Click Here for California Fires
August 28, 2024 - As of this morning, 48 large active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies nationwide. Current wildfires have burned 2,103,454 acres. 
About 17,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to wildfires, including 18 complex and one Type 1 incident management teams, 401 crews, 658 engines, 97 helicopters, and one Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS). Evacuation orders are in effect on seven fires.
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.
Late summer and fall are characterized by extremely dry fuels in many parts of the country, and several geographic areas continue to fight fires that threaten homes and present major challenges to containment. Even if temperatures are coming down in your area, maintain heightened awareness of any possible sources of ignition. Ensure your vehicle is in good working order and secure any chains or anything that could drag and spark. Planning a Labor Day camping trip? Commit to practicing excellent campfire and/or barbeque safety. Watch for sparks, embers, and wind, and make sure your fire or grill is cool to the touch before you walk away from it.
Note: Given the very high tempo and scale of national fire activity over the past few months, there have been delays in reconciling actual acreage burned with entries into the reporting systems, especially from areas with large fires and dynamic fire activity. Adjustments are occurring as the accuracy of fire locations, mapping and final fire reporting is reconciled.
An upper-level low will move into Montana and push a mainly dry cold front through the northern Great Basin, Montana, and Wyoming. Breezy westerly sustained winds of 15-30 mph with gusts 30-45 mph amid relative humidity of 10-25% will develop ahead of the front for the Inland Northwest and northern Great Basin into western Montana and Wyoming. Lighter winds are forecast across California into the central and southern Great Basin and Arizona with above normal temperatures and low relative humidity. Scattered, mainly wet, thunderstorms will develop in southeast Arizona into New Mexico in the monsoon plume, while above normal temperatures continue in the southern Plains and Southeast. Minimum relative humidity of 20-35% will continue in these areas, but is likely to be lowest in northern Alabama, Mississippi, and western Tennessee. Farther north, scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms will develop across much of the Great Lakes. National Predictive Services Outlook 6 Minutes for Safety: The 6 Minutes for Safety topic of the day is Helicopter Landing Area Safety.
| Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk |
1 | States currently reporting large fires: |
| Total number of active large fires Total does not include individual fires within complexes. |
0 | |
| Acres from active fires | 0 | |
| Fires contained | 1 |
Year-to-date statistics
| 2024 (1/1/24-8/28/24) | Fires: 32,905 | Acres: 6,401,345 |
| 2023 (1/1/23-8/28/23) | Fires: 39,044 | Acres: 1,972,850 |
| 2022 (1/1/22-8/28/22) | Fires: 0 | Acres: 6,127,402 |
| 2021 (1/1/21-8/28/21) | Fires: 42,301 | Acres: 4,886,419 |
| 2020 (1/1/20-8/28/20) | Fires: 39,455 | Acres: 3,939,281 |
| 2019 (1/1/19-8/28/19) | Fires: 32,887 | Acres: 3,997,591 |
| 2018 (1/1/18-8/28/18) | Fires: 43,264 | Acres: 6,508,602 |
| 2017 (1/1/17-8/28/17) | Fires: 45,828 | Acres: 6,805,947 |
| 2016 (1/1/16-8/28/16) | Fires: 39,734 | Acres: 4,465,987 |
| 2015 (1/1/15-8/28/15) | Fires: 43,396 | Acres: 7,825,559 |
| 2014 (1/1/14-8/28/14) | Fires: 38,236 | Acres: 2,709,690 |
10-year average Year-to-Date
| 2014-2023 | Fires: 40,898 | Acres: 4,852,383 |
Source: NIFC
