BOISE, ID – As summer heat and dry conditions persist, fire officials are warning that wildfire season is far from over. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that much of the western United States is experiencing extreme fire danger, with low humidity, high temperatures, and dry lightning storms contributing to growing threats across the region.
Parts of Nevada, Utah, and eastern Idaho are seeing relative humidity drop into the single digits, creating volatile conditions. Breezy winds across areas of northern Arizona, eastern Utah, northwest Colorado, and southwest Wyoming are further elevating the fire risk.
Nationwide, more than 12,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are currently assigned to 40 large, uncontained fires. Two new large fires were reported just yesterday. Crews are working across multiple states to contain the blazes under increasingly difficult conditions.
“This time of year, a single spark can lead to big consequences,” officials said in a public advisory.
The agency urges everyone spending time outdoors to take precautions to avoid sparking new fires. Recommendations include checking local fire restrictions before lighting campfires, securing trailer chains to prevent sparks, and avoiding parking on dry grass. Visitors to public lands are encouraged to pack a shovel, extra water, and fire safety knowledge.
As of today, active large fires are burning in 12 states, with the highest numbers reported in Alaska (12), Washington (6), Arizona (5), Oregon (3), California (3), and Colorado (3). Idaho and Utah are each reporting two large fires. In total, wildfires have burned 700,463 acres.
The latest weather outlook offers little relief. Minimum relative humidity levels between 3% and 10% are forecast to continue across southern and eastern Nevada, eastern Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and the central and southern Rockies. Scattered thunderstorms—both wet and dry—are expected from northeast California into western Montana, with drier storms persisting overnight in eastern Oregon.
Elsewhere, hot temperatures continue across the Southeast, though higher humidity and lighter winds may reduce fire danger in that region. In Alaska, above-normal temperatures are returning, especially in the Yukon Flats, where the driest conditions are expected.