as of October 10, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. MDT (on a scale from 1 to 5)
Current hours for the National Fire Information Center are
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208-387-5050
This report is currently updated on Fridays.
Please check the IMSR for more information.
January 16, 2026
Fire activity across the country remains light, and the National Preparedness Level is 1, reflecting a time of lower overall demand on national firefighting resources. Over the past week, firefighters responded to 255 new fires, the vast majority of which were caught early through quick initial attack. While nine new large fires were reported, seven have already reached full containment, leaving three uncontained large fires nationwide.
Most current fire activity is centered in the Southern Area, where dry fuels and strong, shifting winds have driven grass and timber fires in parts of Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Fires such as the Calf Fire in Oklahoma and the Shell Creek Fire near Henryetta were pushed by wind and required a fast, coordinated response to protect nearby values at risk. These incidents serve as a reminder that even in winter, fire behavior can change quickly when weather and fuels align.
Elsewhere, fire activity remains minimal, with many geographic areas reporting little to no active incidents. Year to date, the nation has recorded 1,623 fires burning approximately 14,948 acres, well below the 10-year average for this point in the year. While the numbers are low, fire does not follow the calendar, and January continues to demonstrate why preparedness is a year-round effort.
Today’s 6 Minutes for Safety topic focuses on fatigue and stress, an important reminder even during slower periods. Lower activity levels provide an opportunity for rest, training, and reflection, but fatigue can still accumulate during extended shifts, long travel days, or off-season project work. Taking care of ourselves and looking out for one another remains a core part of keeping firefighters and support personnel safe.
Are you or someone in your life interested in working in wildland fire in 2026? Numerous seasonal firefighting jobs, fire support jobs, and leadership positions are currently open on USAJobs, the federal government employment portal. Search "firefighter" or "wildland fire" to see what's available.
Strong upper-level ridging will continue across the West into early next week with above normal temperatures except for valleys where strong inversions persist. A strong cold front will move through Texas and the Appalachians today and off the East Coast tomorrow, with strong and dry northerly winds behind it bringing elevated to critical conditions to much of the southern Plains today and for the northwest Gulf Coast tomorrow. A second Arctic cold front will follow this weekend with much colder air behind it for the Midwest. The fronts will be relatively dry with only light precipitation for much of the Southeast, Appalachians, and East Coast, with mixed precipitation and snow from the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic northward. Locally heavier snow will fall downwind of the Great Lakes. The pattern will change the latter half of next week as the western ridge weakens with colder temperatures and light precipitation for the northern half of the West late next week. The eastern US will also warm with widespread rain possible for the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley late next week, falling as mixed precipitation on the northern extent. Strong southerly flow will move into Alaska with warming temperatures this weekend and heavy snow for much of the southern half of the state, with localized blizzard conditions.
| Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk |
9 | States currently reporting large fires: |
| Total number of large fires | 3 | |
| Acres from all active large fires | 15,575 | |
| Fires contained | 7 |
| 2026 (1/1/26-1/16/26) | Fires: 1,623 | Acres: 14,948 |
| 2025 (1/1/25-1/16/25 | Fires: 859 | Acres: 34,452 |
| 2024 (1/1/24-1/16/24) | Fires: 346 | Acres: 1,171 |
| 2023 (1/1/23-1/16/23) | Fires: 641 | Acres: 6,298 |
| 2022 (1/1/22-1/16/22) | Fires: 613 | Acres: 14,762 |
| 2021 (1/1/21-1/16/21) | Fires: 514 | Acres: 13,763 |
| 2020 (1/1/20-1/16/20) | Fires: 582 | Acres: 13,007 |
| 2019 (1/1/19-1/16/19) | Fires: 270 | Acres: 2,341 |
| 2018 (1/1/18-1/16/18) | Fires: 1,034 | Acres: 7,403 |
| 2017 (1/1/17-1/16/17) | Fires: 494 | Acres: 9,174 |
| 2016 (1/1/16-1/16/16) | Fires: 187 | Acres: 549 |
| 2016-2025 | Fires: 514 | Acres: 9,501 |
Georgia
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Hwy 125 | Georgia Forestry Commission | ST | 191 | 97 | Four miles northwest of Nashville, GA | |
| * Blackston | Georgia Forestry Commission | ST | 218 | 100 |
Kentucky
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Clay Fork Road | Kentucky Division of Forestry | ST | 377 | 100 | ||
| Hopkins Fork | Kentucky Division of Forestry | ST | 236 | 100 | Started on private land 11 miles south of Pikeville, KY |
Oklahoma
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Calf | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | ST | 14,210 | 65 | Four miles northeast of Stuart, OK | |
| * Shell Creek | Okmulgee Field Office | BIA | 1,174 | 0 | Eleven miles southeast of Henryetta, OK | |
| * August Creek | Oklahoma Division of Forestry | ST | 219 | 100 | ||
| * Midnight | Cherokee Nation Tribe | BIA | 688 | 100 | ||
| * Turkey | Okmulgee Field Office | BIA | 411 | 100 |
South Carolina
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Ridley | Francis Marion & Sumter National Forests | USFS | 481 | 100 |
