As of this morning, 11 large wildfires are active nationally. Current fires have burned 474,763 acres. About 2,215 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents, including 2 complex incident management teams, 38 crews, 208 engines, and 21 helicopters. Wildland firefighters and support personnel continue to assist with hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina.
Did you know that in October, five unauthorized drone incursions were reported on wildfires around the country? These incursions caused air operations to be shut down four times. So far in 2024, 30 drone incursions have been reported. This is the most incursions in the past eight years.
The safety of our pilots and wildland firefighters and support personnel on the ground are our top priority. Many of our aerial support resources fly as low as 150 feet above the ground and it is imperative that if you keep drones away from wildland fires. Please Know Before You Fly and help keep all of our wildland fire personnel safe. Learn more about drone incursions by checking out the infographic on the NIFC website.
Building a home in or bordering the wildlands may mean fewer neighbors, but keeping such homes safe from wildfire requires special attention to landscaping. The primary goal is to reduce flammable vegetation for at least 30 feet around your home, so that continuous fuels would not carry an approaching fire to your door. Carefully space trees and low growing plants and plant fire-resistant shrubs and flowers. Consider including non-flammable objects such as rocks in your landscape design. Create walkways and separate your barbeque area. Firewise landscaping adds beauty and safety to your wildland home. Your local garden center is a good resource for firewise landscaping suggestions specific to your area.
Weather
A strong cold front will move south through the Intermountain West as a deep trough drops south along the west slope of the Rockies. Scattered showers will develop near and behind the front across the eastern Great Basin and northern and central Rockies, with snow levels falling to 3,000 to 5,000 feet. The front will be dry as it moves through northern California and the Sierra, with breezy north to northeasterly offshore winds developing in the afternoon and overnight. Winds are likely to be strongest overnight with gusts to 60 mph in favored canyons of the Sierra and in the Bay Area. Poor overnight relative humidity recovery with the winds will result in elevated fire weather conditions. Much of the Plains will be drier today while widespread wetting rain falls along a cold front from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Lower Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. Scattered thunderstorms are likely in the Lower Mississippi Valley, as well. Well above normal temperatures are forecast in the Mid- Atlantic and Northeast with breezy southerly winds gusting to 30 mph, although minimum relative humidity will remain somewhat elevated and above 35%.
Daily statistics
Number of new large fires or emergency response * New fires are identified with an asterisk
1
States currently reporting large fires:
Total number of large fires under full suppression strategies
