Firefighters are working to suppress and contain 92 large fires across the country, including 9 new large incidents since yesterday. 25,244 firefighters and support personnel are engaged in nationwide fire activity, including 558 crews, 1,525 engines, and 156 helicopters.
So far this year, 42,651 fires have burned more than 4.5 million acres across the United States. Fire activity continues to be elevated in the Northwest Geographic Area, with 48 uncontained large fires and 19 Complex Incident Management Teams committed in Oregon and Washington.
The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) at the National Interagency Fire Center mobilized 74 fire management specialists from Australia and New Zealand to support ongoing wildfire suppression operations across the Pacific Northwest. The specialists will provide 30 days of operational support under longstanding bilateral arrangements for international wildfire assistance that have been in effect since 2002. This year’s mobilization is particularly noteworthy as it includes a 15-person Incident Management Team that will be assigned to the Castle Fire near Milo, Oregon, on the Umpqua National Forest. The team will integrate with U.S. personnel to support command and control, planning, logistics, operations, and safety oversight.
With fire activity remaining elevated across much of the country, everyone has a role in reducing the risk of new wildfire starts. Many wildfires are human-caused and preventable. Before heading outdoors, check local fire restrictions, fully extinguish campfires until they are cool to the touch, avoid parking vehicles on dry grass, and never discard cigarettes from a vehicle. If towing a trailer, ensure safety chains are secured and not dragging, as sparks can ignite roadside vegetation. Taking a few simple precautions can help protect communities, firefighters, and natural resources during this active fire season.
Weather
Breezy west winds 10-20 mph with gusts 20-30 mph will develop across the Columbia Basin and northeast Washington amid RH of 15-25% creating areas of elevated conditions, primarily through the Cascade gaps. Temperatures will be cooler today and closer to normal in the northern half of the West, while temperatures remain slightly above normal in the Southwest and minimum relative humidity remains very low at 4-12% in Nevada to southwest Idaho. Smoke will still affect many areas in the northern half of the West but be less than the past two days. Isolated wet thunderstorms will develop in the Southwest today, with scattered showers and thunderstorms develop in the Colorado Rockies east of the Divide into the central Plains. Farther east, another day of breezy south winds, low relative humidity, and hot temperatures will support locally elevated fire weather conditions across the southern High Plains. Hot conditions will continue in the Lower Mississippi Valley and into the Southeast, while isolated showers and thunderstorms develop in South Georgia and Florida. Widespread wetting rain will fall in the Northeast, with the rain heaviest near the Catskills where flooding is possible. Increased winds are expected near the Hawai’i as Tropical Storm Fausto passes to the north of the islands. National Predictive Services Outlook (7-Day Significant Fire Potential Outlook) National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center: Fire Weather Outlook Map and discussion National Weather Service: Fire Weather Hazards Map National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Center: National Forecast Chart and Short Range Forecast Discussion 6 Minutes for Safety topics can be found here.
Daily statistics
Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk
