US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for February 20

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that as of Friday, February 20, 515 new fires were reported during the week, including 26 large new incidents. Sixteen large fires remain uncontained, while 14 are partially contained.

The National Fire Preparedness Level remains at 1 out of 5.

Wildland firefighters continue to face challenging conditions in the Southern area, where wind-driven grass and brush fires in Oklahoma and Texas have challenged crews and threatened structures. NIFC noted that while some parts of the country are experiencing snow and cooler temperatures, other regions are seeing dry grasses, gusty winds, and periods of elevated fire behavior.

Daily Statistics

As of Friday, there are 41 large wildfires or emergency responses ongoing. Only 19 are partially contained.

Oklahoma leads with 18 active fires; Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas each have one.

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

• Year-to-date through February 20, 6,902 wildfires have been reported, burning 305,062 acres.
• During the same period last year, 3,959 wildfires were reported, burning 87,873 acres.
• The 10-year average 2015–24 for the same period is 3,504 wildfires and 71,556 acres burned.