Across the United States, 102 wildfires are burning a total of 2 million acres

Across the United States, 102 large active wildfires are being managed with a total of 2,033,289 acres burning.

The situation is particularly severe in California, where the largest wildfire has rapidly expanded, posing a threat to thousands of homes as firefighters work tirelessly to contain it. Other states in the Pacific Northwest are also grappling with significant blazes, exacerbated by dry conditions and occasional lightning strikes.

Fire managers are using full suppression strategies on 95 of these wildfires.

The National Interagency Fire Center announced that wildfire risk has pushed national resources to the highest preparedness level, trending earlier than the two previous years.

The NIFC is the nation’s center for wildland fires, and it operates on five levels of preparedness based on the risk of fires.

Compared to previous years, this would be considered early in the season. In 2020, the NIFC announced the level 5 status on August 19 and it did not reach level 5 in 2023.

Levels depend on the resources available locally and if national support is deemed necessary, meaning level 5 is the highest need for support from national services.

A workforce of 26,020 wildland firefighters and support personnel are currently assigned to wildfires nationwide. This includes 30 complex and 5 Type 1 incident management teams, 569 crews, 1,510 engines, numerous aviation resources, and four Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS).

Extreme fire behavior is being reported in multiple geographic areas, with evacuation orders in effect for 21 wildfires. The Park Fire near Chico, CA, expanded by 57,775 acres yesterday. Residents in evacuated areas should follow local authorities’ instructions for the latest recommendations and safety measures.

Fuels and fire behavior advisories are in place for Southwest Oregon, regions east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington, Nevada, Southern Idaho, Utah, and California. Residents and travelers to these states should be aware of the elevated risks.

The National Interagency Coordination Center’s predictive services staff released the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for July through October. More information can be found on the NICC website.

For specific fire information, InciWeb provides public information on federally managed incidents. In California, incidents may also be listed by CALFIRE. Many jurisdictions use social media for updates. Ready.gov offers advice on preparing for wildfires and evacuations. Information on smoke impacts is available at fire.airnow.gov.

An upper-level low along the California coast is moving north and east into the northern Great Basin today, bringing isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms to northern Utah and southeast Idaho.

Similar conditions will develop this afternoon across northeast Nevada, northern Utah, southeast Idaho, southwest Montana, and Wyoming. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible in northwest Nevada, southeast Oregon, and southwest Idaho. Wet thunderstorms are expected in southeastern Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Hot, dry, and breezy conditions will impact southern California, southern Nevada, northwest Arizona, and Utah ahead of a cold front, with relative humidity expected to fall near or below 10%. Southwesterly winds in these areas may gust to 30-50 mph.

Dense smoke could limit visibility and air quality in northeastern California, areas east of the Cascades, and portions of the northern Great Basin and northern Rockies.

Wet weather will continue across the Southeast and Gulf Coast, while high pressure brings relief to the Carolinas and southern Appalachians. Alaska is expected to remain cool and wet, and dry trade winds will diminish slightly in Hawai’i.

Currently, Alaska has 1 fire burning 577 acres; Arizona has 4 fires covering 8,519 acres; California has 14 fires affecting 295,046 acres; Idaho has 10 fires spanning 45,882 acres; Montana has 1 fire over 2,660 acres; Nevada has 2 fires totaling 10,552 acres; New Mexico has 2 fires burning 6,637 acres; Oregon has 37 fires covering 1,017,474 acres; Utah has 5 fires affecting 25,065 acres; Washington has 9 fires burning 169,936 acres; and Wyoming has 1 fire spanning 8,028 acres.