Cal Fire Data Shows California Wildfires Down Sharply in 2026
Key Takeaway: CAL FIRE data shows 339,171 acres burned in 2026 against 522,306 at the same point last year. CAL FIRE Battalion Chief David Acuna credits state investments in equipment, aircraft and personnel with helping the agency attack fires quickly, while warning that the season is not over.
California’s 2026 wildfire season is running well below last year’s toll, with 339,171 acres burned year to date against 522,306 acres at the same point in 2025, according to CAL FIRE statistics updated 19 October.
CAL FIRE’s 2026 incident archive lists 6,219 wildfires and 339,171 acres burned year to date, down from 7,519 fires and 522,306 acres at the same point in 2025, and far below the five-year average of 1,097,230 acres.
Investments credited with improving fire response
Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuna credited state investments in equipment, aircraft and personnel for the improvement, telling FOX40 the agency can now attack fires quickly. Cal Fire’s standing goal is to keep 95% of wildfires to 10 acres or less, and Acuna said the agency is much closer to achieving it.
FOX40’s 13 October report described the 2026 wildfire season as an improvement on recent years. Its video captions cited approximately 189,000 fewer acres burned and approximately 6,000 fires at that time; those figures predated CAL FIRE’s 19 October statistics update by six days.
Acuna said the investments in ground equipment, aircraft and personnel have let crews attack fires quickly.
Season not over
Acuna cautioned that California remains in peak wildfire season until good saturating rain arrives. The report recalled the October 2017 Northern California fires and the November 2018 Camp Fire, the most destructive wildfire in state history.
CAL FIRE’s 2026 incident archive lists 497,280 emergency responses, 175 structures destroyed and 3 fatalities, all preliminary pending coroner confirmation. The report also highlighted ‘Aware CA’, a new app tracking California wildfires over 10 acres with Cal Fire participation.
Acuna cautioned that California remains in peak fire season and is not out of danger yet.
Key Story Metrics
| Figure | Reported Status |
|---|---|
| 2026 year-to-date | 6,219 fires, 339,171 acres (CAL FIRE) |
| 2025 year-to-date | 7,519 fires, 522,306 acres |
| 5-year average | 7,852 fires, 1,097,230 acres |
| Containment goal | 95% of fires at 10 acres or less |
✓ Verified
2026 year-to-date: 6,219 wildland fires and 339,171 acres burned; 2025: 7,519 fires and 522,306 acres; five-year average: 7,852 fires and 1,097,230 acres (CAL FIRE, updated 19 Oct 2026). Battalion Chief David Acuna credits state investment in equipment, aircraft and personnel (FOX40). Cal Fire aims to keep 95% of wildfires to 10 acres or less (FOX40). 2026 archive: 497,280 responses, 175 structures destroyed, 3 fatalities preliminary (CAL FIRE).
⚠ Still needs confirmation
FOX40’s 13 October video report cited ‘almost 189,000 fewer acres’ and ‘about 6,000’ fires; those captions predate the 19 October CAL FIRE table by six days, and the exact comparison baseline was not stated. Battalion Chief David Acuna’s name was rendered ‘David Akunya’ in the video’s auto-captions.
Editor’s note: CAL FIRE statistics cited are year-to-date combined figures (CAL FIRE and US Forest Service), updated 19 October 2026. Fatality counts are preliminary.
