Despite several strong snowstorms across New Hampshire this winter and some rain in the past week, drought conditions persist statewide, resulting in elevated wildfire risk, the N.H. Forest Protection Bureau has announced.

Dating back to when measurements were first recorded in 1895, January-March 2026 was the sixth driest first quarter for precipitation on record in the state. This comes on the heels of an autumn with wildfire conditions so severe that a burn ban was declared statewide from Sept. 22 through Oct. 8, 2025.

The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that 78 percent of the state is currently experiencing moderate to severe drought, and drought.gov, the National Integrated Drought Information System, notes that 725,800 Granite Staters – approximately half of the state’s residents – live in areas of elevated drought conditions.

“Last year, New Hampshire experienced a 27.6 percent increase in the number of wildfires and a 16.8 percent increase in the number of acres burned due to wildfires,” said Chief Steven Sherman of the N.H. Forest Protection Bureau. “Many homes in New Hampshire are located in the wildland urban interface, which is the area where homes and flammable wildland fuels intermix. Every year New Hampshire sees fires that threaten or destroy structures, a constant reminder that wildfires burn more than just trees.”

To help raise awareness of both current wildfire conditions as well as the consequences of behaviors that increase wildfire risk, the N.H. Forest Protection Bureau has declared April 19-25 “Wildfire Awareness Week” statewide.

Wildfire season in New Hampshire begins in the spring, when the previous year’s foliage lies on the forest floor, grasses on lawns and in fields are still dry, and winds both dry out these fuels and feed wildfire. As landscapes “green up,” risk is reduced – but not eliminated.

“Spring is outdoor clean-up season for lots of us in New Hampshire and doing things like removing leaves and pine needles from roofs and gutters, making sure shrubs, woodpiles and other fuels are kept away from buildings, and – of course – always getting a fire permit before any outdoor burning, all go a long way to making sure wildfires don’t start and, if they do, that they’re more easily contained,” said N.H. Forest Ranger Katharine Baughman.

Under state law, anyone wishing to have an outdoor fire in New Hampshire, unless there is snow on the ground, must obtain a state fire permit in advance from the local fire department; they may also be obtained online at nhfirepermit.com. Permits are issued only on days when Daily Fire Danger conditions indicate that it is safe to burn.

“Open burning was the source of just about half of the wildfires whose causes were determined in 2025,” Forest Ranger Baughman continued. “People don’t realize that other behaviors – including equipment and vehicle use and even target shooting – can also cause wildfires, and that puts our landscapes, buildings, ourselves and the state’s forest products industry at risk.”

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