<p>In recent years, the United States has experienced a series of natural hazards that resulted in significant loss of life and property. A growing body of scholarship has examined the role of personal disaster experience in climate change communication. Yet, the evidence for the relationship between personal experience and climate change engagement has been mixed. To clarify this literature, we explore if, when, and how personal wildfire experience sounds the alarm on climate change using a cross-sectional online survey of adults (<i>N</i> = 529) in the Western United States. Findings demonstrate that personal experience with wildfires is indirectly associated with climate change engagement via negative emotions and psychological distance of wildfire. Our study improves the understanding of the complex relationships between personal wildfire experience and climate change, suggesting that highlighting links between climate change and wildfire may have various meanings depending on individuals’ political orientation and subjective knowledge.</p>