In the United States, large fires followed one another across the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains in summer 2026; the National Preparedness Level of the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) reached its highest level, 5, in August and fell to 2 on 22 September. On 15 to 17 October fires broke out across Southern California in strong Santa Ana winds. This map shows fires confirmed by news outlets and authorities (July to November 2026), one by one, with place, date and sources. Satellite hotspots (heat detections) are not confirmation that a fire has occurred, so they are not included on this map. Nationwide year-to-date area and counts are given as NIFC figures in the statistics section below the map.
This map lets you follow fires by date, place and source.
What this map shows
Each circle marks where a fire was confirmed by news reports or authorities. Colour shows the type and size is a rough guide to severity (area and impact). Select a circle for the date, description and sources. The list is newest first.
Satellite hotspots (heat detections) are not confirmation that a fire has occurred, so they are not shown on this map. Large fires that began in the summer are dated by the latest status confirmed (the start date is given in the text). Other fires are dated by their start date.
Records confirmed by two or more news outlets, or by an authority plus the press, are given priority. Records for which only the NIFC national situation report of 19 August could be found say so, are marked as single-source and carry low severity. Areas are given in acres or other units as stated by the source, with its date and name (one acre is about 0.4 hectares). Locations are approximate and the map does not address causes or responsibility.
Questions and answers
Does the map include satellite hotspot counts?
No. Hotspots are not confirmation that a fire has occurred. The map includes only fires that news outlets or authorities have confirmed.
Is the date the day the fire started?
Yes. For large fires that began in the summer it is the latest status confirmed, and each record's text gives the start date.
What is a single-source record?
A record for which only one source could be found. It carries low severity and says so. Many rely only on the NIFC national situation report of 19 August, and their figures are as of that date.
Why do area figures differ between sources?
Because the time of the report and the measuring method differ. The map gives each source's figure as published, with its date and name.
Update history
To report an error, send a direct message to @tomokazu_ai on X. Corrections are recorded with the date in the update history.