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How much land do wildfires burn in the US? 

By Monday, the wildfires raging in and around Los Angeles had burned over 40,000 acres, caused 19 deaths, and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, according to early assessments from California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. [USAFacts has just published this article]([link removed]) to provide context around US wildfires. 

- From 2014 to 2023, an annual average of 62,277 wildfires burned 7.02 million acres each year.

- Despite a comparably small wildfire season in 2023, wildfires are burning more land now than in decades past. Preliminary data suggests above-average totals for both fires and acreage in 2024. 

[Annual wildfire suppression costs]([link removed])

- Both the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior handle wildfire suppression. Suppression costs were under $2.0 billion (in 2023 dollars) until 2000 and first hit $3.0 billion in 2017. They’ve now averaged this amount for the last five years. 

- Wildfires affected all states except for Delaware in 2023. California had the most acres burned at 332,722, followed by Alaska at 314,276 and New Mexico at 212,378.  

- In 2023, 4,318 structures were reported to be damaged by wildfires nationwide, including 3,060 homes, 1,228 minor structures, and 51 mixed-use buildings. Most of the damage was from the Lahaina and Upcountry Fires in Maui, Hawaii. 

[Read more here]([link removed])

How many teens work? 

Getting a job used to be a major milestone for American teenagers. [These days, fewer teens are joining the workforce]([link removed]): their labor force participation fell from 52% in 2000 to 35% in 2010 and stood at 37% in 2023. The data shows that while teen boys and girls have similar employment rates, they vary by race and ethnicity. 

- In 2023, about 167 million people were in the nation’s labor force, and about 6.36 million were teens. That’s 3.81% of the workforce.  

[Change in labor force participation]([link removed])

- Teen labor force participation varies more by season than that of other age groups. In summer 2023, around 42% of teens were in the labor force, compared to 35% during the rest of the year.  

- In 2023, 37.4% of girls and 36.5% of boys were in the labor force. From 1948 to 2002, the participation gap between teen boys and girls narrowed from 21.7 percentage points to zero. Since then, rates have remained relatively equal, with slightly more teen girls than boys holding jobs. 

- White teens had the highest annual labor force participation rate in 2023 at nearly 40%. Asian teens had the lowest, at around 23%. The average annual participation rate was 34% for Hispanic or Latino teens and 30% for Black or African American teens.  

- Hispanic or Latino teens tend to have more year-round employment with less seasonal variation compared to other racial groups. In 2023, their labor force participation rate increased by about 3.5% between the school year and summer, compared to a 6.8% increase for white teens.  

[See more charts here]([link removed])

Data behind the news

On Friday, California’s insurance commissioner issued a one-year moratorium to stop home insurance nonrenewals and cancelations for areas affected by the fires in and around LA. [See the data on climbing home insurance prices]([link removed]). 
 
The Supreme Court heard arguments Friday on the legality of a TikTok ban. What could the upcoming ruling mean for the [40% of Americans]([link removed]) who use social media daily to get information about the government? 
 
Have you been taking the weekly fact quiz like it’s your J-O-B? Then [clock in right here]([link removed]).  

One last fact

[Map of adult literacy rates]([link removed])

[English literacy proficiency]([link removed]) is scored on a scale of 0 to 500, and the national average for adults 16 to 65 is 264. People who score below 175 are considered functionally illiterate.  
 
>From 2012 to 2017, New Hampshire had the nation’s highest average rate, while New Mexico and Louisiana had the lowest. 

 

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