Click Here for California Fires
September 11, 2024 - As of this morning, active wildfires have burned 2,320,442 acres. 67 large active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies. 
Currently 24,518 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents, including 25 complex and 5 type 1 incident management teams, 519 crews, 1,496 engines, and 155 helicopters.
In the past 30 years, this is the 7 time that the nation has been at PL5 in mid-September. The 10-year average preparedness level for the month of September is PL3. While there is still a lot of room for year-to-year variation, this late-season PL5 is representative of longer, broader trends towards major fire activity occurring throughout more of the calendar, to the point where the term "fire year" is now being used instead of "fire season." Unusual fire conditions are driving an increased demand for resources. Even as we move towards fall, we can be extra vigilant with any possible sources of ignitions, at home, where we recreate, and especially with our cars, and prevent new fires from starting!
A huge thank you to the support staff that traveled around the planet from Australia and New Zealand to support U.S. firefighting efforts! The last members of these crews are returning to their home countries this week. For more information about international mutual aid on fires, 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.
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.
A deep upper-level trough will move into the Pacific Northwest. The cold front associated with this system will move into northern California, the Great Basin, and into the Northern Rockies through the day. Ahead of this front, very strong winds will develop over the Intermountain West, and especially across the Great Basin. Sustained west to northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected to develop by early afternoon. Gusts will be 30 to 45 mph, with localized gusts exceeding 50 mph or more exposed ridges and mountain passes from the Sierra through the Great Basin and along the Sierra Front. Relative humidity will drop to 5 to 25%, resulting in widespread critical fire weather conditions. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity are expected behind the cold front, along with wetting precipitation from the Cascades through much of Oregon into the northern Rockies. In the Southeast, winds will be increasing from Louisiana into Tennessee as Hurricane Francine approaches, with landfall expected in the afternoon. Wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph and relative humidity of 20 to 30% are expected in the Tennessee Valley, while the Louisiana coast sees hurricane force winds and heavy rain. Elsewhere in the east, temperatures will continue to increase as high pressure settles over the Great Lakes, with much of the eastern US likely to remain dry outside the effects of Francine.
| Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk |
6 | States currently reporting large fires: |
| Total number of active large fires | 67 | |
| Acres from active fires | 2,320,442 | |
| Fires contained | 5 |
Year-to-date statistics
| 2024 (1/1/24-9/11/24) | Fires: 36,398 | Acres: 6,975,735 |
| 2023 (1/1/23-9/11/23) | Fires: 42,124 | Acres: 2,197,243 |
| 2022 (1/1/22-9/11/22) | Fires: 49,753 | Acres: 6,675,569 |
| 2021 (1/1/21-9/11/21) | Fires: 44,263 | Acres: 5,534,720 |
| 2020 (1/1/20-9/11/20) | Fires: 41,954 | Acres: 5,668,127 |
| 2019 (1/1/19-9/11/19) | Fires: 36,286 | Acres: 4,251,444 |
| 2018 (1/1/18-9/11/18) | Fires: 47,391 | Acres: 7,167,127 |
| 2017 (1/1/17-9/11/17) | Fires: 48,318 | Acres: 8,179,441 |
| 2016 (1/1/16-9/11/16) | Fires: 42,369 | Acres: 4,754,962 |
| 2015 (1/1/15-9/11/15) | Fires: 45,236 | Acres: 8,617,473 |
| 2014 (1/1/14-9/11/14) | Fires: 39,228 | Acres: 6,402,906 |
10-year average Year-to-Date
| 2014-2023 | Fires: 43,555 | Acres: 5,528,784 |
Source: NIFC
