ClimateCentral: "Billion-Dollar U.S. Wildfires: New Data Reveals Rising Costs and Frequency," by Adam Smith.
Year to date, 31 separate billion-dollar wildfires recorded through September 2026 cost nearly $186 billion in damages, caused an estimated 373 deaths, + destroyed more than 79,500 structures." In fact, billion-dollar wildfires have grown over 5 times more frequent + 10 times more costly during the last 20 yrs, compared with the previous 20 years.
The golden state of "California accounts for 74% of all billion-dollar wildfires since 1980, with estimated cumulative costs of $167 billion—at least 28 times higher than any other affected state." The new wildfire data raises the total count of all U.S. billion-dollar disasters to 453 events, costing $3.2 trillion + claiming an estimated 17,200 lives since 1980.
"The January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles—the costliest in U.S. history—underscore the need for a more detailed accounting of the damages associated with individual wildfires." Comparing billion-dollar wildfires to all other types of disasters, during the last decade (2016-2025), billion-dollar wildfires are the third most frequent (22 events) + third most costly ($162 billion) event type, after severe storms (ranked first for frequency) + tropical cyclones (ranked first for costs).
"Across the 47 years of data, billion-dollar wildfires mainly occur during August through November, with a peak in activity during October." The toll of billion-dollar wildfires has been concentrated in the western U.S., + California in particular. The next most affected states after California include Hawaii, with $6 billion from the 2023 Lahaina fire plus Colorado + Oregon, with $4.1 billion + $3.5 billion in total costs since 1980, respectively.
The cumulative costs + human toll of billion-dollar disasters since 1980 are immense. "And yet, they are conservative estimates reflecting only the direct costs of these events—including physical damage to buildings, property, + transportation, grid, + energy infrastructure; loss of crops, livestock, + commercial timber; wildfire suppression costs; + business interruption."
Let us not forget that "the full toll of these disasters—including the effects on mental and physical health (with disproportionate effects on children) and related healthcare costs; the loss of cultural heritage, biodiversity, and habitats; supply chain disruptions; and all other indirect and long-term costs—is not reflected in these assessments."
The fossil fuel industries have known for half a century how they were destroying our climate.