BOISE, ID – As July comes to a close, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports that while the number of wildfires across the U.S. is higher than average this year, the total acreage burned remains below the 10-year average. Officials credit fast, coordinated firefighting efforts and the dedicated work of wildland crews for keeping the damage in check.
Currently, 36 large fires are burning across ten states, with active incidents reported in Alaska (11), Arizona (6), Colorado (4), Idaho (4), California (3), New Mexico (2), Utah (2), Wyoming (2), Nevada (1), and Oklahoma (1). These fires have collectively burned over 722,000 acres.
Only one large fire was reported contained as of the latest update. Three new large fires or emergency responses were identified.
Fire behavior is expected to remain elevated in several regions due to a combination of dry fuels, gusty winds, and isolated thunderstorms—some of which may produce little to no rainfall. Today’s weather forecast highlights very dry conditions across central Nevada, southeast Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and parts of the West Slope, where relative humidity levels are expected to drop to 4–15%. In east-central Nevada and western Utah, winds could reach 30–40 mph.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms—both wet and dry—are forecast through Friday across a broad region including northern California, the Great Basin, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Elsewhere, the monsoon moisture system is slowly progressing westward, bringing some relief through wet thunderstorms in southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Meanwhile, the central Plains and Great Lakes are expected to see potentially severe weather, while conditions remain cool and damp in Alaska and breezy and dry in Hawai’i.
One often overlooked wildfire risk emphasized by the NIFC is parking or driving on dry grass. The heat from a vehicle’s exhaust system or catalytic converter can easily ignite the grass below. Officials urge the public to park only on gravel or pavement and avoid stopping over vegetation.
