Fire activity remains light across the country, with 98 new fires reported and four new large fires. Eight large fires are currently uncontained, and 770 personnel are assigned nationwide. Most of the ongoing activity is in the Southern Area, where recent fires have prompted a higher level of coordination and response.
When it comes to protecting homes and communities from wildfires, firefighters cannot do it alone. As more of us live in the urban interface where homes and communities meet the wildlands, wildfire prevention and protection become everyone’s responsibility. Simple Firewise steps can help you and your neighbors minimize your risk from wildfire and maximize your safety. Reduce your risks and help our firefighters by becoming fire adaptive and Firewise: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA. Learn about Fire Adaptive Communities here: http://fireadapted.org/
The 2026 National Fire Year Themes highlight safety for firefighters, support personnel, and the public. They emphasize working together across agencies, using new technology, understanding how homes and wildfires are connected, reducing smoke impacts, and making responsible choices when enjoying public lands.
Wildland fire careers combine service, teamwork and meaningful work protecting communities and public lands. Seasonal firefighter, fire support and leadership positions are now listed on USAJOBS. Search “firefighter” or “wildland fire” to see current opportunities.
Weather
An upper-level trough will move into the West this weekend, with precipitation spreading through the West Coast into the western Great Basin today. Precipitation will spread east into the northern and central Rockies while it continues along the West Coast this weekend. Breezy and dry southwesterly winds will precede the precipitation in the eastern Great Basin and central Rockies today with locally elevated conditions. Isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms will also develop today near the Continental Divide in the Southwest and be followed by breezy conditions this weekend. In the central and southern High Plains, isolated to scattered mainly wet thunderstorms will develop into Saturday, with breezy and very dry southwest winds expected Sunday, producing elevated to critical conditions for areas that receive little to no rainfall. Farther east, showers and thunderstorms will develop on the eastern Plains into the Great Lakes this weekend. Much of the Appalachians and Southeast will be dry through the weekend with low afternoon relative humidity of 15-30% and locally poor overnight recovery for mid-slopes and ridges in the Appalachians. A cold front will move through the Northeast today, with the best chance of rain in northern New England, with dry conditions persisting for the Mid-Atlantic. In Alaska, near normal temperatures will continue, with scattered light mixed precipitation moving through the southern two-thirds of the state. A cold front will finish moving through the Hawai’ian Islands today with areas of heavy rain for Maui and the Big Island and strong southerly winds for all islands. A brief break is expected tomorrow before more wet conditions return to the islands Sunday.
