Wildfires are perhaps the most-discussed type of fire in the general population. And with good reason: In 2023 alone, there were over 56,000 wildfires in the United States. Approximately 85% of wildfires are caused by humans.  

Types of Wildfires 

There are four major types of wildland fires: ground, surface, crown, and spotting.  

Ground fires, or underground/subsurface fires, are slow moving fires that can spread for months.  Ground fires are hard to contain due to the fact they’re underground and can cause considerable damage to soil and plant ecosystems.  

Surface fires occur within the lower level of the forest and doesn’t burn the canopy enough that it will carry a fire. These fires tend to occur the most frequently and are usually also the mildest. 

Crown fires are fast-moving fires that occur in the upper canopy of vegetation.  Because crown fires affect multiple levels of vegetation, they are often fast moving and extreme intensity fires.  

Spotting fires happen when burning particles from an existing fire are carried by the wind, igniting new fires beyond where the original fire occurred.  

How Wildfires Are Named 

Most wildland fires are named after nearby landmarks, streets, road signs, or a nearby geological feature like a creek, lake, or mountain.  

Wildfires are assigned a name by either dispatch centers or the incident commanders who respond first. The purpose of naming fires is to provide a way to reference them for agencies, departments, dispatchers, the public, and the media.  

Some guidelines for naming fires set by the National Interagency Fire Center include: 

• Don’t name a fire after a person 
• Don’t use the names of private companies or private property 
• Don’t include words like “dead man”  
• Don’t name a fire after another catastrophic fire 
• Don’t use puns or other “cute or funny” fire names
• Avoid referencing any ethnic, religious, or political groups

For example, a 2015 fire in southeastern Idaho was named “Not Creative Fire.” This was because officials were exhausted and couldn’t think of anything (plus there wasn’t much around to base the name off of).  

And while there are rules in place for naming fires, those rules don’t always get followed.  

Tony Petrilli, Fire Equipment Specialist for the Forest Service’s National Technology and Development Program, told Fire-Dex that when there is no obvious landmark nearby that wildfire names can start to get weirder. He said that he’s seen people name fires after their dad or their dogs.  

Deputy Chief Douglass Ferro told us one story of a fire named after a battalion chief who was sensitive about his hairline. They called it the “Bald IC” fire.  

As our longtime podcast host former FDNY Battalion Chief Bob Keys said, firefighters, from urban firefighters to wildland firefighters, never miss a chance to have some fun at somebody else’s expense—and that’s apparently not limited to naming wildfires!  

Be Protected 

While wildfire names might be silly, they are no joking matter. Fire-Dex offers multiple garments for wildfires, designed to keep firefighters cooler while keeping the protection they need.