The Sandy Fire, discovered at around 10:50 local time (LT) on May 18, 2026, has burned more than 526 ha (1 300 acres) across Simi Valley in Ventura County, California, forcing mandatory evacuations for more than 10 000 homes and triggering warnings for thousands more as firefighters battle rapid fire spread driven by dry and windy conditions.
A record-breaking wildfire burning on California’s Santa Rosa Island has scorched more than 5 900 ha (14 600 acres) and continues to threaten rare Torrey pine trees, endangered plant species, and historic structures.
A State of Disaster Emergency has been declared for the state of Colorado due to the rapidly growing Sharpe Fire that has scorched 11 400 ha (28 000 acres). Mandatory evacuations were issued for Campo and surrounding rural areas in southeastern Colorado after the Sharpe Fire crossed from Oklahoma under critical fire weather conditions on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placed 80 780 km² (31 190 mi²) of the southern High Plains under an Extremely Critical fire-weather outlook for Sunday, May 17, 2026, warning that dangerous wildfire spread conditions are expected across extreme eastern New Mexico, the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, extreme southeastern Colorado, and far southwestern Kansas.
Dry lightning, severe outflow winds, single-digit to teen relative humidity, and receptive fuels created Critical fire weather conditions across parts of the Plains and southern High Plains on May 15, 2026.
Wildfires burning across the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico have scorched more than 18 000 ha (44 500 acres) since May 14, prompting evacuations near Amarillo and along the New Mexico–Texas border
The NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a Critical fire weather forecast for parts of eastern Montana into west-central North Dakota valid from 12:00 UTC on May 11 through 12:00 UTC on May 12, 2026, as multiple National Weather Service offices warned that strong winds, low humidity, dry fuels, and frontal wind shifts would support rapid wildfire spread across parts of the northern and central Plains.
A large wildfire burning in western Broward County, Florida, has scorched nearly 2 023 ha (5 000 acres) as of May 11, 2026, sending smoke toward the Pembroke Pines area while fire crews worked to contain the blaze. It was 20% contained after burning approximately 1 942 ha (4 800 acres), according to the Florida Forest Service (FFS).
A massive forest fire broke out in Ukraine’s Chernobyl exclusion zone on May 7, 2026, following the crash of two drones and has spread across approximately 1 200 ha (2 965 acres), according to the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve (CREBR). While the fire situation is under control as of May 9, the threat of landmines in the area coupled with strong winds and dry air continues to complicate suppression efforts.
The Highway 41 Fire west of Miami, Florida, doubled in size to approximately 2 023 ha (5 000 acres) between April 27 and April 28, 2026, with no containment reported. Authorities have closed sections of Everglades National Park as smoke impacts travel along U.S. Route 41.
