In the past, every American could recite Smokey Bear’s slogan: “Only you can prevent forest fires.” This message from the U.S. Forest Service’s 81-year-old mascot is often lost in the digital noise today, but it is more relevant now than ever.

As of the beginning of September 2025, the country has seen 47,413 wildfires with over 4.17 million acres burned, compared to the 10-year average of 41,932 fires and 5,665,148 acres. However, wildfire season now runs almost all year, and another record could still be broken.

The devastating January 2025 Southern California wildfires that burned Los Angeles alone killed between 31 and 440 people, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures, and burned over 57,000 acres.

Fortunately, Smokey is right. You can prevent forest fires.

Wildfires

The American West and many other environments are adapted to seasonal wildfires; it was a natural part of life before the Forest Service began treating all fires as if they were bad. Decades of fire suppression have reversed the benefits of centuries of natural, indigenous land management that lowered the risk of uncontrolled wildfire. Extreme weather and poor forest fuel reduction efforts, combined with climate change and careless human activities, have produced recurring megafires.

Every year, human-caused wildfires account on average for approximately 85% of wildfires in the United States. An untended campfire can spread. A cigarette tossed from a car window or a spark from an exhaust pipe can set off grass fires that spread to nearby forests. Unlike controlled burns that clear underbrush and encourage new growth, human-sparked wildfires do tremendous damage to the environment and are dangerous to people’s health, even when they are hundreds of miles away from the blaze.

Recent Lessons from 2024-2025

Gasoline-powered tools regularly account for burn injuries. In 2024, one incident involved a chainsaw gas tank that appeared to be closed but popped open when thrown onto a sawyer’s shoulder, engulfing him in flames. Proper equipment maintenance and handling for your lawnmower and yard gear, can dramatically reduce the risk of fire and injury.

The January 2025 Los Angeles fires were exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, a buildup of vegetation from the previous winter, and 100 mile per hour Santa Ana winds. Multiple factors can combine to create catastrophic fire scenarios.

In 2024,  11 firefighters lost their lives across the United States, the fewest since 2019. Those lost include federal, state, and local firefighters, as well as three airtanker pilots in three separate aviation accidents.

Megafires are too large for wildlife to outrun, resulting in significant losses of life and habitat across vast areas. High-severity fires also disrupt tree regeneration, increase soil erosion, lower water quality, and facilitate the growth of invasive species. The harm is not even limited to the fires’ path — smokestorms can harm human health hundreds of miles away, and contribute to climate change.

Safer Open Fires

Make sure a fire is appropriate in the first place. The safest and least polluting campfire is no campfire at all. Permits are required for campfires and portable gas stoves on federal lands; check to see if your state parks have similar requirements. Always check for and comply with local fire restrictions. Campfires are banned when the fire risk is high.

Learn how to build a campfire safely, and never leave a fire unattended. Before you leave the campsite, extinguish the fire completely using the “drown, stir, and feel” method. If the ashes are still hot after the first dousing, continue pouring water on them until they are cool. When camping, even if you aren’t burning a fire, keep a shovel and a bucket of water nearby at all times.

In some areas and at certain times, it is legal to burn debris. Usually, a permit is required. Always check local regulations before burning debris. If you must burn debris, learn how to do it safely, but consider whether composting or even disposal might be a better choice.

One Less Spark – One Less Wildfire

Any activity that generates sparks in a dry environment is a fire hazard. Fireworks, exploding targets, and any other incendiary devices are banned on federal public lands (and are a bad idea in any natural area).

The Palisades Fire (23,707 acres) became the third-most destructive wildfire in California’s history, while the Eaton Fire (14,021 acres) became the second-most destructive and the fifth-deadliest wildfire in California’s history. The 2020 El Dorado Fire in Southern California, which burned 22,700 acres, was ignited by pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party. It wasn’t even the first wildfire started by a gender-reveal party, but don’t be too quick to focus on social-media theatrics. The Mendocino Complex Fire of 2018 was ignited when a man hammered a metal stake into the ground — a spark flew into the brush and ignited.

Recent fires continue to demonstrate that preventable causes. Equipment failure, improper maintenance, and simple negligence remain leading factors in human-caused wildfires.

You Can Prevent Vehicle-Caused Fires

Moving vehicles shouldn’t create sparks, but they often do, and those sparks can lead to wildfires. The Carr Fire in 2018 was ignited by the metal rim of a flat tire on a trailer that produced sparks when it struck the asphalt. Maintain your brakes and tire pressure (this will improve your gas mileage, too). Ensure that nothing attached to your car, such as tow chains, a sagging muffler, or items in the truck bed, drags on the ground.

You Can Prevent Equipment-Caused Fires

Landscaping for fire resistance requires proper maintenance, but garden equipment can start fires. In fact, lawn mowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors, trimmers, and even guns can all spark a wildfire.

Avoid using gas-powered equipment during the hottest part of the day or in windy conditions. Electric yard equipment may be safer. If you use gas-powered equipment, make sure it’s equipped with spark arresters and the correct fuel.

When you are finished using yard equipment, check your property to ensure sparks from the engine or a mower blade striking a rock have not ignited the brush. A fire can start slowly in grass, then accelerate quickly once it has ignited dryer materials.

Be Prepared

Shovels, water, and fire extinguishers are all good tools to keep on hand wherever there is a risk of fire. Quickly smothering a spark that catches can prevent a fire from growing.

If you are in an area with cell reception, do not hesitate to call 911 if you start or spot a fire. Wildfires can spread alarmingly fast, and even if you sound a false alarm, it’s better than being the cause of the next major wildfire.

Throughout 2025, observed temperature anomalies across the western U.S. averaged approximately +1.5°C above the 30-year climatological norm, contributing to earlier snowmelt and accelerated drying of vegetation. These conditions make prevention efforts more critical than ever.

Staying Informed: The Watch Duty Revolution

Watch Duty, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, offers a free app for iPhone and Android devices that provide alerts about nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time. In 2024, the organization reached more than 7 million people, and during the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, it added 600,000 new users in just 24 hours.

Unlike many other apps that rely solely on government alerts, which can often be delayed, Watch Duty provides up-to-the-minute, life-saving information through a dedicated team of active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, first responders, and reporters who monitor radio scanners around the clock. Watch Duty is an excellent tool for staying informed, and with the paid upgrade version, you can see where fire tankers are flying.

The free app provides:

• Text notifications about nearby wildfires and firefighting updates
• Real-time fire weather alerts
• Active fire perimeters and containment progress reports
• Evacuation orders and shelter information
• Wind speed and direction data

Remember: Most human-caused wildfires can be prevented. Whether by properly extinguishing a campfire, keeping your vehicle maintained to prevent sparking, or using the right tools at the right time, following simple steps can help prevent the next catastrophic wildfire. In an era of climate change and increasing fire risk, prevention remains our most powerful tool.

Editor’s Note: Originally published on October 27, 2020, this article was most recently updated in September 2025. Feature image by Marcus Kauffman on Unsplash.