Wildfire Report
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National Overview
The western U.S. remains under extreme fire conditions as the nation holds at Preparedness Level 5, with hundreds of active wildfires and dozens of large, uncontained incidents burning across the country. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho continue to carry the heaviest load, with more than half of all large fires concentrated in the Pacific Northwest. Minimum humidity values remain critically low — often in the single digits — supporting rapid fire spread and new ignitions. Large smoke plumes extend from Oregon into Idaho and western Montana, with additional smoke drifting into Wyoming and Colorado. Resource availability remains tight nationwide, and new large fires continue to ignite daily under hot, dry, and unstable conditions.
Washington
Washington reports numerous active fires, with several large incidents east of the Cascades producing heavy smoke across Okanogan County and the Columbia Basin. Hot, dry weather persists, with humidity dropping into the teens and breezy afternoon winds driving active fire behavior. Lightning remains a concern in northern and central Washington, where unstable air could trigger new ignitions. Smoke impacts continue across Spokane, Wenatchee, and Yakima, reducing visibility and degrading air quality. Red Flag conditions remain in place for parts of central and eastern Washington.
- Spokane — mid‑80s, smoke, breezy
- Wenatchee — upper‑80s, dry, haze
- Yakima — upper‑80s, dry, afternoon winds
Oregon
Oregon remains the nation’s wildfire epicenter, with multiple large fires producing massive smoke plumes and challenging containment efforts. Fire behavior remains extreme across Malheur, Wheeler, Harney, and Baker counties, where fuels are critically dry and winds increase through the afternoon. Red Flag Warnings remain active across multiple regions, and smoke continues to push east into Idaho and north into Washington. Lightning potential remains elevated across central Oregon, where unstable air could spark new ignitions.
- Bend — upper‑80s, dry, smoke
- Medford — low‑90s, haze, afternoon winds
- Pendleton — upper‑80s, breezy, smoke impacts
California
California reports dozens of active fires, though most remain small; large‑fire activity is lower than in the Northwest. Hot, dry weather persists across the Central Valley and Sierra foothills, with humidity dropping into single digits in some inland areas. Red Flag Warnings remain active in northern California, where dry lightning could spark new fires. Smoke from Oregon and Washington continues drifting south into northern California, affecting Redding, Chico, and the Sacramento Valley. Fire danger remains high statewide due to critically dry fuels and persistent heat.
- Redding — upper‑90s, smoke, dry
- Chico — mid‑90s, haze, breezy
- Grass Valley — upper‑80s, dry, lightning risk
Idaho
Idaho reports multiple active fires, with significant smoke intrusions from Oregon’s large incidents. The western half of the state remains under elevated fire danger, with hot, dry conditions and afternoon winds supporting active fire behavior. Several fires continue to burn in rugged terrain, complicating containment. Smoke impacts remain heavy across Boise, Lewiston, and the Clearwater Basin. Lightning potential increases across central Idaho through the afternoon.
- Boise — low‑90s, smoke, dry
- Lewiston — upper‑80s, haze, breezy
- Idaho Falls — mid‑80s, dry, isolated storms
Montana
Montana reports numerous active fires, with new large incidents emerging in recent days. Hot, dry weather continues across the state, with humidity values in the teens and breezy conditions driving active fire behavior. Smoke from Idaho and Oregon continues drifting into western Montana, affecting Missoula and Helena. Lightning remains a concern across central and eastern Montana, where instability increases through the afternoon. Fire danger remains high statewide.
- Missoula — mid‑80s, smoke, dry
- Helena — upper‑80s, haze, breezy
- Billings — upper‑80s, dry, isolated storms
Wyoming
Wyoming reports several active fires, with smoke from Montana and Idaho affecting visibility across the northern half of the state. Hot, dry, and breezy conditions persist, with humidity dropping into the teens and Red Flag Warnings active in multiple counties. Fire behavior remains elevated in grass and brush fuels, especially in central Wyoming. Lightning potential increases through the afternoon, raising the risk of new ignitions.
- Casper — low‑90s, dry, breezy
- Cheyenne — upper‑80s, dry, afternoon winds
- Sheridan — mid‑80s, smoke, dry
Nevada
Nevada reports a handful of active fires, but fire danger remains high due to extreme dryness and hot temperatures across the Great Basin. Smoke from Oregon and Idaho continues drifting into northern Nevada, affecting Elko and Winnemucca. Winds increase through the afternoon, raising concerns for rapid fire spread in open rangeland. Lightning potential remains elevated across eastern Nevada.
- Elko — upper‑80s, dry, smoke
- Winnemucca — upper‑80s, breezy, haze
- Reno — low‑90s, dry, afternoon winds
Utah
Utah reports multiple active fires and remains under hot, dry, and unstable conditions. Humidity values drop into the teens statewide, and winds increase through the afternoon, supporting active fire behavior. Smoke from Idaho and Nevada continues drifting into northern Utah, affecting Salt Lake City and Ogden. Lightning potential remains elevated across central Utah, where dry thunderstorms could spark new fires.
- Salt Lake City — low‑90s, haze, breezy
- Ogden — upper‑80s, smoke, dry
- St. George — mid‑90s, hot, dry
Colorado
Colorado reports several active fires, with hot, dry weather persisting across the Front Range and Western Slope. Smoke from Wyoming and Montana continues drifting into northern Colorado, affecting Fort Collins and Greeley. Winds increase through the afternoon, raising concerns for rapid fire spread in foothill terrain. Lightning potential remains elevated across the mountains, where dry thunderstorms could spark new ignitions.
- Denver — upper‑80s, dry, breezy
- Fort Collins — mid‑80s, smoke, haze
- Grand Junction — low‑90s, hot, dry
Arizona
Arizona reports multiple active fires, with hot, dry conditions dominating the state. Humidity remains low, and winds increase through the afternoon, supporting active fire behavior. Smoke from northern Arizona incidents continues affecting Flagstaff and Prescott. Lightning potential remains elevated across eastern Arizona, where instability increases through the afternoon.
- Flagstaff — mid‑80s, dry, smoke
- Prescott — upper‑80s, haze, breezy
- Tucson — upper‑90s, hot, dry
New Mexico
New Mexico reports numerous active fires, though most remain small; fire danger is high due to hot, dry conditions and breezy winds. Smoke from Arizona continues drifting into western New Mexico, affecting Gallup and Grants. Lightning potential remains elevated across central and eastern New Mexico, where dry thunderstorms could spark new fires. Humidity remains low statewide.
- Santa Fe — mid‑80s, dry, breezy
- Albuquerque — upper‑80s, haze, dry
- Gallup — mid‑80s, smoke, dry
Source: weatheronthisday.com/wildfires/active