In Nevada, the majority of wildfires happen in the summer โ but not all. And this year, dry conditions and strong winds have the potential to fuel destructive late-year fires.
Wildfires in Nevada are typically from July to September when vegetation has been baked dry, heat is high and precipitation is low. However, some of the regionโs most destructive fires can occur in the fall when snow hasnโt piled up yet, and seasonal wind patterns can make a fire spread fast.
Last year, wildfires from October through November accounted for a fourth of all Nevada wildfires. From Oct. 1 through Nov. 30 nearly 70 fires burned through more than 26,000 acres of wilderness, according to the Nevada Fire Stats dashboard.
The majority of acres burned that fall came from one wildfire in October โ the Castle Ridge Fire in Elko County. It was also the largest wildfire in the state in 2024, burning through about 25,000 acres of land in 11 days before finally being contained. Strong winds at the time threatened to spread the fire towards the town of Midas, Nevada, located less than three miles away.
