US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for the Week Ending March 31st

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is reporting that as of Friday (3-31-23), wildfire activity is currently occurring in the Southern and Southwest US, with 18 large new fires underway. Active wildfires are burning on approximately 11,919 acres, with 15 of the 18 large wildfires contained.

Wildland firefighters and support personnel are working toward containment goals on eight large fires currently burning: one in Arizona, two each in Florida and North Carolina, and three burning in Oklahoma. The NIFC National Fire Preparedness Level is currently at a level 1 out of a possible 5.

The NIFC offers the following year-to-date comparison:

• Between 1/1/23 and 3/31/23, 7,776 wildfires have been reported and they have burned 123,470 acres.
• Between 1/1/22 and 3/31/22, 15,807 wildfires had been reported and they had burned 683,727 acres.
• The 10-year average (2013–22) for the same period is 9,838 wildfires and 486,968 acres burned. The current wildfire season is well below the 10-year average.

NIFC meteorologists continue to report that weather conditions in several parts of the US, albeit local, remain favorable for wildfire ignition or expansion. The ongoing change to more early spring-like weather patterns (rain and snow) continues to help suppress wildfires that are currently burning and prevent new wildfires from starting.