Click Here for California Fires
August 17, 2023 - This morning, the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group increased our National Preparedness Level to Preparedness Level 4 (PL4). This is due to significant wildland fire activity in multiple Geographic Areas with the potential for additional large wildland fires. More than 20 Incident Management Teams are managing wildfires in several geographic areas. The National Interagency Coordination Center is working closely with Geographic Area Coordination Centers to coordinate and fill orders for #FirefightingResources.
More than 10,600 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents nationwide. Eleven new large fires were reported yesterday, six in California and Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Montana and Washington each had one. Eleven new large fires and complexes have burned 515,705 acres in 14 states.
A Type 1 incident management team is mobilizing to Hawaii to assist with wildfire suppression efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to work closely with state and local agencies on Maui. For more information, please visit the following websites:
- County of Maui Disaster Update
- Hawaii Emergency Management Agency emergency proclamation relating to wildfires and travel to Maui
- FEMA - Hawaii wildfires
The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook and other valuable resources are available on the National Interagency Coordination Center website. Listen to the latest wildland fire potential outlook and the monthly seasonal outlook podcast for August through November.
Hot, dry, and unstable conditions will continue across the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and much of the Great Basin, with little change from prior days. Minimum relative humidity will again fall to 10-25% over a wide area, with poor recoveries for many mid-slope and higher locations, and temperatures of 95 to 110°F will be common. A notable increase in winds is also anticipated in the Northern Rockies and through the Cascade Gaps. Hot weather will extend into northern California where another round of isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms is expected and could lead to a few new ignitions. Isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms are also likely in portions of Oregon and southern Idaho. An active monsoon will lead to continued wet thunderstorms across southern California and much of the Four Corners states. Hotter and drier weather is expected over Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, while the remainder of the Plains states and the Midwest will see a cooling trend. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely for a good portion of the Great Lakes and the East Coast. It will be mainly dry and breezy over Interior Alaska, but temperatures will be generally near to below normal.
Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk |
10 | States currently reporting large fires: |
Number of active large fires Total does not include individual fires within complexes. |
87 | |
Acres from active fires | 515,705 | |
Fires contained | 3 |
Year-to-date statistics
2023 (1/1/23-8/17/23) | Fires: 35,382 | Acres: 1,679,776 |
2022 (1/1/22-8/17/22) | Fires: 20,408 | Acres: 5,939,335 |
2021 (1/1/21-8/17/21) | Fires: 40,681 | Acres: 4,092,772 |
2020 (1/1/20-8/17/20) | Fires: 36,734 | Acres: 2,547,153 |
2019 (1/1/19-8/17/19) | Fires: 30,395 | Acres: 3,716,127 |
2018 (1/1/18-8/17/18) | Fires: 40,880 | Acres: 5,766,333 |
2017 (1/1/17-8/17/17) | Fires: 42,235 | Acres: 6,371,233 |
2016 (1/1/16-8/17/16) | Fires: 38,010 | Acres: 3,954,866 |
2015 (1/1/15-8/17/15) | Fires: 40,998 | Acres: 7,074,492 |
2014 (1/1/14-8/17/14) | Fires: 36,742 | Acres: 2,587,164 |
2013 (1/1/13-8/17/13) | Fires: 31,121 | Acres: 3,184,437 |
10-year average Year-to-Date
2013-2022 | Fires: 37,808 | Acres: 4,478,104 |
Source: NIFC