Wildfires are among one of the most common natural disasters in the U.S.A. The country has recorded numerous wildfires annually, with numbers rising when there are droughts.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), there are an average of around 70,000 documented wildfires in the country per year since 1983. Data from the Forest Service suggests a higher figure.
In terms of land area burned, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that the number is higher in the western part of the country than in the eastern portions, such as the fires in Tennessee.
Peak U.S. wildfire season used to be in August from 1984 to 2002. However, since 2003, the burned area has been peaking in July, with 1.8 million acres (around 700,000 hectares) burned annually, on average.
Nashville Tennessee Wildfire Info
In Tennessee, the number of wildfires totaled to 772, with more than 15,000 acres (over 6,000 hectares) burned for the year 2023, according to data from the NIFC. Of course, the total number of fires and land area burned by wildfires varies from state to state. But, the Volunteer State’s figures are a far cry from those of California, which has more than 7,000 total wildfires burning an area of over 300,000 acres (more than 120,000 hectares) in 2023.
Although wildfires is a year-round risk in Tennessee, wildfire season in the state can be categorized into two: the spring fire season and the fall fire season.
- Nashville, TN spring wildfire season. According to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the state’s spring wildfire season starts right around February 15 when the weather starts to warm up. It ends near May 15 when the forest has greened up.
- Nashville, TN fall wildfire season. In the fall, specifically around October 15 to December 15, Tennessee experiences another wildfire season. With plenty of leaves as fuel and shorter, cooler days, wildfires become a huge threat during this period.
With just a short reprieve in January, Tennesseans have to be careful with wildfires for about seven months in the year. Naturally, the state government wants everyone to be extra cautious with open fires, especially with burning debris. If you’re planning of doing some outdoor burning any time from October 15 to May 15, then you’ll need to get a burning permit from the Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF).
During periods of drought, several cities in the state have also put into effect a burn ban. For instance, in 2024, NewsChannel 5 Nashville WTVF reported that Nashville, along with La Vergne, Gallatin, Dickson, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, and Hendersonville, implemented a burn ban to counter prevalent wildfires during a period of drought in Middle Tennessee. A burn ban prohibits anyone from setting fire to brush, ditches, and other easily flammable debris.
History of Wildfires in Nashville TN
Tennessee’s history has seen how damaging wildfires can be. The blaze consumed not only the state’s vast forests but also its cities and towns. In Nashville, here are a couple of the wildfires that left a mark.
The Great East Nashville Fire
The morning of March 22, 1916 started out as usual for the many residents of East Nashville. No one expected what would happen next.
A great blaze that has been dubbed as “fire of the century” started in Edgefield. Newspapers of the time attributed the origin of the fire to a playful little boy with a ball of yarn.
The Nashville Public Library narrates:
“Wednesday morning, March 22, 1916 was a warm, very windy spring day. In Edgefield, a little boy was playing with a ball of yarn when it caught fire from a nearby stove. Panicked, he threw it out the window into the yard, catching the grass on fire. High winds caused the fire to spread quickly to the Seagraves Planing Mill. The mill began to burn. The heat and intensity of the fire grew rapidly in the stacked, dry wood and spread to the homes in Edgefield.”
The credibility of this story has since been questioned, but the Great Fire’s result was devastating for the East Nashville community. More than 600 homes and buildings—or more than 35 city blocks—were destroyed and one fellow was electrocuted by a live power line resulting in his death. Over 3,000 people became homeless and the total damage was pegged at $1.5 million ($34 million today).
The Fairgrounds Fire
Around 50 years after the Great Fire, Nashville would again face another great blaze. During the opening night festivities of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds on September 20, 20165, faulty wiring in the Women’s Building is believed to have sparked the fire. The building was destroyed, along with the grandstand of the Racetrack, several restaurants, 4-H Building, Administration Building, and Merchant’s Building.
No one died, but 18 people were injured and property damage reached an estimated $10 to $12 million.
Nashville TN Wildfire Risk
The threat of wildfires in the country is expected to rise. A report from online lending marketplace LendingTree states that wildfires are up 17% annually in the U.S. The report analyzed wildfires in 2021 to 2022, which numbered 58,968 and 68,988, respectively.
During that period, Tennessee saw an increase of 122.7% in wildfires. The state only had 550 wildfires in 2021, but that number jumped to 1,225 in 2022.
Looking forward to the next 30 years, non-profit research and technology firm First Street reported that a total of 63,262 properties in Nashville—or 24% of all properties in the city—have some risk of being affected by wildfire.
“Overall, Nashville has a moderate risk of wildfire over the next 30 years,” the organization stated in their Wildfire Map and Climate Risk Report. “This is based on the level of risk the properties face rather than the proportion of properties with risk.”
However, Downtown Nashville, in particular, only has a minimal risk of wildfire over the next 30 years.
Expected wildfire damage
From 1980 to 2024, the total estimated damage from billion-dollar wildfires in Tennessee amounted to $1.8 billion. This is from only one billion-dollar wildfire.
Looking forward, the same First Street analysis showed that expected annual losses from wildfires in the Volunteer State is $3.7 million, while expected annual economic losses due to casualties or injuries from wildfires is predicted to be at $431,426.
