Fire News

National Preparedness Level: 2 (On a scale from 1 to 5)

Northern California PL: 2

Southern California PL: 1

Smaller, local incidents are listed in the Happening Now section.

Current National Situation:

May 20, 2022 – Initial attack was light with 127 new fires reported. 6 new large fires reported and 6 large fires contained.

This report will post Monday – Friday while the National Preparedness Level is at 2 unless significant activity occurs. All active incidents will be updated in real-time.

Regional fires

California fires

Out of state fires

Map information provided courtesy of the UDSA Remote Sensing Application Center using data provided by the National Interagency Fire Center. The data is subject to change.

Weather Outlook

Deep upper troughing will continue across the Intermountain West into the northern Plains with strong upper ridging developing along the East Coast. A cold front will stall across the Four Corners but push south into the southern Plains and east into the Great Lakes. Very hot, record setting temperatures will continue across western and central Texas. Elevated to critical conditions will develop across much of eastern Arizona through New Mexico and into portions of central Texas where west to southwest winds 15-25 mph with gusts to 40 mph will coincide with RH of 5-15%. Pyrocumulonimbus are possible across any active fires across central Texas in the vicinity of the dry line as well. Breezy and dry north winds will continue across the Sacramento Valley of California today before decreasing overnight. Showers with isolated thunderstorms and mountain snow will move into the central Rockies with the heaviest precipitation likely over northern Colorado. Showers and scattered thunderstorms will develop ahead of the cold front and east of the dry line from central Texas north and east into the Great Lakes. Thunderstorms are forecast to become more numerous over central Florida with heavy rain possible.