National Fire News

National Preparedness Level 3

as of September 9, 2026 at 7:30 a.m. MDT (on a scale from 1 to 5)

Current hours for the National Interagency Fire Center are
(MST) 8:00 am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday

This report is currently updated Monday to Friday.
Please check the IMSR for more information.

September 16, 2026

Yesterday, 60 new fires were reported nationwide, including nine new large incidents. Firefighters are currently working to contain 61 uncontained large fires across the country. National Preparedness Level remains at 3, with more than 11,500 personnel assigned to incidents nationwide.

The Southern Area is the highest-priority Geographic Area, with nine new large incidents and 15 uncontained large fires. Several fires are experiencing extreme fire behavior, with structures threatened and evacuations in effect. In the Rocky Mountain Geographic Area, there are five uncontained large fires and generally moderate to minimal fire behavior.

Hot, dry conditions continue across the southern Plains today, with temperatures near 100°F, breezy winds and relative humidity as low as 15%.

Each year, thousands of fires in the United States are caused by people. Major causes of these fires include loss of control of debris burning, unattended or unextinguished campfires, and sparks or heat transfer from vehicles and equipment like chainsaws or recreational vehicles. Become a part of the solution by going to extra mile to be fire safe on our public lands. Recreate Responsibly: Wildfire Edition 

Weather

Hot temperatures will continue across the southern Plains today with highs near 100°F, with locally breezy southerly winds 12-20 mph and higher gusts amid minimum relative humidity of 15-25%, focused over central Texas. Hot temperatures will also spread northeastward into the Mid-Mississippi and Lower Ohio Valleys. Widespread showers and thunderstorms will develop in the Southwest and Four Corners today, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in Utah to western Colorado. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will develop with an upper-level low in northern California into southern Oregon and central Idaho, as well, while south winds 15-20 mph amid relative humidity of 10-15% develop across Nevada creating areas of elevated conditions. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will also develop along a weak front from the central Plains to the Lower Great Lakes. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will continue across Florida as well as the northern Gulf Coast. 

Daily statistics
Number of new large fires or emergency response 
* New fires are identified with an asterisk		 9 States currently reporting large fires:
Total number of large fires 61
Acres from all active fires 2,459,142 
Fires contained 3
Year-to-date statistics
2026 (1/1/26-9/16/26) Fires: 56,042 Acres: 8,514,803
2025 (1/1/25-9/16/25) Fires: 49,806 Acres: 4,382,993
2024 (1/1/24-9/16/24) Fires: 37,133 Acres: 7,303,867
2023 (1/1/23-9/16/23) Fires: 42,629 Acres: 2,190,125
2022 (1/1/22-9/16/22) Fires: 51,036 Acres: 6,787,052
2021 (1/1/21-9/16/21) Fires: 44,898 Acres: 5,549,094
2020 (1/1/20-9/16/20) Fires: 42,512 Acres: 6,927,327
2019 (1/1/19-9/16/19) Fires: 37,274 Acres: 4,343,273
2018 (1/1/18-9/16/18) Fires: 47,861 Acres: 7,245,601
2017 (1/1/17-9/16/17) Fires: 49,588 Acres: 8,464,280
2016 (1/1/16-9/16/16) Fires: 43,225 Acres: 4,780,262
10-year average Year-to-Date
2016-2025 Fires: 44,446 Acres: 5,786,645 
Current Wildfires

Alabama

Fires: 0
Acres: 0
New: 0
Contained: 1
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Ray Coaker Alabama Forestry Commission ST 707 100 Thirteen miles southwest of Deer Park, AL  

Arkansas

Fires: 1
Acres: 1,950
New: 1
Contained: 1
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
* Bunker Arkansas Forestry Commission ST 1,950 30 Two miles east of East Camden, AR  
West Glover Ouachita National Forest USFS 499 100    

California

Fires: 4
Acres: 67,146
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Lucas Sonoma-Lake Napa Unit ST 4,128 40 Ten miles north of Upper Lake, CA  
MP18     7,599 98 Two miles north of Hoopa, CA  
Plaskett Los Padres National Forest USFS 29,993 89 34 miles South of Big Sur, CA 805-257-9891
Timber Los Padres National Forest USFS 25,426 44 Approximately 4 miles southeast of Big Sur, California 831-285-7006

Colorado

Fires: 4
Acres: 117,425
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Aspen Acres Custer County CNTY 102,004 82 10 miles northwest of Rye, CO 719-269-8500
Elk Grand Mesa USFS 7,257 73 7 miles northwest of Lake City, Colorado 970-299-5357
Swiss Roll San Juan National Forest USFS 775 0 Pagosa Springs, CO 970-501-0261
Willow Pike and San Isabel National Forest USFS 7,389 80 6 miles west of Leadville, CO 719-486-0749

Florida

Fires: 1
Acres: 932
New: 1
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
* Blue Lake Florida Forest Service ST 932 90 Five miles west of Fellsmere, FL  

Idaho

Fires: 7
Acres: 34,139
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Cascade Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forests USFS 7,475 70 Nineteen miles east of Lowell, ID 208-935-6134
Crooked Boise National Forest USFS 10,081 95 14 miles northeast of Idaho City Idaho, along the North Fork of the Boise River 208-264-4469
Doublesprings Salmon-Challis National Forest USFS 1,779 60 Thirty-one miles northwest of Mackay, ID  
Moose Mountain Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forests USFS 5,832 90 27 Miles NE of Pierce, ID 208-935-6134
Parker Lake Idaho Panhandle National Forest USFS 1,531 0 Long Creek Canyon 20 miles NW of Bonners Ferry, ID in the Kootenai River Valley. 208-557-8813
Silver Idaho Panhandle National Forest USFS 2,593 30 Southeast side of Silver Dollar Peak near Roman Nose 208-557-8813
Upper Smith Idaho Panhandle National Forest USFS 4,848 41 Six miles West of Porthill, Idaho 208-557-8813

Montana

Fires: 9
Acres: 86,828
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Bobcat Lakes Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest USFS 10,896 72 12 miles east of Wisdom 406-420-1966
Camp Creek Flathead National Forest USFS 9,725 0 Twenty-five miles northeast of Seeley Lake, MT 520-282-0436
Cooper Bitterroot National Forest USFS 176 0 Twenty-two miles southwest of Conner, MT  
Davis Coulee Crow Agency BIA 15,470 0 Nine miles southwest of Crow Agency, MT  
Moose Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest USFS 6,005 15 24 miles southwest of Philipsburg 406-683-3920
Nature Grove Bitterroot National Forest USFS 1,422 0 13 miles east of Hamilton south of Highway 38 406-420-3096
Sand Creek Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest USFS 35,520 58 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom, Montana (406) 420-1966
Scimitar Bitterroot National Forest USFS 334 0 Twenty-nine miles southwest of Conner, MT  
Silvertip Flathead National Forest USFS 7,280 15 Thirty miles northeast of Condon, MT 406-758-5376

New Mexico

Fires: 3
Acres: 17,070
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Frijoles Santa Fe National Forest USFS 15,956 74 Steep terrain 5 miles west of Sierra Mosca, 3 miles southeast of Cundiyo, NM. The fire is within the boundaries of the Pecos Wilderness Area. (505) 407-5343
Monument Capitan District ST 572 90 Seven miles south of Tinnie, NM  
Whiskey Cibola National Forest USFS 542 48 15 Miles NW of Mountainair, NM 505-230-5424

Oklahoma

Fires: 6
Acres: 7,642
New: 2
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
* Atoka Lake Oklahoma Division of Forestry ST 727 50 Two miles northeast of Atoka, OK  
Black Kettle Oklahoma Division of Forestry ST 1,526 50 Four miles southeast of Roll, OK  
* Calvary Creek Oklahoma Division of Forestry ST 815 5 Four miles east of Rocky, OK  
Gracemont Anadarko Agency BIA 3,000 0 Six miles east of Binger, OK  
Meers Anadarko Agency BIA 914 95 Eight miles northwest of Meers, OK  
Tram Trail Oklahoma Division of Forestry ST 660 30 Six miles northeast of Rattan, OK  

Oregon

Fires: 7
Acres: 565,691
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Austin Mt. Hood National Forest USFS 12,844 77 25 Miles SE of Estacada, OR 541-982-5802
Grasshopper Mt. Hood National Forest USFS 93,974 98 14 miles SW of Dufur, OR 541-982-5802
Hagen Umatilla National Forest USFS 61,381 87 26 Miles East of Pendleton, OR 541-970-7128
McCully Wallowa-Whitman National Forest USFS 13,604 91 22 miles northwest of Baker City, Oregon 541-523-6391
Paradise Umatilla National Forest USFS 9,656 86 18 Miles E of Milton-Freewater, Oregon 541-970-7128
Rowe Creek Complex Prineville District BLM 373,927 99 10 Miles S of Fossil, OR 541-800-1280
The Narrows Mt. Hood National Forest USFS 305 98 Fifteen miles southeast of Estacada, OR  

Texas

Fires: 7
Acres: 112,852
New: 5
Contained: 1
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Arrowhead Texas A & M Forest Service ST 700 0 Approximately 9 miles southwest of Henrietta, Texas 979-255-0591
* Bundy Texas A & M Forest Service ST 446 75 Ten miles southeast of Telegraph, TX  
* Dry River Texas A & M Forest Service ST 3,500 0 6 miles southwest of Sonora, Texas 979-255-0591
* Hydra Texas A & M Forest Service ST 1,000 10 Approximately 6 miles south of Meridian, Texas 979-255-0591
Ross Texas A & M Forest Service ST 90,400 93 Approximately 1 miles west of Palo Pinto, Texas 979-255-0591
Star Lake McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge FWS 16,412 70 Sixteen miles southeast of Stowell, TX  
* Upton 3 Texas A & M Forest Service ST 394 90 Approximately 16 miles southwest of Christoval, Texas 979-255-0591
* Elm Creek Texas A & M Forest Service ST 737 100 Approximately 4 miles northeast of Mart, Texas 979-255-0591

Utah

Fires: 1
Acres: 4,774
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Slough Canyon Uintah and Ouray Agency BIA 4,774 75 41 Miles E of Price, UT 435-459-0935

Washington

Fires: 10
Acres: 397,533
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Border 2 North Cascades National Park NPS 8,171 73 20 Miles NE of Marblemount, WA  
Electric Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest USFS 495 90 7 Miles N of Marblemount, WA 360-800-5889
Goat Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest USFS 815 22 15 Miles N of Ronald, WA  
King Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest USFS 3,298 0 7 Miles NE of Snoqualmie Pass, WA (509) 213-5294
Little Giant Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest USFS 172,705 81 30 miles NW of Leavenworth, WA 509-776-6953
Luna North Cascades National Park NPS 7,879 34 10 Miles North of Newhalem, WA  
Ptarmigan Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest USFS 25,166 73 20 Miles NW of Mazama, WA 509-215-8214
Sinlahekin Northeast Region-Department of Natural Resources ST 166,000 81 12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA 509-287-4942
Sisi Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest USFS 3,449 5 10 miles northwest of Stehekin, WA 509-776-6953
Three Queens Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest USFS 9,555 20 6 Miles E of Snoqualmie Pass, WA 509-213-5294

Wyoming

Fires: 1
Acres: 7,304
New: 0
Contained: 0
Fire Unit Agency Size % Ctn Location Information
Moonshine High Desert District BLM 7,304 51 17 Miles SW of Wheatland, WY (307) 295-2770

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