Hawk Fire holds at 27 percent with 32 homes lost in Reno; Memphis power restoration stretches to Thursday

The Hawk Fire on the north edge of Reno reaches 27 percent containment with 32 homes destroyed and 243 people in the Red Cross shelter, while FEMA approves a Fire Management Assistance Grant and Washoe County schools stay closed. In north central Texas, the new Ross Fire grows to roughly 50,000 acres and triggers a 3:00 a.m. mandatory evacuation in southern Jack County. Memphis Light, Gas and Water still has nearly 25,000 customers dark three days after a 70 mile per hour windstorm, with 18 school campuses closed. Also in this episode: 26 Extreme Heat Warnings across the Southwest and Texas, new Red Flag Warnings for southwest California, burn scar flooding in Colorado and Utah, a CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities addition with a Thursday federal deadline, and a forecast window for Kilauea’s next fountaining episode. 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

• Hawk Fire, Nevada: More than 15,000 acres and 27 percent contained. 32 homes destroyed, six damaged, seven minor burn injuries. Shelter population 243 and falling, U.S. 395 reopened, Stead repopulating, Washoe County schools closed Tuesday, FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant approved August 24.

• Ross Fire, Texas: Roughly 50,000 acres and 5 percent contained after an overnight run from Palo Pinto County into southern Jack County. Mandatory evacuation issued just before 3:00 a.m., FM 4 closed, evacuation center at the Twin Lakes Recreation Center in Jacksboro.

• Memphis power restoration: 24,900 MLGW customers out at 7:29 a.m. Central Tuesday from a peak above 140,000. Majority restoration forecast for Thursday evening. 18 Memphis Shelby County Schools campuses closed, all after school activities canceled districtwide.

• National wildfire posture: Preparedness Level 5, 86 uncontained large fires, 22,085 personnel, 7.8 million acres year to date at 168 percent of the ten year average. Australian and New Zealand teams and 240 JBLM soldiers are supporting operations.

• Heat and fire weather: 26 Extreme Heat Warnings and 31 Heat Advisories across Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Red Flag Warnings for southwest California from Tuesday morning through Friday afternoon, with plume dominated fire potential called out.

• Burn scar flooding: Flash Flood Watch for the Aspen Acres scar in Colorado from 2:00 p.m. Tuesday. Overnight flood wave down the Paria River from Bryce Canyon, Utah into Lees Ferry, Arizona, with mudslides and rockfalls reported inside Bryce Canyon National Park.

• Cyber: CISA added CVE-2026-21962, affecting Oracle HTTP Server and the Oracle WebLogic Server Proxy Plug-in, to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Federal civilian remediation deadline is Thursday, August 27.

• Volcano: Kilauea remains at Advisory and aviation color code Yellow. Summit inflation now matches episode 53 deflation, with episode 54 most likely between Tuesday and Friday.

• Assistance deadlines: Michigan and Wisconsin applications for FEMA assistance and SBA disaster loans close 11:59 p.m. Monday, August 31.

• Water systems: New boil orders or advisories in Vermont, Virginia, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri and Mississippi, plus three emergency water main breaks in the District of Columbia Monday evening.

Get EM Morning Brief delivered directly to your favorite podcast player. Link is in the show notes below or search EM Morning Brief.

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Sources

Cedric: 00:00:00

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

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: 00:00:03

for Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

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: 00:00:06

Get EM Morning Brief delivered directly

to your favorite podcast player.

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: 00:00:11

Link is in the show notes below

or search EM Morning Brief.

5

: 00:00:15

The nation remains at

Preparedness Level 5.

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: 00:00:18

The National Interagency Coordination

Center counts 86 uncontained large

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: 00:00:22

fires, 131 active incidents and

22,085 personnel committed, with 7.8

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: 00:00:29

million acres burned so far this year,

or 168 percent of the ten year average.

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: 00:00:35

Australian and New Zealand incident

management teams are supporting

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: 00:00:39

the Northwest and Great Basin,

and 240 soldiers from Joint Base

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: 00:00:43

Lewis McChord are assigned to the

Little Giant Fire in Washington.

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: 00:00:48

The two highest impact fires this morning

are the Hawk Fire on the north edge

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: 00:00:52

of Reno, Nevada, where 32 homes are

destroyed and hundreds remain in shelters,

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: 00:00:58

and the new Ross Fire in north central

Texas, which grew to roughly 50,000

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: 00:01:03

acres overnight and forced a 3:00 a.m.

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: 00:01:06

mandatory evacuation in

southern Jack County.

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: 00:01:10

Heat is the dominant weather hazard.

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: 00:01:12

Twenty six Extreme Heat Warnings and

31 Heat Advisories are active across

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: 00:01:16

Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma,

Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S.

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: 00:01:22

Virgin Islands, with Phoenix forecast to

reach 106 to 116 degrees through Saturday.

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: 00:01:29

The National Weather Service has

Red Flag Warnings up for southwest

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: 00:01:32

California from this morning through

Friday afternoon, citing extreme heat,

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: 00:01:36

instability and the potential for plume

dominated fires with rapid spread.

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: 00:01:42

The Storm Prediction Center carries a

Slight risk of severe thunderstorms across

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: 00:01:46

the central Plains and upper Mississippi

Valley, and the Weather Prediction Center

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: 00:01:51

has a Slight risk of excessive rainfall

along the I-95 corridor from northeast

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: 00:01:56

Florida through the Georgia coast.

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: 00:01:59

There are no tropical watches or

warnings anywhere in the United States.

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: 00:02:04

The remnants of Tropical Depression

Moke received a final advisory

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: 00:02:07

late Monday night, and Moke is

no longer a tropical cyclone.

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: 00:02:12

On the federal side, CISA added one

vulnerability to the Known Exploited

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: 00:02:16

Vulnerabilities catalog Monday.

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: 00:02:19

It affects Oracle HTTP Server and the

Oracle WebLogic Server Proxy Plug-in,

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: 00:02:24

and federal civilian agencies have

until Thursday, August 27 to remediate.

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: 00:02:29

The Department of Homeland

Security has no current National

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: 00:02:32

Terrorism Advisory System advisory.

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: 00:02:35

CDC updated its multistate E.

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: 00:02:37

coli and Salmonella investigation

tied to alfalfa sprouts on

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: 00:02:40

Monday, now at 55 cases and four

hospitalizations across 15 states.

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: 00:02:46

And in Hawaii, the U.S.

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: 00:02:48

Geological Survey says Kilauea

summit inflation has now matched

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: 00:02:51

the deflation from the last episode,

putting the next fountaining episode

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: 00:02:55

most likely between today and Friday.

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: 00:02:58

Let’s run through the states.

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: 00:03:00

Nevada.

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: 00:03:00

The Hawk Fire in Washoe County

has burned more than 15,000 acres

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: 00:03:04

and is 27 percent contained, with

most of that on the south end.

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: 00:03:09

Damage teams count 32 homes

destroyed and six damaged, and

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: 00:03:13

seven people including three first

responders have minor burn injuries.

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: 00:03:18

U.S.

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: 00:03:18

395 has reopened in both directions and

residents in Stead are returning home.

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: 00:03:24

The Red Cross shelter at the Reno

Sparks Convention Center housed

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: 00:03:27

243 people overnight, down from

more than 400 the first night.

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: 00:03:33

Washoe County School District

canceled classes Tuesday.

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: 00:03:36

FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance

Grant Monday, and the governor’s Washoe

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: 00:03:41

County state of emergency remains

in effect, along with new bans on

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: 00:03:45

campfires and afternoon target shooting.

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: 00:03:49

Texas.

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: 00:03:50

The Ross Fire in Palo Pinto

County is listed at 50,000

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: 00:03:54

acres and 5 percent contained.

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: 00:03:56

It started Monday afternoon along U.S.

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: 00:03:58

180 west of Palo Pinto, reached five

alarms within an hour, and spread

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: 00:04:03

overnight into southern Jack County,

where a mandatory evacuation order

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: 00:04:07

went out just before 3:00 a.m.

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: 00:04:09

Tuesday near and east of Barton’s Chapel.

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: 00:04:13

FM 4 is closed and an evacuation center

is open at the Twin Lakes Recreation

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: 00:04:17

Center in Jacksboro, where schools

delayed the start of classes two hours.

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: 00:04:22

In Hamilton County, the Rio Escondido

Fire is 2,500 acres and 30 percent

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: 00:04:27

contained with recommended evacuations

near Evant and four shelter sites open.

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: 00:04:33

Texas A&M Forest Service

is at Preparedness Level 3.

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: 00:04:37

Tennessee.

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: 00:04:38

Memphis Light, Gas and Water

reports 24,900 customers still

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: 00:04:43

without power as of 7:29 a.m.

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: 00:04:45

Central Tuesday, three days after

Saturday’s storm cut service

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: 00:04:49

to nearly 140,000 households.

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: 00:04:52

Utility leadership calls it the seventh

largest storm in the utility’s history and

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: 00:04:56

forecasts that the majority of customers

will be restored by Thursday evening,

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: 00:05:01

with 75 contract crews, 27 utility

crews and 250 tree trimmers working.

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: 00:05:08

Memphis Shelby County Schools is

reopening most campuses Tuesday

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: 00:05:12

but keeping 18 closed for outages

and damage, with all after school

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: 00:05:16

activities canceled districtwide.

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: 00:05:18

A Code Orange ozone alert covers Shelby

County through late Tuesday afternoon.

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: 00:05:24

Washington.

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: 00:05:25

A new fire is the priority.

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: 00:05:27

The Hidden Meadows Fire ignited

Monday in Clark County north of

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: 00:05:30

Battle Ground near Yacolt, drawing

Level 3 Go Now orders, a shelter, and

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: 00:05:35

a full closure of State Route 503.

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: 00:05:38

In Kittitas County, the Three Queens Fire

is 7,285 acres at 13 percent with Level

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: 00:05:44

3 orders around Kachess and Cooper Lake,

and the new Goat Fire tripled overnight

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: 00:05:49

to 178 acres with its own Level 3 zone.

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: 00:05:52

The Colwash Fire near Mabton

improved to 48 percent containment

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: 00:05:56

and all Yakima and Benton county

evacuations dropped to Level 1.

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: 00:06:01

Air quality alerts cover five counties.

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: 00:06:04

Oregon.

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: 00:06:05

Baker County upgraded a Level 2 area

to Level 3 Go Now Monday as the McCully

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: 00:06:10

Fire north of Sumpter passed 4,015

acres, with the neighboring North

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: 00:06:14

Pole Fire at 242 acres and a complex

incident management team inbound.

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: 00:06:21

The Wallowa Whitman National Forest

issued an emergency area closure.

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: 00:06:26

In Clackamas County, Great Basin Team 4

took command of the Austin, Narrows and

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: 00:06:30

Mitchell fires Monday morning, with Level

3 orders still in place around the Austin

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: 00:06:34

Fire at 5,295 acres and zero containment.

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: 00:06:38

In Umatilla County, the Hagen and Paradise

fires grew only inside planned lines.

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: 00:06:44

Oregon DEQ has an air quality

advisory for Baker and northern

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: 00:06:48

Umatilla counties through Wednesday.

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: 00:06:50

California.

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: 00:06:51

The Timber Fire southeast of Big Sur

has grown to 12,616 acres at 25 percent

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: 00:06:57

containment, with evacuation orders on

seven Monterey County zones, warnings

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: 00:07:01

on eleven more, at least 661 structures

threatened and 1,368 personnel assigned.

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: 00:07:09

In Humboldt County, the MP18 Fire near

Hoopa is 91 percent contained, most zones

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: 00:07:14

have returned to normal, and Highway 96

is open under one way traffic control.

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: 00:07:19

The bigger concern is ahead: Red Flag

Warnings take effect at: 10:00

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: 00:07:24

across the southern California mountains

and the I-5 and Highway 14 corridors,

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: 00:07:29

running through Friday afternoon.

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: 00:07:32

Colorado.

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: 00:07:34

The State Emergency Operations

Center remains at Response Level 2

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: 00:07:37

with all community lifelines stable.

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: 00:07:39

The Aspen Acres Fire in Custer and Pueblo

counties stands at 102,004 acres and 77

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: 00:07:45

percent containment, and the governor

requested a Major Disaster Declaration for

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: 00:07:50

Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain on Sunday.

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: 00:07:53

The immediate hazard

is burn scar flooding.

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: 00:07:56

The Weather Service issued a Flash

Flood Warning over the Aspen Acres

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: 00:08:00

scar Monday evening and has a Flash

Flood Watch running from 2:00 p.m.

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: 00:08:04

Tuesday through the evening.

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: 00:08:06

Disaster assistance centers remain

open in Westcliffe and Pueblo.

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: 00:08:12

Idaho.

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: 00:08:13

The Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office

expanded evacuations Monday evening.

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: 00:08:17

Silver City is at Level 2 Set.

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: 00:08:20

Level 3 Go covers Riddle and the town

of Triangle plus a five mile radius.

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: 00:08:25

The Flint Fire grew from 750 acres

to roughly 3,500 acres, with two

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: 00:08:29

smaller lightning starts nearby.

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: 00:08:32

In Twin Falls County, a new lightning

caused fire in the South Hills prompted

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: 00:08:35

evacuations at Wagon Wheel Springs and

Fifth Fork Campground as it crested

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: 00:08:40

Deadline Ridge toward summer cabins.

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: 00:08:44

Hawaii.

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: 00:08:45

Moke is done.

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: 00:08:46

The National Hurricane Center

issued its final advisory on the

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: 00:08:50

storm’s remnants at 11:00 p.m.

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: 00:08:51

Monday and the state deactivated its

Joint Information Center at noon Monday.

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: 00:08:57

Recovery from Hurricane Lala continues,

with about 6,460 Hawaiian Electric

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: 00:09:02

customers on Hawaii Island still

without power and full restoration

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: 00:09:06

in the hardest hit Kaū district

not expected until September 8.

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: 00:09:11

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park partially

reopened Kilauea summit areas Monday,

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: 00:09:15

while the Kahuku Unit stays closed.

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: 00:09:18

Kilauea remains at Advisory and

aviation color code Yellow with

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: 00:09:22

episode 54 expected this week.

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: 00:09:25

We have more to cover this morning, but

first, a quick word from our sponsors.

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: 00:09:30

Thanks for supporting our sponsors who

help make EM Morning Brief possible.

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: 00:09:34

Now, back to this morning’s updates.

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: 00:09:37

Alaska.

150

: 00:09:38

The Mukluk Fire outside Tok

is 7,260 acres and 29 percent

151

: 00:09:43

contained with 328 personnel.

152

: 00:09:47

Rain allowed officials to lift all

Level 1 and Level 2 zones, but the

153

: 00:09:50

Level 3 Go Midnight Sun Zone north

of the Alaska Highway remains because

154

: 00:09:54

of hazard trees while crews work to

restore power ahead of repopulation.

155

: 00:10:00

Arizona.

156

: 00:10:01

Extreme Heat Warnings run through Saturday

evening, with 106 to 116 degrees forecast

157

: 00:10:07

in metro Phoenix and 107 to 118 in the

Yuma and lower Colorado River area.

158

: 00:10:13

Maricopa County residents are

directed to 2-1-1 for cooling

159

: 00:10:16

centers, transportation and water.

160

: 00:10:19

Overnight, a flood wave moving

down the Paria River from Utah

161

: 00:10:23

triggered a Flash Flood Warning

at Lees Ferry in Coconino County.

162

: 00:10:27

Utah.

163

: 00:10:29

Heavy rain over Bryce Canyon National

Park drove Flash Flood Warnings in

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: 00:10:33

Garfield and Kane counties Monday

afternoon, and the Park Service reported

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: 00:10:36

mudslides and rockfalls inside the park.

166

: 00:10:39

The resulting flood

wave crossed under U.S.

167

: 00:10:42

89 late Monday night and

continued into Arizona.

168

: 00:10:45

A separate warning covered the

Babylon burn scar in San Juan County.

169

: 00:10:51

Montana.

170

: 00:10:52

The lightning caused Nature Grove Fire

is 175 acres about 13 miles east of

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: 00:10:57

Hamilton, with Ravalli County evacuation

warnings still in place east of the

172

: 00:11:02

1800 block on both sides of the Skalkaho

Highway and several forest roads closed.

173

: 00:11:07

A new start, the Falls Point Fire west

of Lost Trail Pass, is estimated at 25 to

174

: 00:11:13

30 acres with three helicopters assigned.

175

: 00:11:17

New Mexico.

176

: 00:11:17

The Frijoles Fire in Santa Fe and Rio

Arriba counties holds at 15,226 acres and

177

: 00:11:23

45 percent containment with 913 personnel.

178

: 00:11:26

Cundiyo, Cerro Piñon and Borrego

Mesa remain in Set status, and New

179

: 00:11:31

Mexico 503 stays closed between

County Road 98 and State Road 76.

180

: 00:11:37

Minnesota.

181

: 00:11:38

The July Superior National Forest complex

is 76,032 acres and 71 percent contained.

182

: 00:11:45

The Forest Service lifted all campfire

restrictions across the entire Superior

183

: 00:11:49

National Forest, including the Boundary

Waters, on Monday, and two more Echo

184

: 00:11:53

Trail entry points reopen Tuesday.

185

: 00:11:56

Several wilderness areas remain closed.

186

: 00:11:59

Indiana.

187

: 00:12:01

Northern Indiana Public Service

Company reports roughly 3,878

188

: 00:12:05

customers still without power two

weeks after the August 11 derecho, out

189

: 00:12:09

of about 374,500 cumulative outages.

190

: 00:12:14

The utility now promises Gary

residents restoration by: 11:59

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: 00:12:18

Tuesday after extending that deadline

once, with ComEd crews coming

192

: 00:12:22

in from Illinois to help finish.

193

: 00:12:24

Michigan.

194

: 00:12:25

One week remains to apply for FEMA

Individual Assistance and Small

195

: 00:12:29

Business Administration physical

damage loans for the April storms,

196

: 00:12:33

with a deadline of 11:59 p.m.

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: 00:12:35

Monday, August 31.

198

: 00:12:38

More than 5,000 applicants are approved

and just over 28 million dollars has been

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: 00:12:44

obligated across the 27 declared counties.

200

: 00:12:47

Wisconsin.

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: 00:12:48

Survivors of the April 13 to 23

storms and flooding also have until

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: 00:12:53

Monday, August 31 to apply for

FEMA assistance or a Small Business

203

: 00:12:58

Administration home disaster loan.

204

: 00:13:00

The declaration covers 19 counties plus

the Oneida Nation, and business physical

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: 00:13:05

loan applications close the same day.

206

: 00:13:08

New York.

207

: 00:13:10

City officials say a Motorola software

update pushed early on August 18

208

: 00:13:15

caused the Bronx 911 failure in which

roughly 1,700 of more than 5,000 calls

209

: 00:13:20

to the Bronx call center went silent

and: 10:00

210

: 00:13:26

Officials say most callers were

able to call back and connect.

211

: 00:13:30

Vermont.

212

: 00:13:32

Brattleboro issued a precautionary boil

water notice Monday after main breaks on

213

: 00:13:36

Green Street and Pine Street, covering

about 30 streets and neighborhoods.

214

: 00:13:41

Sample results are

expected Tuesday afternoon.

215

: 00:13:45

Virginia.

216

: 00:13:46

A boil water notice took effect Monday for

parts of Washington County in the Mendota

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: 00:13:50

area after line maintenance required

localized system depressurization.

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: 00:13:56

Arkansas.

219

: 00:13:57

The Arkansas Department of Health

placed Okolona Waterworks under a

220

: 00:14:00

systemwide boil order at 11:17 a.m.

221

: 00:14:03

Monday after a pump malfunction.

222

: 00:14:06

Iowa.

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: 00:14:06

Winthrop is under a boil advisory

after a water main break dropped

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: 00:14:09

system pressure Monday morning, and

the East Buchanan school district

225

: 00:14:14

canceled its first day of classes.

226

: 00:14:17

Missouri.

227

: 00:14:18

Portions of Mountain View are under a

boil water advisory as of Monday afternoon

228

: 00:14:22

after a contractor struck a water line.

229

: 00:14:26

Mississippi.

230

: 00:14:28

The state health department issued a boil

water alert Monday for Progress Community

231

: 00:14:32

Water in Lamar County and rescinded

alerts for the Pearl River Valley Water

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: 00:14:36

Supply District and the City of Richland.

233

: 00:14:40

All other states have no significant

updates in the last 24 hours.

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: 00:14:45

Territories

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: 00:14:46

Puerto Rico.

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: 00:14:47

A Heat Advisory issued early Tuesday

covers the entire island plus

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: 00:14:51

Culebra and Vieques through 5:00 p.m.

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: 00:14:53

Atlantic time.

239

: 00:14:54

No load shed or generation

emergency is reported.

240

: 00:14:58

U.S.

241

: 00:14:59

Virgin Islands.

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: 00:15:01

VITEMA reports St.

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: 00:15:02

Croix is producing about 2.5

244

: 00:15:04

million gallons of potable water

per day against demand of 3 to 3.2

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: 00:15:08

million gallons while the territory

remains under a Level 3 drought emergency,

246

: 00:15:13

and warns Saharan dust will reach moderate

to high concentrations at midweek.

247

: 00:15:18

A Heat Advisory also covers

all three islands Tuesday.

248

: 00:15:22

Northern Mariana Islands.

249

: 00:15:24

Rota has opened applications for the

Temporary Roofing Program for Super

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: 00:15:28

Typhoon Bavi damage, with intake

at the island’s Survivor Recovery

251

: 00:15:32

Center Monday through Saturday.

252

: 00:15:35

Officials say applying does not

affect a resident’s Individual

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: 00:15:38

Assistance eligibility.

254

: 00:15:40

All other territories have no

significant updates in the last 24 hours.

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: 00:15:45

That wraps today’s EM Morning Brief.

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: 00:15:48

New episodes drop Monday through

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

257

: 00:15:52

so the day starts with

clarity instead of catch-up.

258

: 00:15:55

Subscribe on the Emergency Management

Network on Substack, or follow

259

: 00:15:59

on your favorite podcast player.

260

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EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.

261

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