As smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to impact the United States this summer, attention turns to Pennsylvania’s own wildfire activity. Wildfires in the state occur during spring and fall. This spring has seen the spring wildfire season begin earlier and end later than typical, according to Katie Dildine, a Fire Operations Technician with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “Typically, our peak season is in the spring when there are no leaves in the canopy, allowing for the heat of the day to draw out the litter and dust from the fall,” she said. With little snowpack this year, Dildine said the leaf litter was still relatively fluffy, letting it dry out quicker than if it had been wet and packed down heavy. Overall, she said the traditional wildfire season has expanded more into the winter months, and wildfire activity is increasing. “So looking back over the past 12 years, in the last three, the number of fires has nearly doubled,” she said.  In 2020 alone, 1,507 fires burned across a total of 3,033 acres. Lower-intensity fires can have ecological benefits, according to Dildine. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources