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August 22, 2024 - The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group moved to national preparedness level 4 this morning. While wildland fire activity continues across multiple 
Geographic Areas of the country, we have seen a notable decrease in initial attack and large fire growth in most of those areas over the last week. The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) has also seen a significant decrease in the ordering of all resource types and an increase in the availability of nationally shared resources for several days. Complex Incident Management Teams remain heavily engaged and over the next 48 hours. Some fires may see substantial large fire growth although mitigating weather conditions will occur in most of these areas over the weekend.
As of this morning, 53 large active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies nationwide. Current wildfires have burned 1,863,969 acres. Nearly 19,600 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to wildfires, including 21 complex and 2 Type 1 incident management teams, 455 crews, 823 engines, 101 helicopters, and four Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS.
Sixty fireline management personnel from Australia and New Zealand are assigned to support large fires in the Northwest Area. For more information about the mobilization of wildland firefighters from Australia and New Zealand visit the international support page.
Two hundred forty-five soldiers from the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion and the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment based out of Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) are deployed in support of wildland fire operations on the Boise National Forest. NIMO (Team 2) is assigned to support the military contingent. To learn more about military mobilizations, visit the military support page.
There are fuels and fire behavior advisories in place for Northwest Texas, Colorado's Front Range and Eastern Wyoming, Southwest Oregon, the region east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington, and California. Residents, travelers, or workers on their way to any of these states should be advised and familiarize themselves with the elevated risks.
Note: The current reporting from source data for year-to-date figures appears to be underreporting fire acreage in some geographic areas affecting the overall national statistics. Given the very high tempo and scale of national current fire activity, there will be delays in reconciling, especially from areas with large fires and dynamic fire activity. Adjustments may occur as the accuracy of fire locations, mapping and final fire reporting is reconciled.
Breezy and dry southwesterly winds amid RH of 3-15% and poor overnight recovery will continue across much of the Sierra Front into central/eastern Nevada, southern/central Idaho, Wyoming, and western Utah. The strongest winds are likely to shift eastward tomorrow with gusts of 30-50 mph possible in western Utah into much of Wyoming. High-risk significant potential is most likely in eastern Nevada into southern Idaho and western Wyoming where fuels are driest, while low potential remains in Utah due to recent precipitation. However, a few holdovers may emerge in Utah from the windy/dry conditions. Winds will be lighter in the Northwest into northern California as well, with temperatures near to below normal and RH above 20%, including inland areas. Another surge of monsoon moisture will move into Arizona with scattered to widespread wet thunderstorms. Isolated mixed wet/dry thunderstorms will continue across the southeastern half of Utah into the West Slope. Isolated to scattered wet/dry thunderstorms will continue across Montana as well, with increased initial attack likely to continue.
| Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk |
8 | States currently reporting large fires: |
| Total number of active large fires Total does not include individual fires within complexes. |
53 | |
| Acres from active fires | 1,863,969 | |
| Fires contained | 8 |
Year-to-date statistics
| 2024 (1/1/24-8/22/24) | Fires: 31,400 | Acres: 5,426,565 |
| 2023 (1/1/23-8/22/23) | Fires: 36,957 | Acres: 1,800,272 |
| 2022 (1/1/22-8/22/22) | Fires: 41,598 | Acres: 5,998,141 |
| 2021 (1/1/21-8/22/21) | Fires: 41,122 | Acres: 4,586,155 |
| 2020 (1/1/20-8/22/20) | Fires: 38,151 | Acres: 3,295,697 |
| 2019 (1/1/19-8/22/19) | Fires: 31,892 | Acres: 3,866,659 |
| 2018 (1/1/18-8/22/18) | Fires: 41,773 | Acres: 6,138,156 |
| 2017 (1/1/17-8/22/17) | Fires: 43,210 | Acres: 6,500,842 |
| 2016 (1/1/16-8/22/16) | Fires: 38,901 | Acres: 4,223,630 |
| 2015 (1/1/15-8/22/15) | Fires: 41,715 | Acres: 7,448,217 |
| 2014 (1/1/14-8/22/14) | Fires: 37,721 | Acres: 2,678,060 |
10-year average Year-to-Date
| 2014-2023 | Fires: 39,105 | Acres: 4,527,077 |
Source: NIFC
