California Wildfire, Smoke, and Air Quality Map
California runs the longest and most varied fire season in the lower 48, from spring grass fires in the foothills to wind-driven events late in the fall. This page tracks the live layers most relevant to conditions across the state.
Current conditions snapshot
- Wildfires
- 19 active mapped fires attributed to California, about 57,482 acres total. Largest: ELEPHANT (13,930 acres, 100% contained)
- Red flag warnings
- No Red Flag Warnings in or near the California map area.
- Smoke
- Heavy smoke over parts of the California map area in the latest NOAA analysis (2026-08-09).
- Fire weather
- An SPC elevated fire weather outlook touches the California map area today.
- Drought
- Parts of the California map area are exceptional drought (D4) on this week's U.S. Drought Monitor.
- Air quality
- Worst AirNow forecast for a California reporting area: C San Bernardino M, AQI 156 (Unhealthy).
- River gauges
- 1 gauge at or above flood stage in the California map area (worst: near flood stage).
Data as of Aug 10, 3:20 PM MDT. Sources: NIFC, NWS, NOAA, EPA AirNow, U.S. Drought Monitor. Map areas are rectangular and overlap neighboring states; open the live map for exact locations.
Fire season and landscape
Large fire activity typically builds from June through October. Late in the season, Santa Ana winds in the south and Diablo winds around the Bay Area can drive the year's fastest-moving fires.
Much of California's forestland is federally managed, including the Sierra Nevada, Klamath, and Los Padres national forests. When large fires burn in the Sierra or Klamath ranges, smoke regularly settles into the Central Valley and the Tahoe basin.
- California fire perimeters reach the map through the national WFIGS feed, which combines federal and CAL FIRE reporting.
- The AirNow forecast layer covers dozens of California reporting areas, including the Central Valley, where smoke pools during large fires.
- Drought status from the U.S. Drought Monitor updates weekly and often explains why a quiet week still carries red flag warnings.
Official California sources
Layer guides for California conditions
Informational only. Not an emergency alert service. Data comes from government sources that can lag, drop, or be wrong at any time. In an emergency call 911 and follow your local authorities. Field Risk Systems is not affiliated with any government agency. See the terms of use and privacy notice.
Nearby states
The Field Conditions map is published by Field Risk Systems LLC, the developer of Field Risk OS™, the operating system for outdoor programs. See Field Risk OS →