Submitted By: Scott Weikert, Penn State Extension, Forest Resource Educator
In nature, Spring is a time of renewal. Birds are busy building nests in preparation for laying eggs, bees are starting to fly in search of the year’s first flowers, young animals are being born, and plants begin sprouting new leaves and twigs just as Mother Nature intended. In a way, it’s also a time of renewal for humans as well. We are busy cleaning our “nest” by picking up sticks in the yard, cleaning up leaves that have accumulated in the flower beds, and perhaps even removing dead corn stalks and other plants from last year’s garden. All too often, those sticks and leaves are burnt along with the boxes that continuously pile up throughout the year. Unfortunately, springtime is also when humans are most likely to cause unintended wildfires in Pennsylvania.
According to DCNR Bureau of Forestry statistics, in 2025, Pennsylvania had 1536 wildfires that burned 5527 acres. The 10-year average for Pennsylvania is 1257 fires and 4312 acres burned annually, so last year was a little above average. The number of fires that occur in Spring are usually higher than the number that occur in fall in Pennsylvania. Of the 1536 fires that occurred in Pennsylvania in 2025, 1120 of them happened during the Spring of the year.
What makes this time of the year so dangerous when it comes to wildfires? The weather patterns. During the spring of the year, it is not unusual to have a fair amount of rain. This moisture can be deceiving, and conditions can quickly change and become favorable for wildfires. The relative humidity can become quite low, and when you couple that with breezy conditions, the fuel source for wildfires can quickly become very dry. The trees still do not have leaves, and this allows sunlight to reach the ground, which will warm up and dry out the sources of fuel (leaves, dead branches, pine needles, etc.) for wildfires. In field areas where grasses haven’t yet begun to green up, the brown tops that are remnants of last year’s growth become an extremely flammable fuel source as well. It is important to understand that even though the ground itself may be moist, the dead leaves, twigs, and other fuels that lie on top of the ground may be very dry.
There are three requirements for a wildfire to occur. We talked about two of them already: dry conditions (including low relative humidity) and a fuel source (leaves, twigs, dead grass, etc.). The third is an ignition source. This is where the human element comes into play. Of the 1536 wildfires that occurred in Pennsylvania last year, 99% of them were caused by humans (burning debris, fireworks, campfires, etc.). The number one cause of wildfires last year was burning debris, with 841 fires. It doesn’t take a very large burning ember to float away and land in a dry field or forest to catch the dead grass and dry leaves on fire. Breezy conditions can quickly move the wildfire along and can very easily turn into a much larger problem.
What are some things you can do to prevent wildfires? Composting the leaves, twigs, and other debris that you gather up in the spring is safe and will provide nutrient-rich soil amendments for your gardens. Always consider current relative humidity, moisture, and wind speed before burning at any time of the year. Be sure to check if there is a burning ban in your area. Think twice about whether you really need to even burn at all.
