2022 Texas wildfires


The 2022 Texas Wildfires are a series of wildfires occurring in 2022 in the state of Texas. They include 371 individual fires occurring throughout Texas. A total of 210,045 acres were burned in the 2022 Texas wildfires according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, with the largest fire being the Eastland Complex fire.

Background

Dormant fire season

From Mid-February to Mid-April, vegetation is often dead or dormant. Combined with dry winds, low humidity, and La Niña-related conditions, fuels can ignite more easily—and once started, fires spread rapidly due to these atmospheric patterns. This timeframe sees elevated wildfire activity in the absence of vegetation green-up.
Brad Smith of Texas A&M Forest Service notes this aligns with La Niña cycles, which intensify dryness and wind in winter into spring.

Growing-season peak

From March to May, as vegetation greens up and then dries, especially after a wet winter, the combination of abundant grass fuel, warmer, drier weather, and occasional lightning can ignite severe wildfires. These months contribute to a significant proportion of the state's largest fires.

Year-round risk

Over time, Texas has seen a trend toward year-round wildfire risk, driven by changing land use, climate trends, and increased human activity. According to Fire Chief Wes Moorehead, what used to be two distinct seasons have blurred, as fire conditions now show up in all months. This is further compounded by climate change, which has extended "fire weather"—days combining heat, dryness, and wind—raising wildfire potential across the state.

Notable fires

Eastland Complex

On March 17, 2022, a fire complex formed around SE of Romney.
It was claimed to have been started by drought condition and is now 90% contained. The biggest fire so far is the Kidd fire, burning about 42,333 acres.
Smoke from the fires reached as far as Houston.

Crittenberg Complex

A fast wildfire near Fort Cavazos burned about 33,000 acres and was 55% contained.
Borrega Fire
Borrega Fire is the largest Texas fire since the Iron Mountain Fire in May 2011 and currently, 60,000 acres have been burned and was 95% contained.

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres, produced significant structural damage or casualties, or were otherwise notable.
NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment dateNotesRef
Eastland Complex firesEastland, Comanche, Calhan54,463
Ramsey FireBrown3,456
Das Goat FireMedina1,092
Borrega FireKleberg51,566
Coconut FireWilbarger15,000
Nethery Road FireKimble3,262Unknown cause
Nelson Creek FireWalker1,896Unknown cause
Chalk Mountain FireHood6,755Unknown cause
West Bend FireWichita6,522Unknown cause