If you're asking are the fires still burning in California, the answer is rarely a simple "no." It's January 2026. Usually, this is when we’d be talking about snowpacks and atmospheric rivers. Instead, the state is dealing with a reality that experts at CAL FIRE and the California Air Resources Board have been shouting from the rooftops for years. Fire season isn't a season anymore. It’s a calendar.
Fire burns somewhere in the Golden State almost every single day. Seriously. Even when the news cameras pack up and the national headlines move on to the next political scandal, smoke is often rising from a canyon in Ventura or a ridge in Shasta.
Right now, we aren't seeing the massive, apocalyptic "megafires" like the Dixie or August Complex that defined the early 2020s. But that doesn't mean the ground is cold. In the high-altitude forests of the Sierra Nevada, deep organic matter—what wildland firefighters call "duff"—can actually smolder under a layer of snow for months. It’s eerie. You’ll see a white landscape with a thin ribbon of blue smoke snaking out of a stump.
Why the question "are the fires still burning in California" is so complicated
Most people think of a fire as an active wall of flame. To a scientist, a fire is "burning" until it is officially declared out. That distinction matters. A fire can be 100% contained, meaning there is a line around it, but it might not be "controlled" or "out" for a long time.
Take the recent activity in the Southern California foothills. Even with the winter humidity, the invasive grasses that grew during the last wet spring have turned into "flashy fuels." They ignite from a single spark—a dragging trailer chain or a discarded cigarette. While the massive 100,000-acre blazes are currently dormant, smaller, localized brush fires are popping up weekly.
Climate change has basically broken the old rules.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA who many Californians follow religiously on his "Weather West" blog, often points out that "winter" in California is becoming a series of short, intense bursts of rain separated by long, dry, warm spells. During those dry spells, the vegetation dries out fast. Suddenly, it’s 75 degrees in January, the Santa Ana winds kick up, and we're right back to checking the fire maps.
The ghost fires of the Sierras
There is this phenomenon called "zombie fires." It sounds like a bad horror movie, but it's a legitimate concern for the U.S. Forest Service. In heavily timbered areas, a fire can retreat into the root systems of ancient trees. It eats away at the carbon underground, protected from the rain and snow. When the spring thaw hits and the winds return, these spots can flare back up.
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So, technically, yes. In the deepest parts of the wilderness, embers from last summer's lightning strikes might still be pulsing with heat.
The human cost of the "perpetual" fire
It’s exhausting. Honestly, the mental health toll on residents in places like Santa Rosa, Paradise, or the San Bernardino Mountains is huge. When the wind picks up, people get "fire anxiety." They smell a neighbor's fireplace and their heart rate jumps.
Living here means keeping a "Go Bag" by the door in November, December, and now even January. You've got your N95 masks, your hard drives, and your pet carriers ready. It's a weird way to live, but it's the price of admission for the California dream lately.
Insurance companies have noticed, too. If you’ve tried to renew a policy in a "High Fire Severity Zone" lately, you know the pain. Major carriers like State Farm and Allstate have pulled back, leaving people to rely on the FAIR Plan—California’s insurer of last resort. It’s expensive. It’s basically a second mortgage for some families.
Prescribed burns: The fires we actually want
Not all smoke is bad news. If you see a plume of smoke right now near the Central Coast or the North Woods, it might actually be a good thing.
State agencies have massively ramped up "prescribed burns." This is where professionals intentionally set fire to the underbrush under very specific weather conditions. They’re trying to clear out the "fuel ladder" so that when a real wildfire hits in July, it stays on the ground and doesn't crown in the treetops.
- Managed fires: These are controlled and monitored.
- Cultural burning: Indigenous tribes like the Yurok and Karuk are leading the way in bringing traditional fire stewardship back to the land.
- Pile burning: After a logging or thinning operation, crews burn the leftover debris in the winter when it's safe.
If you’re checking a map and see a small fire icon, check the description. Often, it's a "planned ignition." These fires are the best tool we have to prevent the catastrophic ones.
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What the current data actually shows
If you look at the CAL FIRE incident map today, you'll see a few active icons. Most are "controlled" or "in mop-up." Mop-up is the grueling work where firefighters literally crawl through the dirt to find "hot spots" and douse them with water or dirt. It’s unglamorous and backbreaking.
We are currently in a transition period. The state is investing billions in new tech. We’re talking about AI-powered cameras on mountaintops that can spot a wisp of smoke at 2:00 AM before a human even smells it. We have FireWatch helicopters with night-vision capabilities that can drop water in the middle of the night—something that was too dangerous just a decade ago.
The "Are the fires still burning in California" question also depends on where you are.
Northern California: Generally damp right now, but the timber is still heavy with dead trees from the bark beetle infestation.
Central Valley: Foggy and moist, very low risk.
Southern California: High risk whenever the offshore winds blow.
How to stay informed without losing your mind
Don't rely on national news. They only show up when a mansion is on fire or an entire town is evacuated. For the day-to-day reality, you need hyper-local sources.
The Watch Duty app is basically the gold standard now. It’s run by volunteers and retired fire professionals who monitor radio scanners 24/7. They provide updates way faster than official government channels. If a tractor starts a small grass fire in a rural county, Watch Duty will ping you before the first fire engine even arrives on the scene.
Another great resource is the "PurpleAir" network. Sometimes the fires are small, but the smoke settles into the valleys. Monitoring the Air Quality Index (AQI) is just a part of California life now, like checking the traffic or the surf report.
Misconceptions about "Total Containment"
One thing that trips people up is the term "contained." If a fire is 95% contained, that last 5% is usually in a cliffside or a ravine where it’s too dangerous to send crews. That 5% can sit there and smolder for weeks. It doesn’t mean the fire is "running," but it does mean it’s still "burning."
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Rain helps, but it’s not a magic wand. You need "soaking" rains to penetrate the thick forest canopy. A light drizzle doesn't do much for a fire burning inside a massive old-growth cedar.
Actionable steps for the current season
Since the threat is now year-round, your preparation should be too. Don't wait for a Red Flag Warning to think about your home's defensible space.
- Clean your gutters now. Dry leaves in a gutter are the #1 way houses catch fire. An ember flies a mile ahead of the main fire, lands in your gutter, and your roof is gone.
- Hardening the home. Check your attic vents. If the mesh is wider than 1/8th of an inch, replace it. Fine mesh keeps those blowing embers out of your attic.
- Update your digital footprint. Make sure you’re signed up for your specific county’s emergency alerts (like CodeRED or AlertSCC). Don't assume the "Wireless Emergency Alerts" on your phone will always work.
- Vegetation management. Take advantage of the wet soil right now to pull up those invasive weeds before they turn into dry kindling in May. Focus on the first 5 feet around your foundation—this should be "non-combustible" (think gravel or pavers, not wood mulch).
- Review your insurance. Seriously. Take photos of every room in your house and upload them to the cloud. If the worst happens, you’ll need proof of what you owned.
California is a fire-adapted landscape. It always has been. The plants here—like the Manzanita and the Bishop Pine—actually need fire to reproduce. The problem is that we’ve built our lives and homes right in the middle of that cycle.
So, are the fires still burning? In some capacity, always. But the intensity of the current moment is low. We are in a breathing period. It's the time to prepare, to clear brush, and to advocate for better forest management. The smoke might be thin today, but the cycle continues. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and don't let the clear blue skies trick you into complacency.
For real-time updates, keep a close eye on the CAL FIRE incidents page and the NASA FIRMS satellite data, which shows thermal anomalies across the state in near real-time. Knowledge is the only thing that actually lowers the anxiety of living in the fire belt.
Next Steps for Residents:
- Download the Watch Duty app to get real-time, verified alerts on any new ignitions in your area.
- Schedule a free home wildfire assessment with your local fire department or "Fire Safe Council" to identify your home's biggest vulnerabilities.
- Check the "AirNow" app daily if you have respiratory issues, as lingering smoke from prescribed burns can still impact air quality in valley regions.