A new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities finds that the U.S. Forest Service treated roughly 35 percent fewer acres for hazardous fuels in 2025 than in 2024, a sharp decline that leaves communities across the West and Southeast more exposed to the risk of catastrophic wildfire. CWP’s analysis covers the full calendar year 2025, updating earlier findings from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters that tracked the decline through September.
Hazardous fuels treatments — including prescribed burns, mechanical thinning, and brush clearing — reduce the amount of vegetation that feeds dangerous wildfires. Thinning and controlled burns are known to significantly moderate the intensity and severity of wildfires that increasingly threaten Western communities and the forests and watersheds they depend on.
According to CWP’s analysis of publicly available USFS data, the Forest Service treated approximately 1.4 million fewer acres in 2025 compared to 2024.
National Findings
- The U.S. Forest Service treated approximately 2.6 million acres for hazardous fuels in 2025, down from roughly 4.1 million acres in 2024 — a decline of about 35 percent.
- The drop represents a significant reversal from recent years, with 2024 having been one of the strongest years on record for fuels treatment work.
Key State Findings
West
| State | 2024 Acres | 2025 Acres | Difference | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 239,112 | 87,845 | −151,267 | −63% |
| Oregon | 430,586 | 228,411 | −202,175 | −47% |
| Idaho | 418,339 | 230,788 | −187,551 | −45% |
| California | 341,970 | 205,358 | −136,612 | −40% |
Southeast
| State | 2024 Acres | 2025 Acres | Difference | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 385,017 | 124,372 | −260,645 | −68% |
| Georgia | 65,352 | 20,827 | −44,525 | −68% |
| South Carolina | 128,461 | 41,452 | −87,009 | −68% |
Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee also saw significant drops in year-to-year fuels treatment.
About the Analysis
The Center for Western Priorities, in partnership with Redstone GIS Consulting, analyzed publicly available data from the U.S. Forest Service’s Natural Resource Manager (NRM) Forest Activity Tracking System (FACTS), the agency’s standard system for managing information about activities related to fire/fuels, silviculture, and invasive species. The data covers hazardous fuels treatment activities completed in calendar year 2025. CWP’s analysis uses the same dataset and methodology as the October 2025 Grassroots Wildland Firefighters memo on wildfire preparedness, updated to reflect the full calendar year. The underlying data, including metadata, is available through the FSGeodata Clearinghouse.