Firefighters are working to suppress and contain 70 large fires across the country, including 5 new large incidents since yesterday. 21,171 firefighters and support personnel are engaged in nationwide fire activity, including 478 crews, 1,161 engines, and 128 helicopters.
So far this year, 41,377 fires have burned more than 3.9 million acres across the United States. Red flag warnings are in place in several places, especially southern and central Oregon, and extreme heat warnings are in effect throughout the southern United States. The Northwest Geographic Area continues to pose special concern, with more heavy thunderstorm activity predicted today.
Two MAFFS C-130 airtankers and support personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve, CO) have been deployed to Klamath Falls, OR. One MAFFS C-130 airtanker and support personnel from the 153rd Airlift Wing (WY Air National Guard) has been deployed to San Bernardino, CA. One MAFFS C-130 airtanker and support personnel from the 146th Airlift Wing (CA Air National Guard) has been deployed to Santa Maria, CA to support wildland fire operations nationally.
The National Wildfire Coordination Group posts a daily “6 Minutes for Safety” topic, and today’s topic is the Elk Complex Helicopter Accident that occurred on this date in 2007, which took the life of the helicopter pilot. In the most intense part of the fire year, firefighters and support personnel are still encouraged to remember and gather lessons from past accidents, to keep situational awareness sharp even as the summer begins to feel long and grueling. Be safe out there!
Weather
Isolated to scattered wet and dry thunderstorms will develop across Washington and the Northern Rockies today as gusty west to southwest winds strengthen behind the activity over northern California and much of Oregon. Relative humidity will fall to 10–15% across the western Great Basin, southwestern Idaho, and southern Oregon, where temperatures will reach 5–10°F above normal, exceeding 100°F at lower elevations. Extreme heat will also expand across southern California and eastern Arizona as monsoonal thunderstorms shift eastward into the Four Corners, central Rockies, and Great Plains, where heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible across eastern Colorado and northeastern Kansas. Hot and dry conditions will also prevail from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes and across much of Texas and the southern Plains, except along the southeast Texas coast, where Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to make landfall this afternoon with sustained winds of 40–55 mph, heavy rain, and thunderstorms, while its moisture continues to support heavy rain and possible flash flooding across portions of the southern Mid-Atlantic, Carolinas, and Tennessee Valley. Farther east, hot, dry, and breezy conditions will persist across portions of the far southeastern United States.
Daily statistics
Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk
