US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for the Week Ending November 4th

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that fifteen large new wildfires were reported during the week ending last Friday (11-4-22), and wildland firefighters have been able to contain most of them. Currently there are two large wildfires that have burned more than 127,000 acres in Oregon and Tennessee. About 330 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to these incidents.

The NIFC National Fire Preparedness Level has been lowered to a level 1 out of a possible 5, as the wildfire season finally concludes.

As the see wildfire season draws to a close, the number of wildfires reported this year speak for themselves—not only year-over-year but also when compared to the 10-year average.

• Between 1/1/22 through 11/07/22, 60,647 wildfires have been reported and they have burned 7,227,371 acres.
• Between 1/1/21 through 11/07/21, 48,804 wildfires had been reported and they had burned 6,532,204 acres.
• The 10-year average (2012–21) for the same time period is 49,303 wildfires having consumed 6,795,763 acres.

NIFC meteorologists continue to report that weather conditions in several part of the US, albeit local, still remain favorable for wildfire ignition or expansion. Meteorologists say that the continued change to more late fall weather pattern (rain and snow) continues to help suppress wildfires that are currently burning, and at the same time are helping to prevent new wildfires from starting.