# Bigger and more-frequent wildfires threaten water supplies across the US

Source: [Conservation news](https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/bigger-and-more-frequent-wildfires-threaten-water-supplies-across-the-us/) · 2026-11-13 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/bigger-and-more-frequent-wildfires-threaten-water-supplies-across-the-us-30ab4bad9f26cebb
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A record number of wildfires in the U.S. this year burned more than 14,062 square miles.
- The fires affected streams and rivers that supply drinking water to urban and rural communities.
- The article reports on impacts on water supplies that are less visible than charred trees and scorched vegetation.

## Why it matters

Wildfire effects on rivers and streams extend beyond burned land, touching the drinking water supply of communities, which matters for water managers and researchers studying fire and hydrology.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-13: Conservation news article reports record wildfire burn area and impacts on water supplies

## Coverage

- [Bigger and more-frequent wildfires threaten water supplies across the US](https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/11/bigger-and-more-frequent-wildfires-threaten-water-supplies-across-the-us/) — Conservation news, 2026-11-13

Tags: wildfire, water supply, watersheds, drinking water, climate impacts

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science