VIDEO/PHOTOS: Evidence found at the heart of centuries-old trees, in the stories of Indigenous peoples and yellowed journals and newspaper clippings bear record of the massive fires that ravaged landscapes across North America in the past.
But comparing those fires to modern day blazes such as the Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas in February isn't as simple as it sounds. Past records, when they're available, can be conflicting, haphazard and they rely on anecdotal observations or measurement techniques that may not be as precise as today.
Cowboys riding the range on horseback in the 1800s to measure a blaze isn’t quite the same as measuring by satellite the acres burned.
To develop a comprehensive list of the nation's biggest fires, USA TODAY combed through historical records from state and federal agencies and the Western Fire Chiefs Association and talked with several fire historians and experts.