Firefighters are working to suppress and contain 90 large fires across the country, including 10 new large incidents since yesterday. 25,310 firefighters and support personnel are engaged in nationwide fire activity, including 565 crews, 1,501 engines, 141 helicopters, and 27 complex incident management teams.
So far this year, 42,157 fires have burned more than 4 million acres across the United States.
The wildland fire community continues to mourn the loss of firefighter Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who died Friday from injuries sustained while responding to the Knowles Fire in western Colorado on June 27. Nate had been receiving medical care for burn injuries sustained during the incident. Nate was a dedicated member of the Rifle Helitack crew out of Colorado and was one of five firefighters involved in a burnover during initial attack operations. Three firefighters – Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson – died at the scene. Please keep Nate’s family and the wildland fire community in your thoughts. Information regarding memorial services for Nate will be released at a later date.
*Note: Due to a technical issue, some of the statistics on this site may be temporarily incorrect. We apologize for the delayed update and correct the issue as soon as possible.
Weather
Widespread elevated to critical conditions will develop again today across the Inland Northwest into the northern Rockies and northwestern Great Basin today from westerly winds 15-25 mph with gusts 25-35 mph amid relative humidity of 5-20%. These breezy and dry conditions will spread into the central Great Basin later today, as well. Hot temperatures near 100°F will continue in much of the Great Basin, central Rockies, and northern Rockies east of the Divide with low afternoon humidity. Isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms will develop across southern Montana and Wyoming this afternoon capable of several new ignitions. Hot and dry conditions are expected in much of central and southern California, while isolated wet monsoon thunderstorms are expected in the Southwest, with mixed wet and dry thunderstorms in Colorado.
Farther east, breezy conditions and low relative humidity and hot temperatures will support elevated fire weather conditions across the southern High Plains as relative humidity falls as low as 15%. In Minnesota, breezy southerly winds will develop but relative humidity is higher near 40%, with isolated to scattered wet thunderstorms developing overnight. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop in the Great Lakes to the Southeast, with scattered to numerous wet thunderstorms in Florida likely to temporarily ease conditions there.
Daily statistics
Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk
