A firefighting aircraft goes down on Colorado’s Gold Mountain Fire, killing the pilot, as the nation holds at Preparedness Level 4 with 44 uncontained large fires. All-time record heat blankets the Great Basin through the northern Plains, with Extreme Heat Warnings stretching into the upper Midwest and watches reaching the East Coast. Level 3 evacuations are in effect for Granite, Oregon, the Chelan area in Washington, and zones near California’s Elephant Fire, while flash flooding hits northwest North Carolina, Fort Worth, and east Tennessee, and Kilauea’s next fountaining episode is forecast for July 13 to 15. 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 holds at Preparedness Level 4 with 44 uncontained large fires, 12 new large incidents, and more than 15,000 personnel committed; year-to-date acreage is 137 percent of the 10-year average.

• Colorado aviation fatality: An aircraft working the Gold Mountain Fire went down in Silver Jack Reservoir Sunday evening and the pilot is deceased; mandatory evacuations continue on Gold Mountain and Aspen Acres, which has destroyed more than 850 structures.

• Record heat event: All-time record highs hit the Great Basin to the northern High Plains Sunday; Extreme Heat Warnings cover a dozen states from Idaho and Utah to Minnesota and the Michigan Upper Peninsula, with watches ahead of midweek heat in Southern California and the Philadelphia corridor.

• Pacific Northwest evacuations: Granite, Oregon remains under Level 3 Go Now with the Conflagration Act invoked; East Evans Creek Fire holds Level 3 zones in Jackson County; the Transfer Fire forced Level 3 evacuations in Chelan, Washington, closed US 97, and burned behind the local hospital.

• California fires and heat: Evacuation order in effect on the Elephant Fire north of Loyalton; Summit Fire evacuation warnings continue in Los Angeles County; Extreme Heat Watches posted for much of Southern California.

• Flooding east of the Rockies: Flash flooding is ongoing in northwest North Carolina and Tarrant County, Texas; flood watches cover east Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and southeast West Virginia; Missouri’s flood response continues under a state emergency declaration.

• Kilauea watch item: USGS forecasts the next lava fountaining episode between July 13 and July 15; alert level remains Advisory.

Sources

NIFC and Wildfire

• NIFC National Incident Management Situation Report (July 12): preparedness level, uncontained large fires, fire statistics

NOAA and NWS

• WPC Short Range Forecast Discussion: record heat and heavy rain pattern

• SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook: marginal severe risk areas

• NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook: no development expected over seven days

• NWS Active Alerts: extreme heat, flood, flash flood, and red flag warnings by state

USGS

• USGS Volcano Updates: Kilauea paused, next fountaining episode likely July 13 to 15

CISA

• CISA Cybersecurity Advisories: no new advisories in the last 24 hours

California

• CAL FIRE Elephant Fire incident page: acreage, containment, evacuation zones

• CAL FIRE Summit Fire incident page: acreage, containment, evacuation warnings, shelter

Colorado

• Gunnison County Emergency Management: Gold Mountain Fire update, aircraft down, evacuations

• Colorado DHSEM SEOC Update July 12: Aspen Acres Fire status and evacuations

Kentucky and Missouri

• Weather.com: Louisville water rescues, Salem strandings, record Black River crest

• Missouri Governor’s Office: state of emergency for southeast Missouri flooding

Minnesota

• CBS Minnesota: dangerous heat through midweek, cooling centers open

Oregon

• KPTV: Granite ordered to evacuate, Kotek invokes Conflagration Act

• Jackson County: East Evans Creek Fire evacuation notices

• KATU: East Evans Creek Fire grows to 3,154 acres

Tennessee

• WCYB: Greene County water rescue and bridge closure

Utah

• Gephardt Daily: Cottonwood Fire 77 percent contained at 97,373 acres

• ABC4: restricted property-owner access begins on the Cottonwood Fire

Washington

• FOX 13 Seattle: Transfer Fire burns behind Lake Chelan Health hospital, US 97 closed

• KOMO: Chelan County Level 3 evacuation and emergency center

Good morning.

The nation remains at preparedness level four.

The National Interagency Coordination center reports 44 uncontained large fires, 12 new large incidents and more than 15,000 personnel committed across 83 active incidents totaling 696,739 acres.

The great Basin and Rocky Mountain areas are Both at preparedness level 4 and 2 MAFS C130 air tankers from the California Air National Guard are operating out of San Bernardino and Santa Maria.

Year to date, burned acreage stands at 137% of the 10 year average.

Dangerous heat is the dominant weather story.

Portions of the Great Basin through the Northern High Plains set all time record highs on Sunday and extreme heat warnings remain in effect from the Great Basin through the Northern Plains with watches and advisories reaching into the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and New England.

Flash flood threats continue near the Southern Appalachians while a heavy rain event develops across the Texas Hill country and Big Bend and monsoonal moisture keeps flash flood potential alive across the Intermountain West.

The National Hurricane center expects no tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic over the next seven days.

In Hawaii, the U.S. geological Survey reports the Kilauea Summit eruption is paused with the next lava fountaining episode likely between July 13 and July 15.

The volcano remains at advisory.

There are no new CISA advisories, no new CDC Health Alert Network advisories and no changes to the National Terrorism Advisory System in the last 24 hours.

Let's run through the states.

California the Elephant Fire in Sierra and Lassen counties stands at 6,436 acres and 5% containment north of Loyalton.

An evacuation order is in effect for lassen county zone LS451A with warnings for adjacent Lassen and Plumas county zones after the fire grew roughly 2,000 acres Sunday evening in Los Angeles County.

The Summit Fire near llano holds at 2,690 acres and 31% containment with evacuation warnings in effect and a shelter open at the Antelope Valley Family ymca.

The National Weather Service issued extreme heat watches early this morning covering much of Southern California including the Los Angeles Basin, the Inland Empire and San Diego county valleys ahead of a multi day heat event beginning midweek.

Colorado an aircraft engaged in firefighting operations on the Gold Mountain Fire went down in Silverjack Reservoir At 5:17pm Sunday, Gunnison county reports the pilot, the sole occupant, is deceased.

The Fire stands at 35,621 acres and 13% containment and Zone 32 subdivisions remain under mandatory evacuation.

The Aspen Acres fire southwest of Pueblo is at roughly 98,100 acres and 35% containment, with mandatory evacuations continuing in portions of Custer, Pueblo and Huerfano counties.

Some areas are being downgraded to pre evacuation status and Beulah residents are beginning phased RE entry.

The fire has destroyed more than 850 structures.

Delaware an extreme heat watch issued early this morning covers New Castle county with heat index values up to 108 possible Wednesday.

Extreme heat warnings cover eastern Idaho, including the upper and lower Snake River Plain, the eastern Magic Valley and the Teton Valley.

Illinois Flood warnings on the Illinois river are extended at Beardstown through July 19 and near Havana through July 17 as upstream runoff works downriver.

No evacuations are reported.

Iowa the Cedar river is in minor flood at Cedar Falls and Waterloo, with flood warnings extended Sunday evening into Tuesday.

A flood watch also covers Muscatine and Louisa counties.

Kentucky Flash flooding across the Louisville area Sunday prompted water rescues as vehicles stalled in high water, with additional vehicles stranded in floodwaters in Salem in western Kentucky.

Michigan an extreme heat warning covers the Upper Peninsula today with heat index values of 105 to 110, an unusual magnitude of heat for the region.

Extreme heat watches are posted for central and eastern lower Michigan for the coming days.

Extreme heat warnings cover much of the state, including the Twin Cities metro, with heat index values near 100 to as high as 110.

Cooling centers are open across Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

At the same time, a red flag warning covers far northern Minnesota, where the Thumb Fire in the Superior National Forest is a new large incident with evacuations in effect and national incident Management Organization Team 3 mobilizing.

Missouri the National Weather Service extended the flood warning on the Meramec river at Pacific into Tuesday, with minor flooding occurring statewide.

Response to last week's historic southeast Missouri flooding continues under the governor's July 10 emergency declaration, which followed more than 350 water rescues.

Montana Extreme heat warnings cover a broad swath of eastern Montana, including Billings and the lower Yellowstone Valley.

The Storm Prediction center also carries a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms across western Montana this afternoon and evening.

Nebraska Red flag warnings cover the Panhandle through Monday evening, including Scotts Bluff, the Pine Ridge and the Nebraska National Forest zones.

New Jersey an extreme heat watch covers Mercer, Camden, Gloucester and northwestern Burlington counties, with heat index values up to 108 possible Wednesday.

North Carolina Flash flooding is ongoing this morning in the Northwest, where Warnings for Surrey, Wilkes and Allegheny Counties south cite 2 to 5 inches of rain already fallen, with more falling at 2 to 4 inches per hour.

A flood watch covers northwest North Carolina until 8pm tonight as a slow moving upper low keeps storms training over the same areas.

North Dakota an extreme heat warning covers most of western and central North Dakota, including Williston, Minot, Dickinson, Bismarck and Jamestown.

Oregon the town of Granite in Grant county remains Under a Level 3 go now evacuation as the Olive Butte fire burns at 386 acres with no containment.

Governor Kotec invoked the Emergency Conflagration act on Saturday official Update published roughly 40 hours ago and the Oregon State Fire Marshal has mobilized an incident management team and four structural task forces.

A Red Cross shelter is open in Sumter in Jackson County.

The East Evans Creek fire northeast of Rogue river is at 3,154 acres and 0% containment with Level 3, 2 and 1 evacuation notices in effect, more than 400 personnel assigned and a shelter open at Hanby Middle School in Gold Hill, Pennsylvania an extreme heat watch covers Philadelphia and surrounding counties with heat index values up to 108 possible Wednesday.

South Dakota an extreme heat warning covers north central counties while red flag warnings cover much of western South Dakota, including the Black Hills foothills and the Badlands, pairing critical fire weather with the heat event.

A flood watch covers a large swath of east Tennessee until 8pm tonight.

In Greene county, crews rescued two people and four dogs from a home surrounded by water on Sunday and A bridge on St. James Road remains closed.

Texas A flash flood warning is in effect for Tarrant county this morning, affecting Fort Worth, Arlington and surrounding cities after 1 to 3 inches of rain.

With more falling, forecasters expect a broader heavy rain event to develop across the Hill country and Big Bend over the next couple of days.

The Cottonwood Fire east of beaver is at 97,373 acres and 77% containment.

Evacuations remain in effect for several mountain communities.

SR153 is closed from Beaver to Junction and the Beaver and Puke county sheriffs began allowing restricted property owner reentry to the LeBaron and Arrowhead areas on Sunday.

The Babylon Fire in San Juan county remains the state's largest at roughly 104,800 acres and 47% containment, per Sunday's National Situation Report.

Extreme heat warnings cover southern and western Utah, including Lake Powell, Virginia A flood watch covers Southwest Virginia until 8pm tonight, including the Roanoke and New river valleys.

Washington the transfer fire ignited Sunday on the east side of Chelin, prompting a level three go now evacuation for the Columbia View Road and Atkins Heights Lane area.

U.S. 97 is closed in both directions between mileposts 235 and 237 and flames burned directly behind Lake Chelin Health Hospital, which was not planning to evacuate as of Sunday afternoon.

An emergency center is open at the United Methodist church in Chelin, West Virginia a flood watch covers southeastern West Virginia until 8pm tonight.

Extreme heat warnings cover northwest Wisconsin, with heat advisories across much of the rest of the state.

Wyoming Extreme heat warnings cover the Bighorn Basin to Jackson Hole, the Wind River Basin and lower elevations of Natrona County.

A red flag warning is in effect through Monday evening for the North Laramie Range and Shirley Basin.

All other states and territories have no significant updates in the last 24 hours.

That wraps today's EM Morning Brief.

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