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August 18, 2023 - Fourteen new large fires were reported yesterday, four in California, three in Montana, two in Texas and Alaska, Colorado and Washington each had one. Currently 92 wildfires have burned more than a half million acres in 14 states. Nearly 11,900 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents across the United States.
More than 35,700 wildfires have burned 1,699,381 acres since January 1, 2023. This is below the 10-year average of 38,042 wildfires and 4,523,391 acres burned. Hot and dry conditions will continue in many states over the weekend. Wildland firefighters need your help to prevent wildfires. Please do your part by checking for fire restrictions before visiting your favorite place on our public lands. Know before you go and always recreate responsibly.
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.
Slight cooling is expected over the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and much of the Great Basin. However, it will remain warm and dry, and winds will also increase through the Cascade Gaps and Northern Rockies. Minimum relative humidity will fall to 10% to 25% over a wide area, poor recoveries will continue for many mid-slope and higher locations, and temperatures will still reach 90 to 100°F in many of those areas. Another round of mixed wet and dry thunderstorms is expected over northern California, where it will remain dry and a little breezier, while a mainly dry day is expected in southern California. Isolated mixed wet and dry thunderstorms are also likely in portions of southern and eastern Oregon, southern and central Idaho, and southern Montana into western Wyoming. An active monsoon will lead to continued wet thunderstorms across the Four Corners states, minus New Mexico which will be mostly dry. Hot and dry weather will continue over Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Warming is also expected over the Plains states along with gusty south winds, while the Great Lakes area will be breezy but cooler. Showers and thunderstorms are likely for the Northeast, while the mid-Atlantic and Southeast will trend drier but also cooler. Temperatures will remain near to below normal in most of Alaska with showery weather in northern and western portions of the state.
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. |
92 | |
Acres from active fires | 551,320 | |
Fires contained | 6 |
Year-to-date statistics
2023 (1/1/23-8/18/23) | Fires: 35,702 | Acres: 1,699,381 |
2022 (1/1/22-8/18/22) | Fires: 42,995 | Acres: 5,951,890 |
2021 (1/1/21-8/18/21) | Fires: 40,848 | Acres: 4,296,943 |
2020 (1/1/20-8/18/20) | Fires: 37,098 | Acres: 2,623,190 |
2019 (1/1/19-8/18/19) | Fires: 30,531 | Acres: 3,735,833 |
2018 (1/1/18-8/18/18) | Fires: 41,094 | Acres: 5,845,320 |
2017 (1/1/17-8/18/17) | Fires: 42,506 | Acres: 6,389,877 |
2016 (1/1/16-8/18/16) | Fires: 38,236 | Acres: 4,057,474 |
2015 (1/1/15-8/18/15) | Fires: 41,194 | Acres: 7,163,248 |
2014 (1/1/14-8/18/14) | Fires: 36,829 | Acres: 2,591,941 |
2013 (1/1/13-8/18/13) | Fires: 31,394 | Acres: 3,255,214 |
10-year average Year-to-Date
2013-2022 | Fires: 38,042 | Acres: 4,523,391 |
Source: NIFC