The air in the Santa Clara Valley shouldn't taste like a campfire in mid-January. Yet, here we are. If you’re checking your phone and wondering where are fires burning in ca at this exact moment, you aren't alone. The old "fire season" rules basically don't apply anymore. We used to think of November as the end line. Now? It’s a year-round anxiety.
California is currently dealing with a strange mix of leftover dry fuel and high-pressure wind events that keep the state on edge even when there should be snow on the ground.
Right now, the most active hotspots are concentrated in the Southern California region, specifically where the Santa Ana winds are currently peaking. According to the latest CAL FIRE incident data, the "Ventura Spark" is the primary concern for emergency crews this week. It isn't a massive, sprawling inferno like the Dixie Fire of years past, but it's fast. It’s moving through the brush near Fillmore, triggered by a downed power line during a 50-mph gust.
It’s small. For now. But in California, "small" is a relative term that can change in twenty minutes.
The Current Map: Tracking Active Incidents Across the State
If you look at the NASA FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) map today, you’ll see a handful of red dots scattered from the Oregon border down to San Diego. Most of these aren't "wildfires" in the way we see them on the nightly news. Many are controlled burns.
The U.S. Forest Service is currently taking advantage of a brief humidity window in the Sierra National Forest to clear out undergrowth. They’re working near Shaver Lake. If you see smoke there, don't panic—it’s actually a good sign. It means they’re doing the work now so we don't have a catastrophe in July.
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Then there's the Northern California situation.
Up near Redding, a small vegetation fire broke out yesterday afternoon near the I-5 corridor. CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity Unit reported it was held to under 15 acres, but it highlights a scary truth: the grass is already cured and ready to burn because the "Atmospheric River" we all hoped for in early January was basically a misting bottle.
Why the Wind is the Real Enemy Today
You’ve probably heard meteorologists talk about "Diablo Winds" or "Santa Anas." These aren't just breezy days. They are literal blowtorches. When high pressure sits over the Great Basin, it pushes air down toward the coast. As that air drops in elevation, it compresses. It gets hotter. It gets drier. By the time it hits the canyons in Malibu or Orange County, it has a relative humidity of about 5%.
That’s why finding out where are fires burning in ca depends entirely on the wind gauge.
Yesterday, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the Inland Empire. When that happens, the local utilities like PG&E or Southern California Edison start looking at Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). It’s a huge pain, honestly. Nobody likes their fridge turning off for two days, but after the Camp Fire litigation, these companies aren't taking any chances.
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How to Get Real-Time Data Without the Hype
Don't trust everything you see on social media. People love to post photos of orange skies from three years ago and claim it’s happening today. It’s annoying. If you need to know if you should be packing a "Go Bag" right now, you need the raw data.
- The CAL FIRE Incident Map: This is the gold standard. It’s updated by the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. If a fire is over 10 acres or has a name, it’s here.
- Watch Duty App: This is actually incredible. It’s a non-profit app run by volunteers and retired firefighters who listen to scanners 24/7. Often, they have a fire pinned on the map before the official state agencies even send out a tweet.
- AirNow.gov: Sometimes you can't see the flames, but you can feel the smoke. If you're in the Central Valley and it smells like a barbecue, check the AQI (Air Quality Index) here. It tracks the drift from fires that might be hundreds of miles away.
The "Zombie Fires" and Overwintering
Here is something most people get wrong about California fires. We have these things called "holdover fires." Sometimes, a lightning strike in the high Sierras during October will smolder inside a giant sequoia or deep in the root system. It stays alive under the duff, even through light snow.
Then, a dry January wind comes along, fans the embers, and suddenly you have a 100-acre fire in the middle of winter. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s a documented phenomenon that Cal Fire crews have to chase every single year.
It’s exhausting for the crews. Most of these guys used to get a "down season" to recover. Now, the state is hiring year-round because there is no longer a break. The California Department of Finance has had to increase the fire suppression budget every year for a decade. We are spending billions just to stay in place.
Is Your Area At Risk Right Now?
Look at your lawn. If the grass is yellow and "crunchy," you're in a burn zone. It doesn't matter if it’s January or July.
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The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is where the real danger lives. This is where houses meet the brush. If you live in Santa Rosa, the Oakland Hills, or the canyons of San Bernardino, you are living in a fire-dependent ecosystem. The plants want to burn. It’s how they reproduce. Our houses are just in the way of a natural biological process.
- Zone 0: This is the 5 feet immediately surrounding your house. If you have mulch or dried leaves here right now, go move them.
- The Ember Factor: Most homes don't burn because a wall of flames hits them. They burn because an ember flies two miles through the air and lands in a plastic gutter filled with pine needles.
What to Do If a Fire is Near You
If you’ve searched for where are fires burning in ca because you can see smoke from your backyard, stop reading this and check your local sheriff's Twitter or Facebook page. In 2026, the Genasys Protect (formerly Zonehaven) system is what most counties use for evacuations.
Find your zone number. Write it on your fridge.
If the police say "Warning," get your stuff ready. If they say "Order," leave. Do not wait for a knock on the door. By the time a deputy is on your street, they are risking their life to save yours because you waited too long.
Actionable Steps for the Next 24 Hours
Waiting for a crisis is a bad strategy. Here is what you should actually do today while things are relatively quiet:
- Download Watch Duty: Set the alerts for your specific county and the neighboring counties. Fires don't care about county lines.
- Screenshot your "Zone": Go to the Genasys Protect website, find your house, and take a screenshot of your evacuation zone number. If the power goes out and cell towers get congested, you want that info offline.
- Check your vents: Walk around your house. If your attic vents aren't covered with 1/8-inch metal mesh, embers can get in. You can buy the mesh at any hardware store for twenty bucks.
- Clear the Gutter: It’s a chore, but it’s the #1 reason homes are lost during winter wind events.
- Pack the "Six P's": People, Papers (IDs/Leases), Prescriptions, Pictures, Personal Computers, and Plastic (credit cards/cash).
California is beautiful, but it’s a place that demands you pay attention. The question isn't just where the fires are burning today, but how ready you are for when they move toward you tomorrow. Stay vigilant, keep your gas tank at least half full, and don't ignore the smell of smoke just because the calendar says it’s winter.