Wildfire is a coupled Earth-system hazard shaped by fuels, weather, terrain, ignition, ecosystems, smoke, infrastructure, and human decisions. This evidence-first guide explains combustion, fuel moisture, fire ecology, lightning and human ignitions, wind and drought, extreme fire behavior, satellite and field detection, fire-weather products, incident command, mapping, evacuation terminology, smoke and AQI, cleaner indoor air, accessible household and community planning, the home ignition zone, pets and livestock, utilities, insurance documentation, disaster assistance, post-fire floods and debris flows, recovery, prescribed fire, cultural burning, and the dated 2026 U.S. season. It emphasizes official updates, early evacuation, uncertainty, and clear limits on medical, engineering, legal, insurance, and tactical advice. wildfires, fire weather, smoke, AQI, evacuation, defensible space, InciWeb, recovery
