Highway 1 closes today as Timber Fire grows in Big Sur; Ross Fire hits 80,000 acres in North Texas

The national wildfire system holds at Preparedness Level 5 with 93 large fires across 16 states. In California, the Timber Fire drives an open-ended Highway 1 closure through Big Sur beginning at 1:00 p.m. today, and a new fire starts near Gorda. In Texas, the Ross Fire reaches 80,000 acres at 12 percent containment with highway closures and a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant. Indiana receives a major disaster declaration for 21 counties after the August 11 derecho, Hawaii County gets federal assistance following Hurricane Lala, and Wisconsin survivors face an August 31 application deadline. Also today: Extreme Heat Warnings across the Desert Southwest, six new entries in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in 35 years. 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

· Wildfire posture: National Preparedness Level 5 continues since July 18, with 93 large fires, more than 3.7 million active acres, and 22,356 personnel assigned across 16 states.

· Big Sur transportation impact: Highway 1 closes in both directions at 1:00 p.m. today between Andrew Molera State Park and Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn for Timber Fire backburning, with no stated reopening time. Plan detours and resupply accordingly.

· North Texas fire growth: The Ross Fire expanded roughly 30,000 acres overnight to 80,000 acres at 12 percent containment. Jack County evacuations are lifted, Palo Pinto County remains under a strong advisory, and multiple state highways stay closed.

· New federal declarations: Indiana receives Individual Assistance for 21 counties and Public Assistance for 11 after the August 11 derecho. Hawaii County receives emergency protective measures at 75 percent federal cost share after Hurricane Lala.

· Assistance deadlines: Wisconsin FEMA and SBA applications close Monday, August 31. Indiana replacement SNAP affidavits are due August 31. Louisiana’s Tropical Storm Arthur deadline is October 1, with the Terrebonne Parish recovery center closing Saturday.

· Cyber priority: CISA added six vulnerabilities to the KEV catalog on August 26, including an actively exploited Citrix NetScaler pre-authentication remote code execution flaw. Federal civilian agencies must prioritize remediation under BOD 26-04.

· Heat operations: Extreme Heat Warnings run through Friday in Nevada and Southern California and through Saturday in Arizona, with overnight lows offering little relief in the Las Vegas and Pahrump valleys.

· Public health: Pennsylvania confirms two measles deaths in Lancaster County, including an infant, the state’s first in 35 years, against 393 confirmed cases in 28 counties.

· Lifelines: Memphis Light, Gas and Water still had 13,905 customers out Wednesday morning after the August 22 windstorm, with full restoration targeted for this evening.

· Volcano watch: Great Sitkin remains at Watch, Orange. Kīlauea is paused between fountaining episodes at Advisory, Yellow, with another episode considered likely in coming weeks.

Sources

Cedric: 00:00:00

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Link is in the show notes below

or search EM Morning Brief.

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Good morning, I'm Cedric and

this is your EM Morning Brief

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for Thursday, August 27, 2026.

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The national wildfire system

remains at Preparedness Level 5,

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where it has stood since July 18.

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The National Interagency Fire

Center's latest report counts

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93 large fires burning across

16 states, with more than 3.7

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million acres active and

22,356 firefighters and

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support personnel assigned.

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Fourteen new large fires were reported

in the last operational period.

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Year to date the country has

recorded 51,295 fires and 7.9

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million acres burned, which

NIFC puts at 165 percent of the

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ten-year average for acreage.

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Two incidents drive today's operational

picture: the Timber Fire in Big Sur,

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which closes Highway 1 this afternoon,

and the Ross Fire in North Texas, which

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has grown to roughly 80,000 acres.

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Extreme Heat Warnings cover the Desert

Southwest into Southern California.

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The National Weather Service forecasts

afternoon highs of 107 to 114 in the

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Phoenix metro area, 115 to 118 in

Death Valley and the Colorado River

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Valley, and overnight lows only in

the upper 80s to low 90s across the

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Las Vegas, Moapa and Pahrump valleys.

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Those warnings run through Friday evening

in Nevada and Southern California and

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through Saturday evening in Arizona.

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Separately, the Storm Prediction

Center carries a Slight Risk of

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severe thunderstorms across parts

of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast,

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with damaging wind, isolated hail

and brief tornado potential, and

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a second Slight Risk over western

Nebraska into northwest Kansas where

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large to very large hail is possible.

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On the federal side, CISA added six

vulnerabilities to the Known Exploited

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Vulnerabilities catalog yesterday,

including a Citrix NetScaler flaw

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that allows pre-authentication

remote code execution and is

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now under active exploitation.

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Federal civilian agencies must

prioritize remediation under

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Binding Operational Directive 26-04.

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The Department of Homeland

Security lists no current National

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Terrorism Advisory System advisory.

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The President approved a major

disaster declaration for Indiana

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covering the August 11 derecho,

and an emergency declaration for

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Hawaii following Hurricane Lala.

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The State Department reissued

advisories for Honduras and for

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Israel, the West Bank and Gaza with

no level changes in either case.

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There are no active tropical cyclones

threatening the United States.

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Let's run through the states.

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California.

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The Timber Fire in Monterey County is the

highest-priority incident in the state.

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CAL FIRE reports the fire at 19,296

acres and 21 percent containment as of

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Wednesday evening, with evacuation orders

and warnings across multiple Big Sur zones

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and more than 660 structures threatened.

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The fire has crossed Ventana Creek and is

advancing northwest into the Little Sur

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drainage and the upper Carmel River basin.

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The Monterey County Sheriff's

Office says Highway 1 closes

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in both directions at 1:00 p.m.

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today, between Andrew Molera State

Park and Deetjen's Big Sur Inn,

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to support backburning operations.

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Duration is open-ended.

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A second fire, the Plaskett Fire, started

Wednesday morning east of Gorda on the

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Los Padres National Forest and was listed

at 50 acres, with an evacuation order

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for the immediate fire area and warnings

extending north and south along the coast.

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Texas.

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The Ross Fire in Palo Pinto and

Jack counties is the largest

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active incident in the state.

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Texas A&M Forest Service put the

fire at 80,000 acres and 12 percent

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containment late Wednesday, after

overnight winds pushed it roughly

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30,000 acres larger in a single day.

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The National Interagency Coordination

Center's Wednesday morning report

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carried a smaller figure of 50,000

acres at 8 percent, and described

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extreme fire behavior with long-range

spotting, wind-driven runs and crowning.

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The mandatory evacuation for southern

Jack County was lifted Wednesday morning.

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Palo Pinto County has issued

a strong advisory to leave

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rather than a mandatory order.

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Sections of Farm to Market

Road 4 and State Highways 16,

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254 and 337 remain closed.

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At least five structures are destroyed,

and Worth Ranch, a Scouting America

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camp, sustained catastrophic building

damage with no campers on site.

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Governor Abbott announced a

federal Fire Management Assistance

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Grant for the fire on Tuesday.

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Indiana.

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Recovery from the August 11 derecho

and flooding moved into a new phase

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Wednesday when the President approved

a major disaster declaration.

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Individual Assistance is approved for

21 counties, including Marion, Lake,

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Porter, Delaware and Madison, and

Public Assistance for 11 counties.

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Governor Braun had requested 54 counties,

so additional designations are possible.

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The Indiana Department of Homeland

Security's most recent full status

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report confirms seven storm-related

deaths across Delaware, Henry, Lake,

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LaPorte, Jennings and Porter counties.

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Roughly 2,400 customers remained

without power midday Wednesday,

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concentrated in Lake and Porter counties.

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Ten shelters were open with a combined

population of 221, and 25 counties

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carry local emergency declarations.

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Residents seeking replacement SNAP

benefits for storm food loss must file

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an affidavit by Monday, August 31.

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Washington.

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The state has 15 large fires.

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The Little Giant Fire in Chelan

County stands at 147,626 acres and

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23 percent containment, with Level

3 Go Now evacuations in the Chiwawa

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River drainage, the Entiat River

Valley and portions of the Lake Chelan

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shorelines, and 26 structures destroyed.

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The Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County is

at 155,491 acres and 56 percent contained.

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The Three Queens Fire near Snoqualmie

Pass has closed roughly 50 miles of the

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Pacific Crest Trail through October 31.

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County evacuation pages carry

no change in the last 24 hours.

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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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Oregon carries the largest acreage

burden in the country, with 17

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large fires and more than 1.2

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million acres.

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The Hagen Fire east of Pendleton is at

60,146 acres and 33 percent contained,

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and Umatilla County has reduced

several zones from Level 3 to Level 2.

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The Paradise Fire south of

Pendleton remains at 8,633 acres

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with zero containment and Level

3 zones along Mill Creek Road.

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In Clackamas County, a venting

chemical drum in Estacada forced

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a half-mile evacuation Wednesday

morning that was reduced and

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then cleared by early afternoon.

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Hawaii.

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Federal assistance is now

flowing for Hurricane Lala.

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FEMA designated Hawaii County for

emergency protective measures under

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Public Assistance at a 75 percent

federal cost share, with additional

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designations possible on request.

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About 3,224 Hawaiian Electric customers

on the Big Island remained without power

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early Wednesday, and full restoration

in Kau is targeted for September 8.

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A precautionary boil water notice

remains in effect for Naalehu,

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Waiohinu and several South Point

area subdivisions, with essential-use

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restrictions on multiple systems.

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Kīlauea is not erupting and

sits at Advisory, Yellow.

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Tennessee.

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Memphis Light, Gas and Water reported

13,905 customers still without

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power Wednesday morning, four

days after the August 22 windstorm

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that peaked above 140,000 outages.

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The utility's chief executive calls

it the seventh most damaging storm

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in company history, with winds above

70 miles per hour, and has targeted

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full restoration by this evening.

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The Tennessee Department of Human

Services has opened replacement SNAP

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benefits for households that lost food to

outages of 12 hours or more, with signed

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affidavits due within 10 days of the loss.

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Pennsylvania.

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The state Department of Health confirmed

that an infant was one of two unvaccinated

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patients who died while infected

with measles in Lancaster County.

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These are Pennsylvania's first

measles deaths in 35 years.

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The outbreak now stands at 393

confirmed cases across 28 counties this

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year, with roughly half in Lancaster

County and about 20 percent of state

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cases requiring hospitalization.

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Separately, a standing Department of

Energy emergency order keeps two units

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at the Eddystone Generating Station

available to operate through November 20.

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Wisconsin.

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The deadline to apply for FEMA

Individual Assistance and Small

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Business Administration disaster

loans for the April 13 to 23 storms

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and flooding is Monday, August 31.

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Nineteen counties and the Oneida Nation

are eligible, and more than 62 million

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dollars in individual and household

assistance has been approved to date.

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The Disaster Recovery Center at

the Northwest Health Center in

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Milwaukee County closes Friday.

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Montana.

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Twelve large fires are burning statewide.

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The Sand Creek Fire in Beaverhead

County is at 33,088 acres and 14

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percent contained with Go-level

evacuations near Elkhorn Hot Springs

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and Maverick Mountain, and the Pioneer

Scenic Byway remains closed between

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Sheep Creek and Grasshopper Overlook.

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Alaska.

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Great Sitkin remains at Watch,

Orange, with slow lava effusion

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continuing inside the summit crater.

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Shishaldin and Kupreanof

are at Advisory, Yellow.

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No damaging seismic events affected

the state in the last 24 hours.

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: 00:10:27

Colorado.

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The Elk Fire northwest of Lake City

in Hinsdale County is listed at 7,257

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acres and 33 percent containment

in the latest national report.

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Connecticut.

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A water main break on Hopmeadow

Street in Simsbury cut service for

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Aquarion customers early this morning.

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The utility expects

restoration between 11 a.m.

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and 1 p.m.,

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with low pressure and discolored

water possible for nearby customers.

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Idaho.

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Ten large fires are burning

statewide, including the Wildhorse

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Fire north of Kimama at 21,862

acres with zero containment.

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Louisiana.

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The Disaster Recovery Center at the

Terrebonne Parish Main Library in

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Houma closes permanently at 4 p.m.

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Saturday.

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The FEMA application deadline for Tropical

Storm Arthur damage remains October 1.

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Minnesota.

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Three large fires on the Superior National

Forest continue in de-escalation, with

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area, road and trail closures still in

place and minimal fire behavior reported.

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All other states and territories have no

significant updates in the last 24 hours.

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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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Subscribe on the Emergency Management

Network on Substack, or follow

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on your favorite podcast player.

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EM Morning Brief is an EOC Voices Podcast.

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