Press release – The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC), comprised of top federal and state fire managers, increased the national Preparedness Level (PL) today to its highest point, PL-5.

Wildland fire activity increased significantly starting June 20 when severe thunderstorms passed over northern California, igniting more than 1,300 fires. This is the second earliest date since 1990 when PL-5 has been reached, eclipsed only by 2002 when that level was reached June 21.

“This reflects a number of factors,” said John Glenn, a member of the NMAC. “Large fire activity and resource commitments have increased significantly on a national scale, and we’re entering a time of the fire season when burning conditions will continue to become more severe throughout the West.”

Preparedness levels are also set by each of the 11 geographic areas in the nation, and are based on the complexity and severity of fire activity and resource commitments. Currently, there are three geographic areas at PL-5, including Northern California, Southern California, and the Southwest.

As of July 1, there were 95 large fires burning about 526,000 acres throughout the nation. More than half of the large fires are actually fire complexes, where multiple fires in proximity to each other are managed together.
###