California's history, destroying over 6,800 structures and forcing widespread evacuations. While California remains the epicenter of wildfire devastation, several other states have suffered major losses. In 2024, Alaska recorded the highest number of burned acres at 3.1 million, followed by New Mexico with 859,906 acres and Texas with 671,800 acres. Nationwide, the trend of increasing burned acreage continues, with climate change and prolonged drought fueling more intense fire seasons each year.
As a U.S.-based air filter manufacturer, we see the ripple effects of wildfire season in real time. Every year, homeowners across the country reach out to us for help protecting their indoor air—not just in fire-prone states like California and Oregon, but increasingly in the Midwest and Northeast, where drifting smoke pushes air quality into unhealthy ranges. That’s why we track wildfire data closely: the better you understand where fires are burning and how smoke travels, the more prepared you’ll be to keep your home’s air clean when it matters most.
Which states have the most wildfires?
In 2024, Alaska burned the most acreage (3.1 million acres), followed by New Mexico (859,906 acres) and Texas (671,800 acres). California led in total number of fires with 7,884 and accounted for over 40% of all U.S. wildfire acreage.
Yes. Wildfire smoke carries fine PM2.5 particles that can travel thousands of miles. In 2023, Canadian wildfire smoke pushed New York City's AQI above 400—over 2,000 miles from the nearest blaze.
MERV 13 filters are the minimum recommended rating for capturing fine wildfire smoke particles (PM2.5) in residential HVAC systems. Standard MERV 8 filters are not effective against smoke.
Peak wildfire season typically runs May through October in western states, though fires can occur year-round. The January 2025 California fires showed that devastating wildfires are no longer limited to summer months.
The 2025 wildfire season began with several destructive blazes, fueled by record-breaking drought conditions and extreme Santa Ana winds. Among the most significant wildfires were:
The ongoing megadrought and record-low rainfall have only worsened fire conditions, with climate experts warning that people should be cautious of wildfire season in the United States.
While lightning is an obvious cause of wildfires, the National Park Service has attributed nearly 85% of wildfires to human activity, including campfires, debris fires, powerlines, electrical malfunctions, cigarettes, and arson. When assessing the damage done by wildfires, though, lightning-caused fires have historically been more destructive. Data from the National Interagency Fire Center show that lightning accounted for the great majority of burned acres since 2001, though there have been several years where more land area was burned by human-caused fires.
The severity of wildfires is largely affected by climate conditions, and in 2021, several western states remain trapped in a persistent “megadrought.” Large portions of the region—including parts of Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oregon—face “exceptional” levels of drought, which is the U.S. Drought Monitor's most severe category.
As of June 2023, Canadian wildfires are making headlines globally. Despite firefighting efforts from multiple countries, hundreds of wildfires continued to burn in Canada. Last Friday, 421 fires were still active, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
On Sunday, poor air quality returned to the north-eastern United States, although it was not as severe as the recent heavy haze caused by smoke from wildfires up north. At its peak, the air quality index (AQI) in New York City reached over 400 and was categorized as "hazardous," particularly for those with heart or lung problems. While air quality has generally improved since the previous week, measuring at 104 AQI, smoke inhalation is still a potential danger for millions of Americans.
In Pennsylvania, the state department of environmental protection declared an air quality action day and issued a code orange alert due to elevated ozone levels in multiple regions. Ozone forms when airborne chemicals react with sunlight; high levels are common during summer. The department advised vulnerable populations, such as young children and the elderly, to limit outdoor activities and conserve electricity.
The Maryland environmental department also issued a code orange alert for the Baltimore region, stating that the unhealthy air quality was due to ozone and smoke from wildfires.
Based on recent trends, California has been the state most threatened by wildfires, with over 40% of all burned acres in 2024 occuring within its borders. The state leads in wildfire-prone properties, with 2.1 million homes at risk-a number nearly three times higher than Texas (750,000), Colorado (380,000), and Arizona (250,000), according to the Insurance Information Institute.
However, wildfires affect each state differently. More sparsely populated states like Montana and Idaho, for example, have only the fifth-highest and ninth-highest number of properties at risk for wildfire damage, yet those properties represent between a quarter and a third of all properties in the state, whereas only 15% of properties in California are estimated to be at risk.
To determine the impact that wildfires have had on various states, researchers at Filterbuy compiled data from the National Interagency Fire Center and the U.S. Census Bureau for 2022, then ranked states by the total number of acres burned. Related data included in the analysis were the total number of fires, the burned acreage as a proportion of the state’s total land area, and human-caused fire acreage as a proportion of total fire acreage.
At Filterbuy, we’ve seen a significant spike in MERV 13 filter orders from California during each major fire event—particularly from the Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Bay Area metro regions. During the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires alone, our customer support team fielded a surge of calls from Southern California homeowners looking for same-day shipping on high-efficiency filters. It’s a pattern we’ve tracked across multiple fire seasons, and it reinforces what the data shows: California homeowners aren’t just at risk from the fires themselves—they’re dealing with weeks of degraded indoor air quality that follows.
Here are the 15 states that were hit hardest by wildfires last year.
Our customer support team frequently helps homeowners in California, Oregon, and Washington choose the right filtration level for recurring smoke events. One of the most common questions we hear is whether a standard filter is “good enough” during fire season. The short answer: if you can smell smoke indoors, your current filter likely isn’t capturing the fine particles doing the most damage. For these states, we typically recommend upgrading to a MERV 13 filter during the May–October fire season window—and many of our West Coast customers now keep them installed year-round through auto-delivery.
The data used in this analysis is from the National Interagency Fire Center. To determine the states most impacted by wildfires, researchers ranked them by total acres burned in 20252 In addition, researchers included the total number of fires in 20252, burned acreage as a proportion of the state’s total land area, and human-caused fire acreage as a proportion of total fire acreage.
At Filterbuy, we believe understanding wildfire trends starts with reliable data. Our research team compiled wildfire statistics from the [National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) 2024 Annual Report], the primary federal source for wildfire incident data in the United States. NIFC aggregates reporting from all federal, state, tribal, and local fire agencies, making it the most comprehensive dataset available for year-over-year wildfire analysis.
To calculate burned acreage as a proportion of each state’s total land area, we used the [U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 land area estimates], which provide the most current official measurements of each state’s geographic footprint. Population data referenced throughout the article also comes from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) estimates.
Wildfire cost and property-risk figures cited in the California section are sourced from the [Insurance Information Institute (III)], which tracks insured losses and at-risk property counts across all 50 states. Air quality data referenced in the health and protection sections is based on readings from [AirNow.gov], the EPA’s real-time air quality monitoring platform.
States were ranked by total acres burned in 2024, which is the most widely used metric for measuring wildfire severity at the state level. We chose acres burned as the primary ranking factor because it captures the overall scale of wildfire impact—including fires on federal, state, and private lands—more accurately than fire count alone. A state with fewer but larger fires (like Alaska) can experience far more ecological and air quality damage than a state with many small fires.
To give homeowners a more complete picture, we included three additional context metrics for each state:
We want to be upfront about what this analysis covers and where the data has natural limitations:
Filterbuy has published this annual wildfire analysis since [year first published] because we believe homeowners deserve clear, data-driven information about the threats to their indoor air quality. Wildfires don’t just burn land—they generate smoke that can travel thousands of miles and compromise the air inside your home for days or even weeks.
As a U.S.-based air filter manufacturer, we see the real-world impact of wildfire season every year. Orders for [MERV 13 filters] spike during major smoke events, and our customer support team regularly helps families in fire-affected states choose the right filtration to protect their indoor air. That front-line experience is what drives us to keep this research current and accessible.
We update this page annually with new NIFC data, typically within the first quarter of each year once federal reporting is finalized. If you’d like to be notified when we publish updated wildfire rankings, subscribe to our newsletter for air quality alerts and HVAC tips.
Have a question about this data or our methodology? Reach out to our team at [info@filterbuy.com]. We’re always happy to talk air quality.
Beyond the destruction, wildfires pose a serious health risk due to smoke inhalation. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke can cause:
Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter known as PM2.5—particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, roughly 30 times thinner than a human hair. These particles are too small to see, but they’re small enough to bypass your body’s natural defenses and enter deep into the lungs, and even the bloodstream. Standard fiberglass air filters (MERV 1–4) cannot capture PM2.5. MERV 13 filters, however, are designed to trap particles in this size range, making them the recommended choice for homes in wildfire-affected areas.
1. Stay Indoors: Reduce outdoor exposure when air quality is poor.
2. Use HEPA Filters: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters help trap wildfire smoke particles indoors.
3. Monitor Air Quality: Use real-time AQI tools like AirNow to stay updated.
4. Wear N95 Masks: If outdoors, N95 masks can filter fine particulate matter.
Wildfires are becoming larger, more destructive, and more frequent due to climate change and prolonged drought conditions. With 2025 shaping up to be a severe wildfire year, preparedness is key.
Stay informed, protect your health, and implement preventive measures to mitigate wildfire risks. One thing you can do is invest in high-quality replacement filters. Air filters reduce wildfire smoke inhalation by directly capturing ash and smoke particles from your indoor air.
Not all air filters are made equally, though. Only certain types of air filters can filter out wildfire smoke. Filterbuy’s MERV 13 air filters are the most effective for removing smoke from your home. MERV 13 filters can capture fine wildfire smoke particles without restricting airflow.
We manufacture our MERV 13 filters at Filterbuy facilities in Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Utah—and we’ve engineered them specifically to balance particle capture efficiency with the airflow demands of residential HVAC systems. That balance matters more than most people realize. A filter that’s too restrictive for your system can reduce airflow, strain your blower motor, and actually make your indoor air quality worse by limiting circulation. Our MERV 13 filters are built to capture particles down to 0.3 micrometers—including the fine PM2.5 that makes wildfire smoke so hazardous—while maintaining the airflow your system needs to keep running efficiently.
All HVAC systems are different, so choosing the right filter can be a challenge. The correct air filter can drastically improve indoor air quality and reduce smoke inhalation during fire season. However, the wrong air filter can break your system entirely. To help you find the perfect filter fit, take our MERV Match Quiz.
The AQI measures pollutant concentrations in outdoor air on a scale of 0 to 500. During wildfire season, AQI levels can change rapidly. Here's what each level means for your health—and which air filter can help protect your indoor air.
| AQI Range | Level | Health Concern | Filter Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
0–50
| Good | Air quality is satisfactory with little to no health risk. A great day to open windows and let fresh air in. | Standard MERV 8 filter maintenance is sufficient. Replace on your regular schedule (every 60–90 days). |
|
51–100
| Moderate | Acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals—especially those with asthma—may experience mild symptoms. | Consider upgrading to MERV 11 if your household includes allergy or asthma sufferers. |
|
101–150
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | Children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Everyone else may begin to notice effects. | Upgrade to MERV 13 Recommended — captures the fine PM2.5 particles that wildfire smoke carries. |
|
151–200
| Unhealthy | Everyone may begin to experience health effects. Sensitive groups may experience more serious symptoms. Limit time outdoors. | MERV 13 is essential. Check your filter weekly and replace as soon as it looks visibly dirty—this can happen in as little as 2–3 weeks during heavy smoke. |
|
201–300
| Very Unhealthy | Health alert for everyone. Serious health effects are possible for all groups. Stay indoors with windows and doors sealed. | MERV 13 running continuously. Seal windows and doors. Set HVAC to recirculate mode (close fresh air intake). |
|
301+
| Hazardous | Emergency conditions. The entire population is at serious risk. This level was reached in New York City during the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke event. | MERV 13 + portable HEPA purifier for bedrooms. Stay indoors. Wear N95 masks if you must go outside. Replace HVAC filter immediately if it hasn't been changed recently. |
For wildfire smoke, a MERV 13 filter is the minimum recommended rating for residential HVAC systems. MERV 13 filters capture particles as small as 0.3 micrometers, including the fine PM2.5 particles that make wildfire smoke particularly dangerous. Standard MERV 8 filters are not effective against smoke. If your HVAC system can accommodate it, MERV 13 provides the best balance of particle capture and airflow for most home systems
Yes. Wildfire smoke can travel thousands of miles on atmospheric wind patterns. In 2023, smoke from Canadian wildfires pushed air quality in New York City to hazardous levels—over 2,000 miles from the nearest fire. Residents in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast can all be affected by distant wildfires during peak fire season, making indoor air filtration important even in states that don’t experience fires directly.
Check the Air Quality Index (AQI) for your area using AirNow.gov or Filterbuy’s live AQI map. Visible signs include hazy or discolored skies, a smoky smell outdoors, and reduced visibility. If your AQI rises above 100, take steps to protect your indoor air by running your HVAC system with a MERV 13 filter and keeping windows and doors closed.
Yes, but with the right setup. Run your HVAC system with a MERV 13 filter and set it to recirculate mode rather than drawing in fresh outdoor air. This continuously filters your indoor air without pulling smoky air inside. If your system has a fresh air intake, close it during smoke events. Avoid running exhaust fans or opening windows, as these create negative pressure that pulls smoke indoors.
Wildfires are primarily caused by human activities (85%), such as unattended campfires, powerline malfunctions, and arson. Lightning also contributes but is less frequent.
Wildfire smoke carries fine particles that can travel thousands of miles, leading to hazardous air quality in areas far from the fire zones. Cities like New York have experienced AQI levels over 400, posing serious health risks.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the concentration of pollutants in the air, such as smoke particles. An AQI over 150 is considered unhealthy, and anything above 300 is hazardous.
Using high-efficiency air filters in your HVAC system, such as MERV 13-rated filters, can help trap smoke particles and improve indoor air quality during fire season.
MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) measures how effectively an air filter traps particles. A MERV 13 filter is ideal for capturing fine wildfire smoke particles without compromising airflow.
It’s recommended to change your air filters every 1-3 months during wildfire season, especially if your area is experiencing heavy smoke. Frequent replacements ensure your HVAC system runs efficiently and helps maintain air quality.
Air filters are made to capture particles. But, MERV 13 filters are best at effectively reducing smoke particles, improving indoor air quality and reducing health risks.
Children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with asthma, COPD, or heart conditions face elevated risk from wildfire smoke exposure. Children breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults, making them especially vulnerable to PM2.5 inhalation. If your household includes anyone in these groups, prioritize MERV 13 filtration, keep windows sealed during smoke events, and check your local AQI daily using tools like AirNow.gov.
In addition to using air filters, consider sealing windows and doors to prevent smoke from entering, staying indoors when air quality is poor, and using N95 masks if you must go outside.
California experiences more frequent wildfires due to its dry climate, high winds, and long periods of drought. Additionally, 40% of all burned acres in the U.S. occurred in California in 2024, making it the state most at risk.
Climate change contributes to higher temperatures and prolonged droughts, creating ideal conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread. These changes have led to longer, more intense fire seasons each year.
Prepare by creating defensible space around your property, using fire-resistant materials, installing high-efficiency air filters in your HVAC system, and staying informed about local fire risks and air quality reports.
Wildfire Season Indoor Air Quality Checklist:
If your state made this list, your indoor air quality is at risk during fire season—and a standard filter won't cut it. Shop Filterbuy MERV 13 filters to start capturing the fine smoke particles that matter most, shipped free and factory-direct to your door.
