WFCA Fire Map: Tracking Current Wildfires in the US

TL;DR: Use the WFCA Fire Map to see active wildfire locations, perimeters and containment, then follow household evacuation and smoke guidance from Ready.gov and local authorities.

What the WFCA Fire Map shows right now

According to the page titled WFCA Fire Map: Tracking Current Wildfires in the US, the tracker listed 128 Active Wildfires in one recent view, with names, acreages, counties and containment percentages for each entry.

Large entries in that view included FS016-26 at 164,839 acres in CA-NT, Second Flat at 105,854 acres in Harney, Oregon at 99% contained, GRASSHOPPER at 93,972 acres in Wasco, Oregon at 98% contained, Hagen at 61,380 acres in Umatilla, Oregon at 99% contained, and Sand Creek at 35,520 acres in Beaverhead, Montana at 83% contained.

The same listing showed Timber Fire at 25,352 acres in Monterey, California at 97% contained, Timber at 25,350 acres in Monterey, California at 97% contained, Jackass Butte at 24,724 acres in Harney, Oregon at 92% contained, Stubble at 15,673 acres in Harney, Oregon at 93% contained, and McCully at 13,604 acres in Baker, Oregon at 91% contained.

Other listed incidents included AUSTIN at 12,888 acres in Clackamas, Oregon at 98% contained, FS014-26 at 11,542 acres in CA-NT, Paradise at 9,656 acres in Wallowa, Oregon at 86% contained, THREE QUEENS at 9,575 acres in Kittitas, Washington at 75% contained, North Cayuse at 4,887 acres in Umatilla, Oregon at 97% contained, and Slough Canyon at 4,774 acres in Grand, Utah at 95% contained.

Smaller incidents in that view included SISI at 4,743 acres in Chelan, Washington at 34% contained, KING at 3,427 acres in Kittitas, Washington at 50% contained, FS011-26 at 1,908 acres in CA-NT, Bras at 1,688 acres in Sanders, Montana at 35% contained, PK at 1,645 acres in Sheridan, Wyoming at 90% contained, Cooley Fire at 1,365 acres in Mendocino, California at 67% contained, and COOLEY at 1,365 acres in Mendocino, California at 67% contained.

The list also showed Craig Lake 1 at 606 acres in Baraga, Michigan at 90% contained, NORTE at 570 acres in Orange, California at 92% contained, Norte Fire at 570 acres in Orange, California at 92% contained, Ridge at 466 acres in Marquette, Michigan at 50% contained, Black River at 326 acres in Gogebic, Michigan at 70% contained, GARDA FALLS at 308 acres in Pierce, Washington at 0% contained, W Fork Evans Creek at 283 acres in Jackson, Oregon at 48% contained, and East Fork at 260 acres in Camas, Idaho at 0% contained.

Remaining small entries included 105 at 215 acres in Liberty, Florida, Hollis Head Road at 171 acres in Lowndes, Alabama at 90% contained, BRYSON at 146 acres in Los Angeles, California at 98% contained, Columbia 322 at 120 acres in Columbia, Arkansas, Pine Lakes at 119 acres in Lake, Florida, Stuck at 77 acres in Newton, Mississippi, Sellers Lake 2 at 74 acres in Marion, Florida, Russian Bend at 34 acres in Marion, Florida, Summit at 32 acres in Linn, Oregon, Erickson Draw at 30 acres in Campbell, Wyoming, CLARK ROAD at 27 acres in Klickitat, Washington, Grouse Trail at 21 acres in Pine, Minnesota, WESTVIEW at 17 acres in Kiowa, Oklahoma, OLSEN at 15 acres in Merced, California, JADE at 15 acres in Siskiyou, California, SODA at 14 acres in Siskiyou, California, Soda Fire at 14 acres in Siskiyou, California at 40% contained, Ritchie at 13 acres in Price, Wisconsin, and Reynolds County Mutual Aid at 13 acres in Reynolds, Missouri.

California view for household checks

According to the page titled Current Fires in California | WFCA Fire Map, 16 active wildfires are currently being tracked in California.

That California view lists Timber Fire Fire at 25,352 acres and 97% contained, Timber Fire at 25,350 acres and 97% contained, Cooley Fire at 1,365 acres and 67% contained, Cooley Fire Fire at 1,365 acres and 67% contained, Norte Fire Fire at 570 acres and 92% contained, Norte Fire at 570 acres and 92% contained, Bryson Fire at 146 acres and 98% contained, Olsen Fire at 15 acres, Soda Fire at 14 acres, and Soda Fire Fire at 14 acres and 50% contained.

Households in California can select each incident name on the map to see acreage and containment, then compare that information with county emergency instructions before deciding travel, outdoor work, or evacuation preparation.

Where the map data comes from

According to the page titled WFCA: Trusted Fire Information, Fire Map, and Resources, the Western Fire Chiefs Association's Fire Map depicts active and recent wildland fires in the western United States and Alaska.

That resource states the Fire Map draws near real-time 911 dispatch call data from PulsePoint, while emerging and ongoing wildland fire location and boundary data are provided by the National Interagency Fire Center IRWIN feeds.

For California, the same resource states FIRIS provides early fire perimeter and 3-hour forecasting models, and it cautions that fire dispatch and location data are approximate, with no representation or warranty given as to timeliness, accuracy, or completeness.

Contact information published on that resource is 25030 SW Parkway Ave Ste. 330 Wilsonville, OR 97070, telephone 800-785-3473, and email [email protected].

How the tracker was built

According to the announcement titled Western Fire Chiefs Association Introduces Its Wildland Fire Map, dated July 11, 2022 in Wilsonville, Oregon, the Western Fire Chiefs Association introduced its Fire Map to provide near real-time information about active wildfires.

The July 2022 announcement states the WFCA Fire Map pulls data from the US Forest Service via National Interagency Fire Center IRWIN feed and 911 Dispatch data via PulsePoint to track wildfire locations as they start and while burning, and describes it as the first map of its kind to pull such data from 911 Dispatch in relevant areas.

The announcement quotes Chief Mark Niemeyer, Vice President of the WFCA and Fire Chief of the Boise Fire Department, saying the WFCA was providing public access to definitive information around wildfire paths so communities could take action quickly.

The same announcement quotes Richard Price, President of the California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit PulsePoint Foundation, saying PulsePoint-connected agencies could display fire incidents within the WFCA Fire Map and that widely deployed PulsePoint 911 interfaces allowed rapid scaling.

It identifies the working partnership as WFCA, PulsePoint Foundation, the US Forest Service, and Mapbox.

Aircraft, 3D views and FIRIS detail

According to the announcement titled Western Fire Chiefs Association Introduces Phase 2 of its Wildland Fire Map, published September 29, 2022 and edited October 28, 2022, Phase 2 added 3D map views, reporting of active fire-fighting aircraft in real-time, and Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System data specific to California.

The September 2022 announcement quotes Brent VanKeulen, Deputy Director, WFCA, saying wildland fires are often most dangerous when they first start and that the information would affect how quickly information reaches the public and the visual detail available to communities at risk.

It states suppression aircraft are shown with aircraft type, speed, and altitude, and that clicking an individual aircraft reveals recent flight path indicating where firefighting activity is taking place.

It lists aircraft roles including aerial supervision aircraft that communicate with firefighters on the ground, air attack aircraft coordinating aerial firefighting, air tankers with capability to deliver up to 8,000 gallons of fire retardant, water scoopers, and smoke-jumper aircraft.

For California, it states the map integrates fire-perimeter data provided by FIRIS, described as a public-private partnership providing real-time intelligence on emerging California incidents, with funding from the California Office of Emergency Services supporting aircraft, a common operating picture, and near-real-time modeling at the onset of emerging incidents.

Federal map tools to cross-check

According to the page titled NIFC Maps, the National Interagency Fire Center page serves as a gateway to real-time and historical maps describing wildland fire across the country.

That gateway points users to an EGP Map with real-time fire perimeters updated daily, live weather overlays showing fire weather, and satellite-detected fire starts in near real time.

It also points to Wildland Fire Open Data with interactive maps of historical fire perimeters, downloadable data for research or projects, filtering by year, location, or fire name, and data formats ready for mapping software.

The page address published for the center is National Interagency Fire Center 3833 S. Development Avenue Boise, ID 83705-5354, telephone 208-387-5512.

Households can use the WFCA view for fast incident lookup and the federal gateway to confirm perimeters, weather overlays, and historical context.

Prepare the household before smoke or evacuation

According to the page titled Wildfires | Ready.gov, last updated 08/11/2026, wildfires are unplanned fires that burn out of control in natural areas like forests, grasslands or prairies, spread quickly, and can devastate wildlife, natural areas and communities.

For alerts, that Ready.gov guidance says have several ways to receive alerts, download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide, sign up for community alerts in your area, be aware of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert, which requires no sign-up, and pay attention to air quality alerts.

For planning, it says make sure everyone in the household knows and understands what to do if quick evacuation is needed, and do not forget a plan for the office, kids' school or daycare and anywhere frequented.

For documents, it says make sure insurance policies and personal documents like ID are up to date, make copies, and keep them in a secure password-protected digital space.

For the home, it says use fire-resistant materials to build, renovate or make repairs, find an outdoor water source with a hose that can reach any area of the property, create a fire-resistant zone free of leaves, debris or flammable materials for at least 30 feet from the home, designate a room that can be closed off from outside air, close all doors and windows, and set up a portable air cleaner to keep indoor pollution levels low when smoky conditions exist.

For evacuation readiness, it says learn evacuation routes, practice with pets, identify where you will go, follow instructions from local authorities, have enough supplies including a first aid kit in a go bag or car trunk, store an N95 mask if available to protect from smoke inhalation, keep a cell phone charged when wildfires could be in the area, and purchase backup charging devices to power electronics.

What to do during evacuation and smoke

According to that same Ready.gov wildfire guidance, pay attention to emergency alerts and notifications for information and instructions, and evacuate immediately if authorities tell you to do so.

It says check with local authorities for the latest information about public shelters or check open locations on the FEMA app, download the free Red Cross Emergency app for open Red Cross shelters in the area, and consider making plans with friends or family to shelter where safer and more comfortable.

If trapped, it says call 9-1-1 and give location, be aware emergency response could be delayed or impossible, and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.

For smoke, it says use an N95 mask to protect from smoke inhalation or limit exposure by choosing a room to close off from outside air and setting up a portable air cleaner or filter, using high efficiency filters in central air conditioning to capture fine particles, setting the system to recirculate mode and closing the outdoor intake damper if the system has fresh air intake, and, if not ordered to evacuate but smoky conditions exist, staying inside in a safe location or going to a community building where smoke levels are lower.

According to the page titled Wildfire Evacuation Outreach Materials from the U.S. Fire Administration, residents can get alerts when a wildfire is reported in a chosen ZIP code or within 30 miles, should plan primary and alternate routes, should make sure a designated contact knows the plan, and may find text messages or social media notification better than cellphone calls.

That outreach material also says back vehicles into the garage or park in an open space facing escape direction, keep vehicle gas tanks at least half full, prepack kits with medicine, family records, important phone numbers, cash because ATMs may not work, credit cards, a change of clothing and enough food and water for each household member for up to 72 hours including pets, keep cellphones charged in case power goes out, avoid driving out with unfamiliar trailers or large vehicles like RVs because a stalled or abandoned vehicle hinders others and first responders, keep car windows up and air conditioning on to prevent embers and smoke from entering, continue listening for additional evacuation instructions, wait for guidance about returning home, seek assistance immediately if someone is injured or not feeling well, and inform the designated contact as soon as safe.

Returning home after a wildfire

According to Ready.gov wildfire guidance, do not return home until authorities say it is safe to do so.

It says avoid hot ash, charred trees, smoldering debris and live embers, and notes the ground may contain heat pockets that can burn or spark another fire.

For cleanup, it says wear protective clothing including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves and sturdy thick-soled shoes, use a respirator to limit exposure, wet debris to minimize breathing dust particles, and notes people with asthma, COPD and other lung conditions should take precautions in poor air quality because it can worsen symptoms.

It says document property damage with photographs, conduct an inventory, contact the insurance company for assistance, send text messages or use social media to reach family and friends because phone systems are often busy after a disaster, and make calls only in emergencies.