Wildfire Activity Moderates Across West Amid Nationwide Fall Suppression and Prescribed Burning

National wildland fire preparedness stands at Level 2 with nine uncontained large fires burning across the country, as season-to-date activity remains substantially above the ten-year average for both fire starts and burned area. Resource demands are highest in Southern California, while initial attack activity remains light across most other geographic regions.

Significant Fires

• Dome Fire (California) — Burning in Yosemite National Park north of Wawona, the fire grew in rugged terrain while crews and mule pack teams reinforced containment lines. Glacier Point Road and nearby trail corridors remain closed due to active operations and smoke, with the cause under investigation.
• Sisi Fire (Washington) — Located northwest of Stehekin in Chelan County, the fire flared up in the Moon Creek drainage during gusty winds, requiring helicopter water drops to protect nearby structures.
• Bouquet Fire (California) — Burning in chaparral northeast of Santa Clarita in the Angeles National Forest, crews significantly expanded control lines under unseasonably hot conditions.
• Bull Fire (Nevada) — Crews secured containment lines and mopped up interior hot spots north of Verdi along the state border. All community evacuation warnings have been lifted, though adjacent forest closures remain active.
• Timber Fire (California) — The fire is contained along the Big Sur coast in the Los Padres National Forest as personnel scale back operations. Crews and tribal specialists continue suppression-repair work across sensitive cultural sites.
• Harford Fire (California) — Firefighters rapidly engaged and suppressed a fast-moving brush fire near Perris in Riverside County.

Conditions and Outlook

Unseasonable heat and low humidity persist across California and the Desert Southwest through Friday, with heat advisories and excessive heat warnings in effect across interior and coastal valleys. Moderate fire potential continues along the Sierra Front before windier conditions elevate risk by the weekend, while fire weather across the Pacific Northwest remains generally low.

Burn Bans and Land Management

Prescribed underburns and pile burning operations are active or planned across Washington, Colorado, South Dakota, and Arizona, while localized ignitions were postponed in northern New Mexico due to weather parameters.

What Residents Should Do

• Never fly civilian drones anywhere near active wildfires, as unauthorized flights immediately ground emergency firefighting aircraft.
• Monitor local air quality and smoke dispersion through the EPA AirNow Fire and Smoke Map before heading outdoors.
• Follow county emergency management channels and forest closure orders when traveling near active fire perimeters.