National Fire News

October 12, 2024

With the nation currently at preparedness level 5, the highest level, wildland firefighters across the West continue to manage wildfires in multiple states. Federal resources are also supporting the many communities in North Carolina who were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and prepositioning and responding to Hurricane Milton, currently impacting communities in Florida. 

The wildland fire community in the U.S. is a world-class emergency response force, trained not just to fight massive wildfires, but also to support response efforts in any kind of disaster. Federal employees are working beside state, local and Tribal partners to provide resources and assistance for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Currently, complex incident management teams (IMTs), saw modules, interagency hotshot crews, and others are assisting efforts in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida.

One of the many tasks of IMTs is to handle the logistics of bringing in supplies, store and stage those supplies, and get them out to the people that need them. This includes life essentials such as food, water, and ice.

The saw modules and hotshot crews bring their expertise with chainsaws and other heavy equipment to clear and open roadways for emergency responders, and to help companies access power lines.

From the National Interagency Fire Center, our thoughts are with those affected by these unprecedented events, as well as those that are anxious for the wellbeing of their loved ones in these areas. We thank everyone working tirelessly to support communities and each other in the face of these disasters. 

Wildland fire activity continues in 11 states where 29 large active wildfires have burned 1,248,060 acres. More than 13,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents, including 19 complex incident management teams, 208 crews, 560 engines, and 113 helicopters. 

A fuels and fire behavior advisory has been reissued for the Great Basin area. The fire environment across nearly all of the geographic area has returned to unusually high fire danger as persisting hot and dry conditions have resulted in critically low fuel moisture levels. The flammability of Great Basin fuels has been demonstrated daily with the aggressive fire behavior on existing large fires in western Wyoming, central/southern Idaho, northern Nevada, and northern Utah.  For more information visit the National Interagency Coordination Center Predictive Services fuels and fire behavior page.