National Fire News

National Preparedness Level 1 

as of October 13, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. MDT (on a scale from 1 to 5)

Current hours for the National Fire Information Center are
(MST) 8:00 am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday
208-387-5050

This report will be updated on Fridays.
Please check the IMSR for more information.

March 15, 2024

14 new large fires were reported this week, 6 of which have already been 100% contained. New uncontained fires remain in Kentucky, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, with several Oklahoma fires threatening residences. Containment on the Smokehouse Creek and Windy Deuce Fires in the Texas panhandle has increased significantly and fire behavior in that area is currently reported as minimal. 

A Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory has been issued for a large area of the southern Great Plains encompassing northwest Texas, western Oklahoma, southwest Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and far eastern New Mexico.  The advisory highlights the conditions that contributed to the outbreak of recent fires in the high plains of Texas and adjacent areas of the southern plains, which continue to pose a risk for ongoing fires and new ignitions. In addition to unusually warm temperatures and dry conditions, compounded by seasonal and storm winds, the grass and other herbaceous fuel loading is greater than normal due to abundant growth during 2023's wet growing season. Visit the NICC fuels/fire danger webpage for more information. 

Visit the NIFC website prevention page to learn how you can plan and prepare for wildfires and prevent unwanted human-caused fires: https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/fire-prevention-education-mitigation.

    Weather

    An upper low will bring widespread showers, with snow above 6,000 to 8,000 feet, to much of the Southwest, southern Great Basin, and Colorado Rockies through early next week. Offshore winds in California will become light, but dry conditions will continue there through early next week as well. High pressure aloft will bring above normal temperatures to the northern half of the West this weekend through mid-next week. A slow-moving cold front will bring widespread moderate to heavy rain to south and central Texas and the Gulf Coast this weekend, while lighter precipitation, with a period of drier conditions to the southern Appalachians and Southeast through mid-next week. Fast-moving cold fronts are expected for the Great Lakes, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic keeping temperatures near to below normal, but any precipitation will be light. Late next week, Pacific storms will begin to affect the northwestern US, but much of the northern Plains into the northern Great Lakes will remain dry. A warming trend is forecast for much of Alaska the next week, especially the western Interior, while relatively dry trade winds are forecast for Hawai’i through mid-next week. 

    Daily statistics
    Number of new large fires or emergency response
    * New fires are identified with an asterisk
    14 States currently reporting large fires:
    Number of active large fires
    Total does not include individual fires within complexes.
    9
    Acres from active fires 147,115
    Fires contained 19
    Year-to-date statistics
    2024 (1/1/24-3/15/24) Fires: 4,093 Acres: 1,409,885
    2023 (1/1/23-3/15/23) Fires: 5,908 Acres: 76,910
    2022 (1/1/22-3/15/22) Fires: 12,301 Acres: 312,083
    2021 (1/1/21-3/15/21) Fires: 6,917 Acres: 142,700
    2020 (1/1/20-3/15/20) Fires: 4,864 Acres: 103,407
    2019 (1/1/19-3/15/19) Fires: 2,883 Acres: 53,747
    2018 (1/1/18-3/15/18) Fires: 8,713 Acres: 287,630
    2017 (1/1/17-3/15/17) Fires: 10,608 Acres: 2,059,102
    2016 (1/1/16-3/15/16) Fires: 6,248 Acres: 279,367
    2015 (1/1/15-3/15/15) Fires: 6,827 Acres: 104,029
    2014 (1/1/14-3/15/14) Fires: 8,316 Acres: 103,721
    10-year average Year-to-Date
    2014-2023 Fires: 7,180 Acres: 302,516
    Current Wildfires
    Fires: 0
    Acres: 0
    New: 0
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    Aubrey
    Edit
    Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - Northwest District
    Edit
    ST 3,875 100 Six miles west of Seligman, AZ  
    Fires: 0
    Acres: 0
    New: 0
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    Boggsville
    Edit
    Bent County Office
    Edit
    CNTY 1,084 100 Two miles south of Las Animas, CO  
    Fires: 0
    Acres: 0
    New: 0
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    Brushy Crossing
    Edit
    National Forests in Florida
    Edit
    USFS 2,215 100 Twelve miles north of Sumatra, FL  
    Fires: 1
    Acres: 143
    New: 3
    Contained: 2
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    * Irishman Creek Road
    Edit
    Kentucky Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 143 10 Started on private land four miles southeast of Hindman, KY  
    * Problem
    Edit
    Kentucky Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 106 100    
    * Whetstone Road
    Edit
    Kentucky Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 370 100    
    Fires: 0
    Acres: 0
    New: 0
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    Snake Trail
    Edit
    Fort Lewiston Area, MN DNR   1,594 100 Three miles northeast of Waseca, MN  
    Fires: 0
    Acres: 0
    New: 1
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    * Otter Road
    Edit
    Rosebud County
    Edit
    ST 2,323 100    
    Fires: 0
    Acres: 0
    New: 0
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    Betty’s Way
    Edit
    Nebraska Forest Service
    Edit
    ST 69,810 100 Three miles northwest of Stapleton, NE  
    Fires: 6
    Acres: 2,720
    New: 9
    Contained: 10
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    * Brooken 1
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 511 80 Twenty-five miles northeast of McAlester, OK  
    * Brooken 2
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 142 80 Thirty miles northeast of McAlester, OK  
    * Hog Trap
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 170 70 Three miles south of Leach, OK  
    * Lamar Castle
    Edit
    Okmulgee Field Office
    Edit
    BIA 896 60 One mile west of Lamar, OK  
    * North Beaver
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 674 90 Seven miles northwest of Beaver, OK  
    * Spent
    Edit
    Cherokee Nation Tribe
    Edit
    BIA 327 20 Nine miles south of Jay, OK  
    Arkoma
    Edit
    Okmulgee Field Office
    Edit
    BIA 395 100 One mile southwest of Hanna, OK  
    Catesby
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 89,688 100 Four miles south of Catesby, OK  
    Clyne
    Edit
    Okmulgee Field Office
    Edit
    BIA 260 100 Six miles southeast of Stroud, OK  
    Concharty Church
    Edit
    Okmulgee Field Office
    Edit
    BIA 599 100 Ten miles west of Haskell, OK  
    Cooper
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 2,412 100 Five miles west of Fort Supply, OK  
    * Persimmon Creek
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 315 100    
    Runaway Hollow
    Edit
    Cherokee Nation Tribe
    Edit
    BIA 126 100 Six miles southwest of Jay, OK  
    Slapout
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 26,020 100 Six miles west of Laverne, OK  
    * Spring Creek
    Edit
    Oklahoma Division of Forestry
    Edit
    ST 150 100 Five miles southeast of Horntown, OK  
    * Wild Onion
    Edit
    Okmulgee Field Office
    Edit
    BIA 245 100    
    Fires: 1
    Acres: 144,045
    New: 0
    Contained: 1
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    Windy Deuce
    Edit
    Texas A & M Forest Service
    Edit
    ST 144,045 94 Started on private land six miles east of Masterson, TX  
    Grape Vine Creek
    Edit
    Texas A & M Forest Service
    Edit
    ST 34,883 100 Started on private land one mile north of Stinnett, TX  
    Fires: 1
    Acres: 207
    New: 1
    Contained: 0
    Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
    * Barlow Canyon
    Edit
    Crook County
    Edit
    CNTY 207 95 Twelve miles west of Huellet, WY