I.I.I.: 10 costliest wildfires in U.S. history

In the same way that a blaze can swallow everything in its path, a wildfire event can have a profound effect on the local insurance market. Consider that the most serious fire emergencies result in both residential and commercial property-insurance claims, business interruption claims, and health insurance and workers' compensation claims. However, given time to study a fire's cause, course and impact, the event can have positive outcomes that go beyond the regeneration of local flora and fauna. Large-scale loss events such as the historic fires listed above can prompt local municipalities to enact stricter building codes, spur property owners to build more resilient facilities, and catalyze fresh tech to detect and mitigate destructive blazes in the future. The slideshow above illustrates the 10 most destructive fires in U.S. history as of 2021, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Among the other key wildfire facts assembled by the I.I.I.:

• Humans cause about 85% of all wildfires in the United States (National Park Service).
• More than 7 million acres of wildland were consumed by fire in 2021 (National Centers for Environmental Information).
• California leads the country with the most wildfires and number of acres burned (National Interagency Fire Center).

See also:

• 6 tips for preparing to face a wildfire
• 10 U.S. cities with the highest home fire risk
• Rethinking how we look at wildfire risk