Latest / EM Morning Brief / Spokane, 600 Plus Structures Destroyed; Nation Holds at Preparedness Level 5 With 99 Large Fires; Extreme Heat Grips the Southwest

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Spokane, 600 Plus Structures Destroyed; Nation Holds at Preparedness Level 5 With 99 Large Fires; Extreme Heat Grips the Southwest · EM Morning Brief

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  Good morning.
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  I'm Cedric and This is your EM Morning Brief for Monday, August 3, 2026 and today's episode is sponsored by the NIMS store.
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  Washington State leads the nation this morning.
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  Fast moving wildfires that broke out Saturday afternoon in the Spokane area have destroyed more than 600 structures, with the Old Trails fire alone accounting for an estimated 640, and officials say they are still assessing the potential for loss
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  of life.
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  Tens of thousands of residents are under evacuation and the Spokane Convention center is serving as the main overnight shelter.
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  Governor Bob Ferguson declares a statewide wildfire emergency with a burn ban on most outdoor burning through September 30, and FEMA approves three new fire management Assistance grants for the Sinlahekon, Fairview and Autumn lane fires, the seventh, eighth and
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  ninth for Washington this year.
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  FEMA Region 10 activates its Regional Response Coordination center to support the state.
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  Nationally, the Wildland Fire System remains at preparedness level 5, the highest level.
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  The National Interagency Fire center reports 99 large fires burning across 17 states, including 18 new large incidents with more than 27,900 firefighters and support personnel committed this and about 2.9 million acres in active fires.
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  Year to date, 45,835 fires have burned more than 5.2 million acres, exceeding the 10 year average for both fires and acres.
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  Critical fire weather persists across the Northern Rockies, Northern Great Basin and Northern Plains with extreme temperatures of 100 to 120 degrees in the lower elevations of California, the Great Basin and the Southwest.
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  The National Weather Service keeps extreme heat warnings in effect through Monday and into Tuesday for the deserts of Arizona and Southern California, where afternoon highs reach 107 to 119 degrees.
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  In cyber Federal agencies continue responding to a coordinated cyber attack on water systems in seven states that pushed some utilities to manual operations and prompted localized boil water notices.
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  CISA urges utilities to remove Internet exposed programmable logic controllers and officials report no confirmed contamination of drinking water.
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  The National Hurricane center expects no tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic over the next seven days.
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  Let's run through the states.
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  Arizona an extreme heat warning from NWS Phoenix covers western and southern desert areas through Tuesday evening with afternoon temperatures of 107 to 119 degrees.
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  Emergency managers urge residents to limit outdoor exposure, check on vulnerable neighbors and never leave people or pets in vehicles.
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  California the Feliz fire outside Hopland in Mendocino county holds at roughly 872 acres with 10% containment after crews stop its forward progress.
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  Evacuation orders from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office remain in effect around Hopland and even as U.S.
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  highway 101 reopens, more than 400 personnel are assigned and no structure losses are reported.
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  Extreme heat warnings also cover the Coachella Valley, San Diego county deserts and San Gorgonio Pass with highs up to 115 degrees.
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  Colorado the Aspen Acres fire in Custer county stands at 101,961 acres and 67% containment, and the Gold Mountain Fire near Aray reaches 39,506 acres at 72%.
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  Crews continue strengthening lines as regional fire weather stays elevated.
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  Idaho Seven large fires are burning statewide.
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  The Tartar Fire northwest of Weiser, the state's largest, is at 15,476 acres and 51% containment, and the new Big Rock Fire east of Idaho Falls is holding at 1200 acres with no containment.
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  Minnesota Six large fires in the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area have burned about 69,200 acres.
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  The Bear Trap Fire, the largest at 29,778 acres on the US side, is 39% contained and containment is improving on multiple fronts after recent precipitation.
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  Boundary Waters closures remain in place.
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  Montana Critical fire weather and red flag conditions cover much of the state.
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  Evacuation orders and road closures are in place for the Skillet Fire west of Olney, burning 1,318 acres at 2% containment, and the Silvertip Fire in the Bob Marshall wilderness grows to 4,688 acres with no containment and area road
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  and trail closures in effect.
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  Nevada the New Pass fire northwest of Austin is at 30,894 acres and 43% containment and the Mouse Meadow Fire on the Nellis Air Force Base range holds at 19,000 acres with no containment.
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  Extreme heat blankets the southern half of the state.
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  Oregon the state reports 32 large fires totaling more than 1.75 million acres, the most of any state.
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  The Coleman Creek fire near Juntura adds roughly 6,000 acres in wind driven runs over the weekend and now stands at 251,219 acres with no containment.
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  Evacuations and road closures remain in effect, with structures and energy infrastructure threatened.
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  The Wasco county sheriff issues New Level 1 Be Ready notices near Dufour for the Grasshopper Fire while officials lower evacuation levels in some areas around the Hagen fire east of pendleton.
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  Utah the Widemouth 2 fire in Millard county jumps containment lines, prompting evacuation orders for the south end of Kanache and and on Sunday afternoon for homes in Fillmore east of State Route 99.
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  The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah declares a state of emergency for the Kanosh Band Reservation, with shelter operating at the Fillmore Armory.
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  The fire is listed at 6,885 acres with 15% containment.
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  Washington beyond the Spokane area, fires covered in the national snapshot the Sinlahican Fire near Tanasket surges to roughly 74,000 acres with no containment and level three go now.
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  Evacuations expand to areas west of the Okanogan river north to Oroville.
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  The Kaiser Canyon Fire on the Colville reservation stands at 134,167 acres and 38% containment and the Little Giant Fire northwest of Leavenworth reaches 31,529 acres with no containment.
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  17 large fires are burning statewide under the Governor's Emergency Proclamation and burn ban.
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  Wyoming the Lumen Fire in Sheridan county, sparked by lightning July 31 near Clermont grows to about 7,220 acres at 5% containment.
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  A state Type 3 Incident Management Team is in command.
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  Structures have been threatened, but none lost.
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  All other states and territories have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.
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  That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.
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  EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices podcast.
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  Stay safe.