Click Here for California Fires
September 19, 2024 - As of this morning, 37,342 wildfires have burned 7,330,640 acres nationally. This compares to the 10-year average for this date of 44,762 fires and 5,861,095 acres. 52 large 
active wildfires are being managed with full suppression strategies nationwide. Current wildfires have burned 2,219,354 acres. More than 23,700 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents, including 22 complex and 3 type 1 incident management teams, 549 crews, 1,197 engines, and 140 helicopters.
If you know that you live in a fire-prone area, there are steps you can take to prepare for the scary situation of a threat to your community. Work with your neighbors to keep streets and roads clear, so fire engines can easily maneuver, and residents can evacuate swiftly if needed. Make sure fire hydrants are visible and accessible. Clear flammable vegetation around structures, on large lots, and along roadsides. Have an evacuation plan with your household, including what essential items you will take with you and where you will meet. Preparedness for fire emergencies is good citizenship and can also give you some peace of mind.
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 are reconciled.
An upper-level low will move slowly into southern California, with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms along the central Coast Ranges into the Sierra and central Nevada. Strong onshore flow will continue in southern California, with dry and breezy conditions in the Southwest. Above normal temperatures will continue in the Front Range onto the High Plains with minimum relative humidity of 8-25% along with locally breezy south winds. Relative humidity will be sharply lower across the Texas/Oklahoma panhandles tomorrow than previous days. Dry conditions with near normal temperatures and light winds will spread from the Northwest into the northern Great Basin and northern Rockies. Scattered showers will continue on the east slopes of the central Appalachians to the Carolinas. It will remain dry for the Great Lakes, northern New England, and Lower Ohio Valley, but moderation of relative humidity is likely to continue as minima remain above 30%, while scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected in the Mid/Upper Mississippi Valley.
| 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. |
52 | |
| Acres from active fires | 2,219,354 | |
| Fires contained | 1 |
Year-to-date statistics
| 2024 (1/1/24-9/19/24) | Fires: 37,342 | Acres: 7,330,640 |
| 2023 (1/1/23-9/19/23) | Fires: 43,244 | Acres: 2,197,812 |
| 2022 (1/1/22-9/19/22) | Fires: 51533 | Acres: 6,801,009 |
| 2021 (1/1/21-9/19/21) | Fires: 45,118 | Acres: 5,658,315 |
| 2020 (1/1/20-9/19/20) | Fires: 43,556 | Acres: 6,925,192 |
| 2019 (1/1/19-9/19/19) | Fires: 37,916 | Acres: 4,345,335 |
| 2018 (1/1/18-9/19/18) | Fires: 48,268 | Acres: 7,321,787 |
| 2017 (1/1/17-9/19/17) | Fires: 49,978 | Acres: 8,541,096 |
| 2016 (1/1/16-9/19/16) | Fires: 43,695 | Acres: 4,827,458 |
| 2015 (1/1/15-9/19/15) | Fires: 46,598 | Acres: 8,846,257 |
| 2014 (1/1/14-9/19/14) | Fires: 39,927 | Acres: 3,002,842 |
10-year average Year-to-Date
| 2014-2023 | Fires: 44,782 | Acres: 5,861,095 |
Source: NIFC
