The nation holds at Preparedness Level 4 with 46 uncontained large fires, and the Forest Service closes the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for only the third time in its history. Extreme heat warnings stretch from the Desert Southwest to the Upper Midwest while heat advisories return to the East Coast, and PJM issues a Hot Weather Alert for its 13-state grid. Texas activates swiftwater rescue teams and National Guard helicopters ahead of a multi-day flash flood threat that has already put Kerr County back under a warning. Plus: CISA’s advisory on Russian router targeting, Colorado’s Aspen Acres re-entry, and Guam’s ongoing Typhoon Bavi recovery. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.
Key Takeaways
• Wildfire: The nation remains at Preparedness Level 4 with 46 uncontained large fires and more than 16,800 personnel assigned. The Babylon Fire in Utah tops 106,000 acres at 50 percent containment.
• Minnesota: The entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closes effective this morning, the third full closure in its history, as 16 fires burn nearly 9,000 acres; the National Guard is mobilized for wildfire suppression.
• Extreme heat: 26 extreme heat warnings cover the Desert Southwest, Northern Plains, and Upper Midwest, with heat advisories along the I-95 corridor; PJM issues a Hot Weather Alert for July 14 through 17; New York City and Boston open cooling operations.
• Texas: Governor Abbott activates swiftwater rescue, search and rescue, and National Guard aviation ahead of a multi-day flash flood threat; Kerr County receives an overnight flash flood warning with a considerable damage tag.
• Colorado: The Aspen Acres Fire has destroyed more than 850 structures; phased re-entry begins for some Beulah residents while new pre-evacuation notices go out in Huerfano County.
• Cyber: CISA publishes joint advisory AA26-194A on Russian state-sponsored router exploitation and adds a Cisco IOS vulnerability to the KEV catalog with a July 16 federal remediation date.
• Guam: Power restoration reaches 89 percent of system load; the precautionary boil water notice and island-wide conservation order remain in effect.
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Sources
NIFC and National Wildfire
• NIFC National Fire News: preparedness level, uncontained large fires, new large fires
CISA
• CISA Joint Advisory AA26-194A: router hygiene against Russian state-sponsored targeting
• CISA alert: one vulnerability added to the KEV catalog (Cisco IOS CVE-2008-4128)
DHS
• DHS National Terrorism Advisory System: no current advisories
FEMA
• FEMA disaster declarations: no new declarations in the last 24 hours
USGS
• USGS event page: magnitude 4.3 near Johannesburg, California
NOAA, NWS, and Grid
• NHC Tropical Weather Outlook: no Atlantic development expected in the next 7 days
• NWS active alerts: extreme heat warnings, flash flood warnings, red flag warnings
• PJM Inside Lines: Hot Weather Alert issued for July 14 through 17
Arizona
• KNAU: SR-89A reopens between Sedona and Flagstaff with Pocket Fire 76 percent contained
California
• CAL FIRE: Elephant Fire incident page
• KOLO: Elephant Fire spreads quickly near Loyalton, evacuations ordered in Lassen County
• CAL FIRE: Summit Fire incident page
• ABC7: Summit Fire burns near Llano, evacuation orders remain in place
Colorado
• KKTV: Fremont County zones downgrade to awareness status, Aspen Acres at 98K acres and 36 percent
Idaho
• Idaho News 6: Claremont Fire grows to 6,805 acres, containment expected August 1
• Lewiston Tribune: Greer Grade opens to single-lane traffic while firefighting continues
Louisiana
• Louisiana Department of Health: statewide boil water advisory list
• WGNO: precautionary boil water advisory issued in Hammond
Massachusetts
• City of Boston: heat advisory issued for Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15
Michigan
• WCMU: cooling centers open in preparation for Michigan heat wave
Minnesota
• Superior National Forest: emergency expanded closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
• KAXE: Boundary Waters closes as fires burn in the Superior National Forest
• Office of Governor Walz: peacetime emergency declared to assist with wildfires
• KAXE: dangerous extreme heat continues in northern Minnesota
Missouri
• Missouri SEMA: flood recovery news release
• KFVS: SEMA urges residents to document all flood damage before repairs and cleanup
Nevada
• BLM: fire restrictions for western Nevada begin July 13
New Mexico
• NM Fire Info: Sacaton Fire update for July 13, 2026
New York
• NYC Emergency Management: extreme heat resources and cooling center finder
• ABC7 NY: NYC activates heat emergency plan ahead of heat advisory
• City of Watervliet: heat advisory issued for Albany County for Tuesday, July 14
North Carolina
• NWS Blacksburg flash flood warning summary for Alleghany and Surry counties
• WGNI: coastal flood advisory for the Wilmington area
North Dakota
• ABC News: 100 million Americans expected to face dangerous heat this week
Oregon
• Oregon wildfire evacuation map (official)
• Rogue Valley Times: East Evans Creek Road Fire at 3,628 acres, 5 percent contained
• Central Oregon Daily: growing southern and eastern Oregon wildfires
South Dakota
• KOTA: heat advisory and fire danger through midweek in western South Dakota
Tennessee
• WGRV: EMA requests flood damage be reported to TEMA by July 16
• WGRV: Red Cross shelter open at Chuckey-Doak Middle School
Texas
• Kerr County Lead: flash flood warning issued for Kerr County with considerable damage threat
Utah
• ABC4: Babylon Fire crosses 106,000 acres, nears 50 percent containment
• Salt Lake Tribune: Utah burn-scar communities brace for post-fire flooding
Wisconsin
• FOX6: heat advisory for southeastern Wisconsin
