US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for September 26, 2022

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported on Monday (9-26-22) that the total number of large wildfires and complexes currently burning in the US decreased from 95 to 89, with more than 898,732 acres across 7 different states currently burning. Two new wildfires have been reported within the past 24 hours.

There are now more than 8,900 wildland fire personnel assigned to these incidents across the US. The NIFC reports that National Fire Preparedness Level remains at a Level 3 out of a possible 5.

Most of the wildfire activity is now located in the state of Idaho, where there are currently 40 wildfires burning. There are 24 wildfires burning in Montana, 13 wildfires in Washington State, 6 wildfires in Oregon, 4 wildfires in California, and 1 wildfire each in Oklahoma and Wyoming. Of the 89 wildfires currently burning, only 2 have been partially contained, with one fully contained.

The current number of wildfires remains well in excess of the 2021 level, which up until now held the record high, and is more than double the 10-year average. The NIFC offers the following updated comparison:

• From 1/1/22 through 9/26/22, 52,708 wildfires have been reported and they have burned 6,850,045 acres.
• From 1/1/21 through 9/26/21, 45,849 wildfires had been reported and they had burned 5,822,863 acres.
• The 10-year average (2012–21) for the same time period is 44,692 wildfires having consumed 6,323,760 acres.

The NIFC says that more than 87% of the wildfires that have burned year-to-date in 2022 were human-caused, meaning they could have been prevented. People have caused, year-to-date, 45,952 wildfires that have burned 2,936,591 acres. The states with the most human-caused wildfires include California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Lightening has ignited 6,774 wildfires which have consumed 3,913,500 acres year-to-date.