Humans Have Caused 96% Of Wildfires, California Study Shows

It seems that some people did not heed Smokey Bear's warning about preventing forest fires. 2022 is being referred to as the "fire year," and most of the time; humans are the ones to blame. According to ABC10, California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina are most effected by forest fires. In California alone, 2,200 acres of land and counting are being destroyed by ongoing, active fires.

The National Interagency Fire Center took to Facebook to detail just how many wildfires have occurred in 2022 alone.

"So far in 2022, 29,827 wildfires have burned 2,687,539 acres across the country. This is well above the 10-year average of 23,070 wildfires that burned 1,106,468 acres. Nearly 96% of the wildfires reported this year were caused by people. States with the most human-caused wildfires include: Texas, North Carolina, California, Georgia and Florida. As we head into the summer months, it is critical for you to be fire safe while enjoying your public lands. Prevent wildfires by knowing how to safely use outdoor equipment & vehicles, and by being aware of any fire restrictions in place that may affect activities like campfires and barbecues," the post stated.

ABC10 mentioned that wildfires across the U.S have destroyed nearly 2,800,000 million acres of land. To put that size into perspective, it is about "44 times the size of the city of Sacramento."

Officials urge those living in wildfire hotspots to keep up with alerts, and build fire safety kits incase of emergency.