December digest: National Interagency Fire Center report

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This article was published by the National Interagency Fire Center on 12.27.2024

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December 27, 2024

Initial attack activity was light this week. New large fires were reported in California and Florida, and wildland firefighters were able to contain both of them. Minimal fire behavior is reported on the Horton Fire in Arizona, although structures remain threatened, and closures are still in effect.

Since January 1, 61,685 wildfires have burned 8,851,142 acres. This is below the 10-year average for number of wildfires, but above the average number of acres burned by nearly 2 million.

The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook is available for the period of December 2024 through March 2025.

Wildland fire is a natural process. If you live in or near the wildlands, it will probably happen in your area. Make sure you and your neighbors are prepared. Learn about the natural fire cycle in your area. Have an emergency plan in place and arrange for safety of your family and pets. Learn to live compatibly with wildfire and make sure your neighborhood remains a safe one. Ask local fire managers about the fire history and fire ecology in your area.

Weather

Atmospheric rivers will continue to affect the northern half of the West through the weekend, with heavy rain west of the Cascades and have snow in the mountains. The southern half of the West will remain dry, with breezy westerly winds at times, strongest on Monday when they will also spread onto the adjacent central and southern High Plains. Drier weather is expected across much of the West next week, with a period of offshore winds possible in southern California late next week. A slow eastward moving storm will bring widespread rain east of the Mississippi River into today into early next week. Another storm will bring a period of rain to the Great Lakes, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic next week.