National Preparedness Level: 1 (On a scale from 1 to 5)
Northern California PL: 1
Southern California PL: 1
This report will be every Friday unless significant activity occurs.
Smaller, local incidents are listed in the Happening Now section.
Current National Situation:
May 3, 2024 – Initial attack was light with 582 new fires reported. 8 new large fires reported and 9 large fires contained.
| This week | Year to date | 10-yr average |
| Fires: 582 Acres: 4,179 | Fires: 12,693 Acres: 1,833,012 | Fires: 16,750 Acres: 800,104 (2014 – 2023 as of today) |
Regional fires
| Incident Name | State | Lead Agency | Size (acres) | Percent Contained | Estimate of Containment | Personnel | Structures Destroyed |
| Ridgewood | CA | NEU | 1.5 | May 3, 2024 | 60+ | 0 | |
| Pendola 2024 | CA | TNF | 18 | 100% | April 21, 2024 | 50+ | 0 |
California fires
| Incident Name | State | Lead Agency | Size (acres) | Percent Contained | Estimate of Containment | Personnel | Structures Destroyed |
| Smith River Complex | CA | SRF | 95,107 | 95% | Nov. 15, 2023 | 40 | 7 |
Out of state fires
Map information using data provided by the National Interagency Fire Center. The data is subject to change.
Weather Outlook
A slow-moving cold front is forecast to move from the Lower Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes to the East Coast through Saturday with showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of the front. Another cold front will move south on the Plains this weekend, with showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rain over much of central Texas and Oklahoma, while lighter precipitation is forecast for the Mississippi Valley and central Plains, then gradually south and east to the East Coast and Southeast next week. However, much of Florida will receive little if any precipitation, with minimum relative humidity below 40% at times.
A deep, strong, and slow-moving upper low will move into the Northwest today, then through much of the West this weekend into early next week. Widespread moderate precipitation is forecast across the northern two thirds of the West, with snow levels 4,000 to 6,000 feet, and heavier rain/snow likely in the Cascades and northern Sierra. Windy conditions will develop across much of the Intermountain West this weekend into early next week, but be mitigated by higher RH, periods of precipitation, and green-up. However, the Southwest will be considerably drier, with minimum relative humidity of 5-25% Sunday and Monday, with elevated to critical conditions likely along and east of the Divide in New Mexico. Downslope winds are forecast off the Alaska Range into portions of the Interior this weekend, with above normal temperatures.