TL;DR: On September 23, 2026, U.S. households can find the closest active wildfire by checking InciWeb for evacuations and closures, the National Interagency Fire Center map for acreage and containment, and county zone maps such as AlertMRY.org/Map for Big Sur-area orders.

National fire activity on September 23

The United States was at National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level 2 on September 23, 2026, after the level was lowered at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, according to the U.S. Forest Service Public Fire Information Websites page.

The Forest Service page reported a significant decrease in initial attack and wildland fire activity nationwide, with adequate resource availability to manage the current situation and light ordering of national resources through the National Interagency Coordination Center.

The Wildfire Report for September 23, 2026, reported 93 new fires nationwide the prior day, with light initial attack activity, 30 uncontained large fires, one new large incident, zero large fires contained, 8,523 personnel assigned nationwide, and six Complex Incident Management Teams committed.

The same Wildfire Report stated that 56,908 wildfires had burned 8,096,338 acres across the United States so far in 2026.

How to use InciWeb by location

InciWeb is an interagency all-risk incident information management system, according to the U.S. Forest Service Public Fire Information Websites page.

The Forest Service page states that the system was developed with two primary missions: provide the public a single source of incident-related information, and provide a standardized reporting tool for the public affairs community.

Official announcements on InciWeb include evacuations, road closures, news releases, maps, photographs, and basic information and current situation about the incident, according to the Forest Service page.

To find fires near a home address, search InciWeb at inciweb.wildfire.gov by incident name, state, or nearby national forest, then open the incident page for the evacuation and closure tabs before traveling or planning outdoor work.

How to use the national interagency maps

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting, according to the U.S. Forest Service Public Fire Information Websites page.

The Forest Service page directs the public to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Interactive Wildfire Map for incident-specific data including personnel count, cost, acres, percent contained, and structures threatened.

Use that map to rank nearby incidents by distance, then compare acreage and percent contained to understand which fires are growing and which are largely lined.

The Wildfire Report for September 23, 2026, illustrates the data shown on national products, listing acreage, containment, fire behavior such as backing, creeping, smoldering, flanking, and torching, and values threatened such as residences, critical infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and structures.

California: Timber Fire zone changes near Big Sur

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office issued a Timber Fire Update dated September 23, 2026, at 1300 hours for the area of Big Sur in zones MRY-F028-C, MRY-F028-B, MRY-F028-A, and MRY-F028-D.

The update downgraded evacuation orders to evacuation warnings for Zone MRY-F028 and Zone MRY-F028-B, according to the Monterey County Timber Fire Update 9/23/26 distributed September 23, 2026.

The same update lifted evacuation warnings for Zone MRY-F028-A and Zone MRY-F028-D, returning those zones to normal status.

All previously issued evacuation orders and evacuation warnings not listed in the downgrade or lift remained in effect, according to the Monterey County Timber Fire Update 9/23/26.

Residents can view zone boundaries at AlertMRY.org/Map and additional alerts at AlertMRY.org/alerts, as listed in the Monterey County update, with media contact Commander Scott Davis at 831-755-3807.

California: Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park reported the Dome Fire at 3,795 acres with 15% containment and 840 personnel in the Dome Fire Update, September 23, 2026 (morning) issued by the U.S. National Park Service.

The Park Service update stated the fire grew 273 acres since the prior day's update, with 56 more personnel assigned.

Overnight fire activity was along the north and northeast sides between Horse Ridge and Empire Meadows in the old 2017 Empire Fire footprint, with light activity and isolated pockets of fuel burning on the east side near Horse Ridge, according to the Park Service update.

Firefighters expected mostly surface fire allowing direct work on the fire's edge except where wind and slope aligned, with behavior similar to recent southwest-wind days, according to the Park Service update.

Crews were widening containment lines between Empire Meadows and Turner Ridge from the top down and bottom up, and doing the same work along the Bridalveil trail system to the 2017 Empire Fire footprint, with helicopters and pack strings carrying supplies to the fireline, according to the Park Service update.

A second fire camp was set up at Badger Pass to support firefighters and cut travel time, while the Incident Command Post remained at Mariposa County Fairgrounds, according to the Park Service update.

There were no evacuation orders or warnings in place and no immediate threats to infrastructures or developed areas, according to the Park Service update.

Yosemite National Park was open and operating normally with trail exceptions, according to the Park Service update: the Chilnualna Falls trail and trails from the top toward Buena Vista and Crescent Lakes were closed, though those lakes were reachable from the east, and Ostrander Trail and all areas and trails south of it were closed east of the Wawona Road from Wawona to Chinquapin.

Washington: large fires along the Cascades

The Northwest Area was operating at Preparedness Level 2 and coordinating 13 uncontained large fires across the region, according to the Wildfire Report for September 23, 2026.

The Little Giant fire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest was listed at 172,850 acres and 81% contained with minimal behavior described as backing, creeping, and smoldering under CIMT NW Team 13, which was also managing the Sisi incident, according to the Wildfire Report.

The Sisi fire covered 3,993 acres and was 15% contained with active behavior described as backing, flanking, and isolated torching, with residences and energy infrastructure threatened, according to the Wildfire Report.

The Sinlahekin fire near Tonasket spanned 166,007 acres and was 92% contained with minimal behavior described as creeping and smoldering, according to the Wildfire Report.

The Three Queens fire east of Snoqualmie Pass covered 9,572 acres and was 31% contained with minimal behavior described as flanking, backing, and creeping, threatening numerous residences and critical infrastructure, according to the Wildfire Report.

The King fire covered 3,335 acres and was 20% contained and the Goat fire covered 815 acres and was 80% contained, both with minimal behavior, while the Border 2 fire in North Cascades National Park spanned 9,108 acres and was 75% contained with moderate behavior including backing, flanking, and creeping while threatening structures, according to the Wildfire Report.

Area, road, and trail closures remained in effect across those incident areas, according to the Wildfire Report.

Oregon: large incidents nearing full containment

Oregon operations continued under Northwest Area coordination on September 23, 2026, according to the Wildfire Report.

The Rowe Creek Complex south of Fossil stood at 373,927 acres and 99% contained with minimal behavior described as smoldering under CIMT ODF Team 1, according to the Wildfire Report.

The Grasshopper fire on the Mt. Hood National Forest spanned 93,971 acres and was 98% contained with minimal behavior described as creeping and smoldering, according to the Wildfire Report.

The Austin fire had burned 12,884 acres and was 98% contained with minimal behavior described as smoldering and creeping under CIMT CA Team 2, which was also managing The Narrows at 305 acres and 98% contained and the Grasshopper incidents, according to the Wildfire Report.

What to check before you decide to stay or go

When an evacuation warning is issued, assume an evacuation order could follow, according to the Monterey County Timber Fire Update 9/23/26.

That update described the warning period as the window to get ready by packing a go-bag, gathering essential items, and making arrangements, especially for residents with pets, large animals, or needs for extra time or assistance to leave.

For smoke and daily fire weather on September 23, the Wildfire Report forecast above-normal temperatures from the southern Plains to the Lower Mississippi Valley, locally low relative humidity near 30% across portions of northeast Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley, slightly above-normal temperatures with seasonally low relative humidity and light winds in the northwestern U.S., widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms with likely flooding near and east of the New Mexico central mountains from deep tropical moisture affecting eastern Arizona into New Mexico and southern Colorado, scattered showers and thunderstorms across the northern Plains along a weak cold front, and widespread showers in the Mid-Atlantic with strong northeast winds from southern New England to the Carolinas from developing offshore low pressure.

Households should confirm the current zone, order level, closure polygon, acreage, and containment on InciWeb, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group map, or the county alert page listed for their area, rather than relying on distance alone.

Sources referenced