Since yesterday, 124 new fires were reported nationwide, including six new large incidents. Currently, firefighters are working to suppress and contain 41 large fires across the country. Evacuations are in place on fires in three geographic areas. So far this year, 36,871 fires have burned nearly 3.3 million acres across the United States.
There are two active fuels and fire behavior advisories, covering the West Slope, Front Range, and southeast of Colorado, Southern Wyoming, Eastern Nevada, Utah, and the Arizona Strip. Those living in or traveling to these areas, including firefighters and support personnel, should be aware of the critically dry fuels conditions and potential for rapidly changing fire conditions.
Today is Day 6 of the National Wildland Fire Week of Remembrance, a time to honor those who have lost their lives in the line of duty while reflecting on lessons learned from serious incidents. Throughout the week, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group is highlighting incidents from the 2016 fire season. We invite everyone to follow along and learn more.
Our greatest shared resource is the air that we breathe. Smoke can even affect communities hundreds of miles away from active wildfires. Fire.airnow.gov is an excellent resource for monitoring air quality in your area and understanding where smoke impacts may be coming from. Limit your exposure to poor air quality by monitoring which times of day are worst and avoiding strenuous activity and limiting outdoor time during those windows.
Weather
Temperatures across the West will remain above normal, with minimum relative humidity 4-20%, lowest in the central and eastern Great Basin to the central Rockies west of the Divide. Isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms will develop over northeast California, southeast Oregon, and northwest Nevada, with a few ignitions likely. A few dry thunderstorms are possible overnight in the northern Great Basin. Isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms will also develop in the White Mountains of Arizona and Gila Mountains of New Mexico, with isolated wet thunderstorms southward to the Mexico border. Isolated mainly wet thunderstorms will develop along the Front Range into the central and southern High Plains. Hot temperatures will continue for one more day in the Carolinas, with isolated showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will also develop from the northern Gulf Coast and Florida northward into the Lower Great Lakes then east into the Mid-Atlantic. Near normal temperatures are expected in Alaska with isolated thunderstorms across the Interior, while breezy trade winds are expected in Hawai’i with isolated windward showers.
Daily statistics
Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk
Approximately three miles west of Darwin Ranch, near upper Gros Ventre Falls in the Gros Ventre Wilderness on the Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest (34 Miles NW of Cora, WY)
