US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update as of March 28

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that as of Friday, March 28, 26 large uncontained fires are currently being managed under full suppression strategies, with 22 located in the southern geographic area, three in the eastern geographic area, and one in the Rocky Mountain geographic area.

Evacuations are in effect on the Table Rock Complex in South Carolina and the Black Cove and Deep Woods Fires in North Carolina. The Fernadez Fire in Florida is currently the only large incident nationally being managed under a strategy other than full suppression.

The National Fire Preparedness Level remains at a 2 out of 5.

A fuels and fire behavior advisory has been issued for the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Foothills, which includes portions of eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, northwest South Carolina, and western North Carolina. This area has experienced unusually low relative humidity, resulting in critical fuel moisture levels; even the greening live fuels are burning aggressively with just a small amount of preheating. In addition, the area has high concentrations of larger fuels left by Hurricane Helene last year, which continue to dry aggressively.

According to the latest National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook, significant wildfire potential will be seen throughout most of Texas and parts of New Mexico and Arizona, and several southeastern states through March and into April.

Daily Statistics

As of Friday, there were a total of 26 large wildfires burning, with all but one being fought under full suppression strategies. Eleven wildfires are burning in Oklahoma; North Carolina has six; Florida reports three; West Virginia reports two; and Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee each have one.

There are a total of 62,977 acres burning, and only 6 of the 26 large wildfires are partially contained.

The updated year-to-date comparison is as follows:

• Year-to-date through March 28, 14,849 wildfires have been reported, and they have burned 707,228 acres.
• During the same period last year, 5,351 wildfires were reported, and they had burned 1,662,718 acres.
• The 10-year average (2015–24) for the same time period is 8,773 wildfires and 617,931 acres burned.