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Brief You on Evacuations in Washington, Oregon, California and Oklahoma
Episode 259 • 16th September 2026 • EM Morning Brief • Brian Colburn
00:00:00 00:09:37

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We are at national preparedness level three with 58 uncontained large fires and four new large incidents. I am Cedric and I present the EM Morning Brief. Evacuations are in effect in Washington, Oregon, California, and Oklahoma as crews work many active fires. The season has produced 55,419 fires burning just over 8.4 million acres. We report heat advisories across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley and a flash flood risk in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, and New Mexico. CISA released eight industrial control system advisories and we advise affected utilities and water operators to apply vendor mitigations immediately. Volcano updates and regional fire details are included, and we remind listeners to follow official guidance and stay safe.

Takeaways:

  • I stated that the National Interagency Coordination Center raised the country to national preparedness level three because many large fires remain uncontained.
  • We noted evacuations and structure threats across Washington, Oregon, California, and Oklahoma due to active wildfires.
  • I advised utility, water, and port operators to apply vendor mitigations for multiple industrial control system advisories without delay.
  • We reported significant weather hazards including heat advisories, flash flood risk, and moderate excessive rainfall in specific regions.
  • I summarized state updates such as volcanic activity in Alaska and Hawaii, large fires in Montana, California, and Washington, and FEMA funding approvals.

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Sources

National

CISA

FEMA

Alaska

California

Hawaii

Oklahoma

Washington

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania American Water: Boil water warning

Transcripts

Cedric:

Good morning, I'm Cedric and this is your EM Morning Brief

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for Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

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The National Interagency Coordination

Center holds the country at National

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Preparedness Level 3, with 58

uncontained large fires and four

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new large incidents on the board.

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Eleven Type 1 incident

management teams are committed.

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Evacuations are in effect on

fires in Washington, Oregon,

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California and Oklahoma.

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Crews in the Southern Plains are

working fires under temperatures near

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100 degrees with relative humidity

in the 20 to 30 percent range.

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The season's national total stands

at 55,419 fires and just over 8.4

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million acres.

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The Weather Prediction Center puts

this morning's flash flood threat over

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northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri,

where training showers and thunderstorms

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are moving through, and carries a

Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall

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over southern Arizona and New Mexico,

where two to three inches is possible.

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Heat Advisories run from the Southern

Plains into the lower Mississippi Valley,

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with highs in the upper 90s to low 100s

challenging daily records through midweek.

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CISA released eight industrial control

system advisories covering Siemens

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Teamcenter, Mendix SAML and Reyrolle

7SR5 products, Schneider Electric

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SCADAPack x70 units, mySCADA myPRO

Manager, Wärtsilä FOS-Onboard marine

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systems, Digital Watchdog video

recorders and the CareCam CM:

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Utility, port and water operators

running any of those platforms should

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pull the vendor mitigations today.

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The agency also published implementation

recommendations for federal agencies

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and cloud service providers on

protecting tokens and assertions

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from forgery, theft and misuse.

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Let's run through the states.

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Alaska.

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The Alaska Volcano Observatory updated

both of its elevated volcanoes yesterday.

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Great Sitkin stays at alert level

Watch with an aviation color code

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of Orange, where lava continues

to erupt slowly inside the summit

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crater, a pattern that has held since

the eruption began in July:

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Shishaldin remains at Advisory with

an aviation color code of Yellow,

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and minor seismic activity continues.

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Arkansas.

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FEMA approved more than 39 million dollars

in Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation

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Grant Program funding for projects in

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas.

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California.

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The Lucas Fire in Lake and Mendocino

counties stands at 4,128 acres

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and 33 percent containment, with

numerous residences and critical

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infrastructure threatened.

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Evacuation orders remain in place in

Lake County, and evacuation warnings

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extend across additional Lake County

zones and into Mendocino County.

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Roughly 2,600 personnel are assigned,

working under a North Bay incident

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management team supporting the CAL

FIRE Sonoma, Lake and Napa Unit.

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In Southern California, the Timber

Fire is at 25,426 acres and 39

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percent containment with structures

threatened, and the Plaskett Fire

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stands at 29,976 acres and 89 percent

containment, still threatening structures

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and communication infrastructure.

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Colorado.

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FEMA approved more than 90 million

dollars in Public Assistance and Hazard

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Mitigation Grant Program funding for

the state, the largest single state

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award the agency announced yesterday.

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On the fire side, the Swiss Roll Fire

is uncontained at 775 acres, and the

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Aspen Acres Fire stands at 102,004

acres and 82 percent containment.

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Florida.

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FEMA approved nearly 10 million dollars

for eight recovery and mitigation

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projects tied to past hurricanes

and other disasters in the state.

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We have more to cover this morning, but

first, a quick word from our sponsors.

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Thanks for supporting our sponsors who

help make EM Morning Brief possible.

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Now, back to this morning’s updates.

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Hawaii.

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The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

reports two new vents on the

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northwest wall of Halemaumau crater at

Kilauea, which opened Monday evening.

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The observatory says the vents are feeding

a small flow in the northwest corner of

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the crater floor without fountaining.

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Kilauea holds at alert level Watch

with an aviation color code of Orange.

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Episode 54 fountaining occurred on August

25, and precursory activity has run about

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eight days with 104 overflows recorded, so

another fountaining episode is possible.

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Activity stays inside a closed area

of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

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Hazards include sulfur dioxide

emissions producing vog downwind,

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along with tephra, ash and Pele's hair.

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Idaho.

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Crews are working several early

containment fires, including the Upper

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Smith Fire at 4,848 acres and 41 percent

containment, the Cascade Fire at 7,475

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acres and 50 percent, and the Parker

Lake Fire uncontained at 1,531 acres.

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Montana.

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The Davis Coulee Fire entered the

national report as a new large

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incident, uncontained at 2,000 acres.

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The Silvertip Fire is at 7,280 acres

and 15 percent containment, the Camp

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Creek Fire is uncontained at 9,725

acres, and the Moose Fire is at 6,005

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acres and 15 percent containment.

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Fourteen uncontained large fires are

burning across the Northern Rockies area.

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New Mexico.

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The Weather Prediction Center placed

a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall

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over the southern half of the state,

with two to three inches possible,

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and the Frijoles Fire stands at 15,956

acres and 74 percent containment.

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Oklahoma.

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Caddo County carried

two wildfires yesterday.

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A fast-moving fire near Scott prompted

an immediate evacuation order for

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residents along a block of county

roads, with officials telling people

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not to delay to pack belongings

and warning that roads in the area

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could be blocked by fire and smoke.

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At least four structures were damaged,

including three occupied homes.

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The fire department lifted the

evacuations by nine o'clock last night,

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though the fire stayed uncontained with

numerous hot spots and shifting winds.

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Investigators say it started

when a lawn mower caught fire.

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Northeast of there, the Gracemont

Fire is uncontained at 2,308 acres,

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burning range and pasture east of

Binger, where the town asked residents

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to conserve water so suppression

crews could draw what they needed.

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Statewide fire weather stays severe,

with temperatures near or above 100

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degrees, low humidity and gusty southerly

winds over drought-stressed fuels.

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Oregon.

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Evacuations are in effect on two fires.

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The Austin Fire is at 12,887 acres

and 67 percent containment, and

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the Narrows Fire stands at 304

acres and 89 percent containment.

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Elsewhere in the state, the Rowe Creek

Complex has reached 373,927 acres at

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99 percent containment, the largest

incident in the national report, and

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the Grasshopper Fire is at 93,982

acres and 97 percent containment.

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Both still carry structures threatened

notations as crews finish line.

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Pennsylvania.

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Pennsylvania American Water issued

a drinking water warning yesterday

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for the Rock Spring Water Company

system in Ferguson Township, Centre

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County, after the distribution

system lost positive water pressure.

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About 480 customer

connections are affected.

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Customers are told to bring water

to a rolling boil for one minute

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and cool it before drinking, making

ice, washing dishes, brushing

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teeth or preparing food, or to use

bottled water until further notice.

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The utility staged a non-potable

water tanker and bottled drinking

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water at the Penn State Ag Days

site in Pennsylvania Furnace.

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FEMA also approved nearly one million

dollars in Public Assistance and

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resilience funding for projects

in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

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Texas.

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The Arrowhead Fire is uncontained

at 700 acres, and the Ross Fire

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stands at 90,400 acres and 88 percent

containment in the Southern Plains,

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where extreme fire weather continues.

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Washington.

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Twenty uncontained large fires are

burning in the Northwest geographic area,

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and Washington carries most of them.

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The Three Queens Fire in Kittitas County

stands at 9,527 acres and 20 percent

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containment with evacuations in effect.

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The Little Giant Fire has reached

172,695 acres at 81 percent containment

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and continues to threaten numerous

structures and critical infrastructure.

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The Sinlahekin Fire is at 166,000

acres and 77 percent containment,

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also with structures threatened.

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Two fires sit at the early end of

containment: the Sisi Fire at 3,193

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acres and 5 percent, and the King

Fire uncontained at 3,278 acres.

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The Wonderland Complex is at 392

acres and 10 percent containment.

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That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.

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New episodes drop Monday through

Friday in the 5:00 AM hour P.T.,

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so the day starts with

clarity instead of catch-up.

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Follow on your favorite podcast player.

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EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.

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Stay Safe.

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