as of October 10 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 is currently updated on Fridays.
Please check the IMSR for more information.
December 19, 2025
As the calendar moves toward the close of the year, national wildland fire activity remains low, a welcome pause for much of the country. The National Preparedness Level remains at 1, reflecting light activity and strong initial attack success nationwide. Between Dec. 12 and Dec. 18, firefighters responded to 340 new fires, the vast majority of which were quickly contained, underscoring the effectiveness of rapid response even outside the peak fire year.
While fire activity is quiet, the all-hazard mission continues. A Complex Incident Management Team from the Northwest was mobilized to Mount Vernon, Washington, to support widespread flooding, a reminder that wildland firefighters and incident management teams bring critical skills that extend well beyond fire response.
Weather patterns continue to shape regional risk. Strong downslope winds and very low humidity along the Front Range may elevate fire danger in parts of the Plains, while a series of atmospheric rivers is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding, and mountain snow to California and portions of the Great Basin. Even in December, changing weather patterns can quickly influence fire potential, reinforcing the importance of year-round awareness and preparedness.
As the holidays approach, this quieter moment offers a chance to reflect and say thank you. Thousands of wildland firefighters, dispatchers, aviation specialists, meteorologists, analysts, logisticians, and support personnel have spent countless hours this year protecting communities, infrastructure, and the public lands we all value. Whether responding to fires, floods, or other emergencies, their work continues through every season.
From all of us, we wish you a safe, peaceful, and fire-safe holiday season.
Strong downslope westerly winds will develop along the Front Range today, bringing critical conditions as relative humidity falls to 10-20%. Elevated conditions due to breezy southwest winds are expected across southern Plains today, as well. Stronger westerly winds are expected across the southern High Plains tomorrow for critical conditions. Overall, much of the Plains will remain dry with well above normal temperatures for the next week, with another period of strong winds bringing elevated to critical conditions mid- next week. Mixed precipitation will fall in the Northeast today as a cold front moves off the coast, with lake effect snow continuing in the Great Lakes through tomorrow. Much of the eastern US will then be drier except for a cold front bringing scattered light showers to the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. A series of atmospheric rivers will move into California over the next week, with heavy rain, areas of flooding, and high elevation snow. Moderate precipitation will spread into much of the Great Basin, with snow levels averaging 6,000 to 7,000 feet. Periods of lighter precipitation will fall across the Northwest and northern Rockies, with cooler temperatures bringing average snow levels down to 3,000 to 5,000 feet. Much of the Southwest will remain dry until precipitation reaches Arizona late next week. Much of Alaska will remain very cold for the next week, with localized strong northerly winds continuing in south-central Alaska, especially this weekend. Heavier showers are expected over the western islands today, with trade winds and drier conditions expected to return this weekend.
| Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk |
4 | States currently reporting large fires: |
| Total number of large fires | 1 | |
| Acres from all active large fires | 12,000 | |
| Fires contained | 3 |
| 2025 (1/1/25-12/19/25) | Fires: 72,478 | Acres: 5,018,106 |
| 2024 (1/1/24-12/19/24) | Fires: 51,170 | Acres: 8,675,397 |
| 2023 (1/1/23-12/19/23) | Fires: 54,695 | Acres: 2,634,713 |
| 2022 (1/1/22-12/19/22) | Fires: 65,658 | Acres: 7,454,101 |
| 2021 (1/1/21-12/19/21) | Fires: 57,624 | Acres: 7,129,171 |
| 2020 (1/1/20-12/19/20) | Fires: 57,264 | Acres: 10,267,206 |
| 2019 (1/1/19-12/19/19) | Fires: 49,215 | Acres: 4,576,321 |
| 2018 (1/1/18-12/19/18) | Fires: 55,137 | Acres: 8,567,663 |
| 2017 (1/1/17-12/19/17) | Fires: 60,971 | Acres: 9,547,475 |
| 2016 (1/1/16-12/19/16) | Fires: 62,485 | Acres: 5,640,528 |
| 2015 (1/1/15-12/19/15) | Fires: 60,167 | Acres: 9,861,399 |
| 2015-2024 | Fires: 57,741 | Acres: 7,395,742 |
Alabama
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Cave Mountain | National Forests in Alabama | USFS | 780 | 100 |
Colorado
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * 33 | Yuma County | CNTY | 12,000 | 90 | West of Cortez, Colorado. Near the Colorado - Utah Boarder | |
| * CR L | Yuma County | CNTY | 2,000 | 100 |
Wyoming
| Fire | Unit | Agency | Size | % Ctn | Location | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Terry Ranch | Laramie County | CNTY | 565 | 100 |
