The nation holds at Preparedness Level 5 with 86 uncontained large fires and nearly 30,000 personnel committed, supported by crews from Australia and New Zealand. Officials in Washington count 913 structures damaged by the Spokane area fires as Level 3 evacuations continue. California’s Gann Fire reaches 33 percent containment after a deceased person is found in Angels Camp, and Utah’s Widemouth 2 Fire tops 97,000 acres with extreme fire behavior. North Carolina’s ports return to normal gate schedules on manual processing after a cyberattack, and new presidential disaster declarations publish for Mississippi, Louisiana, and Missouri. 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
• National wildfire posture: The nation remains at Preparedness Level 5 with 86 uncontained large fires, 3.3 million acres burned on large incidents, and 29,699 personnel assigned, with international support from Australia and New Zealand.
• Washington: Officials have identified 913 structures damaged by the Spokane area fires with counts continuing; Level 3 evacuations remain, and the Sinlahekin, Little Giant, and Kaiser Canyon fires keep large evacuation and closure footprints across eastern Washington.
• California: The Gann Fire in Calaveras County is 33 percent contained at 10,384 acres; a deceased person was found in Angels Camp, six evacuation zones reopened, and Governor Newsom declared a county state of emergency.
• Utah: The Widemouth 2 Fire tops 97,000 acres at 10 percent containment with extreme fire behavior and evacuations near Kanosh.
• North Carolina: NC Ports resumed normal gate schedules Thursday on manual processing while forensics teams and the Coast Guard investigate the August 4 cyberattack.
• Federal declarations: Presidential disaster declarations for Mississippi and Louisiana (Tropical Storm Arthur) and Missouri (severe storms and flooding) publish in today’s Federal Register.
• Hawaii: Kilauea is paused, with eruptive episode 53 forecast between August 8 and 13.
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Sources
NIFC and Wildfire
NOAA and NWS
• NHC Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: no development expected in next 7 days
• NWS national forecast: heat in the Southwest and Intermountain West, storms in the Plains
• NWS Houston/Galveston: heat indices 101 to 108 on the upper Texas coast
USGS
• USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory: Kilauea updates, episode 53 forecast August 8 to 13
Federal Register
• Presidential major disaster declaration: Mississippi, Tropical Storm Arthur
• Presidential major disaster declaration, public assistance only: Louisiana, Tropical Storm Arthur
California
• Cal Fire: Gann Fire incident page
• Governor Newsom proclaims state of emergency in Calaveras County for the Gann Fire
• CBS Sacramento: Gann Fire updates, body found, evacuation zones reopened
North Carolina
• WECT: NC Ports operating manually after cyberattack disrupts statewide systems
Utah
• Gephardt Daily: Widemouth 2 Fire tops 97,000 acres
Washington
• KHQ: Spokane area fires at a glance, structures damaged and containment
