National Preparedness Level: 1 (On a scale from 1 to 5)
Northern California PL: 2
Southern California PL: 2
This report will be every Friday unless significant activity occurs.
Smaller, local incidents are listed in the Happening Now section.
Current National Situation:
November 17, 2023 – Initial attack was light with 567 new fires reported. 29 new large fires reported and 46 large fires contained.
| This week | Year to date | 10-yr average |
| Fires: 567 Acres: 3,325 | Fires: 52,331 Acres: 2,585,100 | Fires: 52,313 Acres: 6,698,397 (2013 – 2022 as of today) |
Regional fires
| Incident Name | State | Lead Agency | Size (acres) | Percent Contained | Estimate of Containment | Personnel | Structures Destroyed |
| Buttermilk and Fawn | CA | NEU | 4 | Aug. 30, 2023 | 80+ | 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
Low pressure will move into the West Coast today and tomorrow with widespread light to moderate rain and high elevation snow. Light precipitation will spread across the Intermountain West this weekend as the low pressure moves inland. Drier conditions are forecast for much of the West next week, with a weak to moderate Santa Ana event likely for southern California Monday and Tuesday, but precipitation late this week will moderate the conditions. A cold front will move from the Appalachians to the East Coast today into tomorrow with light to moderate rainfall, but little rain is forecast east of the central and southern Appalachians. Very dry post-frontal conditions with minimum relative humidity as low as 15% will develop this weekend, and breezy conditions on the east side of the Appalachians tomorrow will create areas of elevated to locally critical conditions. More substantial relief is forecast mid-next week due to widespread rainfall with another cold front, but a brief period of strong downslope winds may occur on the west slopes of the Appalachians before the rain arrives. Below to well below normal temperatures are forecast across much of the central US behind the front mid to late next week, from the High Plains to the Appalachians.