09/22/2026
🔥 ARKANSAS WILDFIRES 🔥
2026 HAS NOT BEEN NORMAL
Over the past several days, I've heard a lot of discussion about the number and size of wildfires we're seeing across Arkansas.
So, is 2026 really an unusually serious wildfire year?
The data say yes, but the most important number isn't simply how many fires we're having. It's how LARGE those fires are becoming.
According to the Arkansas Forestry Division, the state's recent 10-year average (2015-2025) wildfire size is approximately 15.7 acres per fire.
By August 21, 2026, Arkansas had already recorded:
🔥 1,120 wildfires
🔥 More than 29,000 acres burned
That works out to an average of at least 25.9 acres burned per wildfire.
Compared with the recent 10-year average of 15.7 acres, Arkansas wildfires in 2026 were averaging approximately:
🚨 65% LARGER THAN NORMAL
And remember, that calculation is based on the statewide total from August 21, NOT where we are TODAY.
Since then, Arkansas has continued to experience significant wildfire activity across multiple parts of the state, including several fires requiring evacuations, structural protection, extensive ground resources and aerial firefighting operations.
The Bunker Fire in Calhoun County alone has now burned more than 2,800 acres.
And we're still in September.
🔥 ARKANSAS'S FALL WILDFIRE SEASON IS NOT OVER.
Arkansas traditionally experiences two primary wildfire seasons:
➡️ February through April
➡️ August through October
As of September 18:
🔥 All 75 Arkansas counties are classified as HIGH wildfire danger.
🚫 69 counties are under burn bans.
🌡️ Temperatures remain extremely high across much of the state.
🌲 Vegetation and other fuels remain exceptionally dry.
Those conditions matter.
The same ignition that might produce a relatively small fire during normal conditions can behave very differently when grasses, leaves, brush and timber are extremely dry.
That's exactly why the average size of Arkansas wildfires this year is such an important statistic.
This isn't simply about having more fires. Once fires start, they're burning significantly more acreage on average.
📊 THE BOTTOM LINE:
Arkansas wildfires in 2026 have been averaging approximately 65% larger than the state's recent 10-year average, and we're still in the middle of the fall wildfire season.
This isn't meant to create panic.
It's meant to create awareness.
Be smart. Be cautious. And give our firefighters one less fire to fight.
