Wildfire Aware Situation Report: MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
Wildfire Aware Situation Report for MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 18, 2023, for the United States.
The United States is at National Preparedness Level 3.
There are a total of 43 UNCONTAINED LARGE FIRES currently.
Nationally, 33 fires are being managed under a strategy other than full suppression.
There are 2 new large fires in Oregon and Montana.
Trout Creek (OR): Prineville District, BLM. Started on private land 10 miles north of Madras, OR. Timber, grass, and brush. Active fire behavior with wind-driven runs, running, and group torching. Residences threatened.
Dry Creek (MT): Big Horn County. Eleven miles north of Hardin, MT. Grass and timber. Moderate fire behavior with wind-driven runs, backing, and isolated torching.
No large fires were contained.
Wildfire Aware Situation Report: Weather Discussion
Provided by the National Interagency Fire Center
Upper-level troughing will deepen over the northwestern US, with an upper low sliding south off the central California coast. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions are expected from the Cascade Gaps onto the Columbia Basin and through north Idaho and much of Montana. Wind gusts of 20-45 mph amid minimum relative humidity of 8-25% and above normal temperatures will develop across these areas. Additionally, dry and breezy conditions will overspread the rest of the Inland Northwest and Idaho into portions of Wyoming. Isolated to scattered mixed wet and dry thunderstorms are expected across the central and northern Sierra into far northern California, the Sierra Front, and possibly far southern Oregon. Isolated to scattered mixed wet and dry thunderstorms are also likely across portions of northern Nevada, east-central Idaho, southwest Montana, and northwest Wyoming. Light showers are likely in northwest Oregon, western Washington, and northeast Washington into northwest Montana. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected over much of Utah, the Colorado Rockies, New Mexico, and from southwest Texas extending northeast through western Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Nebraska, Iowa, and southern Minnesota. While dry post-frontal conditions will spread across much of the Southeast, showers and thunderstorms remain likely in South Florida and the Northeast.
Red Flag Warnings remain in effect in Western Washington into Northern Oregon and throughout much of Montana. The Storm Prediction Center has identified multiple areas of fire weather concern, with a critical area identified in Central Montana. An area of isolated Dry Thunderstorms is identified for Northeastern California.
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Link to the National Incident Management Situation Report.
Link to the National Weather Service Fire Weather Prediction Center.
Link to the National 7-Day Significant Fire Potential.
