US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for August 29, 2022: No New Fires

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported on Monday (8-29-22) that the total number of large wildfires and complexes currently burning in the US has been further reduced to 42, with more than 300,226 acres across 9 different states currently burning. In the past 24 hours, no new wildfires have been reported.

Most of the wildfire activity is now located in the state of Idaho, where there are currently 14 wildfires burning. There are 10 wildfires burning in Montana, 6 wildfires in Oregon, 5 wildfires in California, and 3 wildfires in Washington State. There is one wildfire currently burning in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Utah. The NIFC is reporting that none of 42 wildfires currently burning have been even partially contained.

The current number of wildfires continues to be well above the 2021 level, which up until now held the record high level, and is more than double the 10-year average. The NIFC offers this simple comparison as an example:

• From 1/1/22 through 8/29/22, 47,918 wildfires have been reported and they have burned 6,127,402 acres.
• From 1/1/21 through 8/29/21, 42,423 wildfires had been reported and they had burned 4,903,822 acres.
• The NIFC notes that the 10-year average (2012–2021) for the same time period is 40,298 wildfires which had consumed 5,210,325 acres.

NIFC meteorologists today are predicting temperatures across the West will climb to between 80 and 100 degrees. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible in the northern Sierra into northeast California and northwest Nevada today. Hot, dry, and unstable conditions are expected across much of the west coast and parts of the Great Basin and Northern Rockies areas— all of which will increase the potential for additional wildfire activity during the week. On the other hand, NIFC meteorologists are predicting isolated thunderstorms over the higher terrain in the Southwest and southern Colorado, but most moisture and thunderstorm chances will shift east across the southern Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Southeast. Strong to severe thunderstorms are likely from Michigan into the Mid-Mississippi Valley, which in turn will greatly reduce potential wildfires in those areas.