Utah's Iron and Cottonwood fires force evacuations as NIFC holds the nation at Preparedness Level 3

Western wildfires lead today’s brief, with Utah’s Iron Fire near Eureka and the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver each pushing past 30,000 acres and forcing evacuations, while NIFC keeps the country at Preparedness Level 3 with 31 uncontained large fires. In Arizona, the Pocket Fire north of Sedona prompts a downgrade of Oak Creek Canyon from GO to SET, and Extreme Heat Warnings push toward 114 degrees. We also cover active fires in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, near-record heat across Florida and the Southern Plains, new FEMA flood mitigation funding for New England, and a minor central California earthquake. 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• NIFC Preparedness Level 3: 31 uncontained large fires and about 5,854 personnel are committed nationwide, with activity concentrated in the Great Basin, Southwest, Northwest, and Alaska. Year-to-date acres burned run at 158 percent of the ten-year average.• Utah, structure threat: The Iron Fire near Eureka (about 31,314 acres, 9 percent) and the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver (about 31,000 acres, 0 percent) both force mandatory evacuations and road closures; both are human-caused, and no homes have been lost on the Iron Fire.• Arizona, Pocket Fire: Oak Creek Canyon eased from GO to SET at 8 a.m. today; State Route 89A remains closed, and crews prepare indirect line ahead of a midweek wind shift with gusts near 45 mph.• Western and Southern heat: Dangerous, near-record heat covers parts of the West, the Southern Plains, and Florida through Friday, with Arizona Extreme Heat Warnings near 114 degrees and possible record highs from southern Colorado into New Mexico.• Other active fires: Nevada (Grapevine, Kane Springs), Oregon (Lytle), Washington (Garred Road eased to Level 1, Kartar), and Alaska (Starry, Bear) all show ongoing operational impact.• Federal assistance: FEMA announced more than 17 million dollars in hazard mitigation funding for New England states to reduce flood risk.• Quiet on other fronts: No new NTAS bulletins, no CISA KEV additions, no State Department travel advisory level changes, and no significant earthquakes in the last 24 hours.SponsorsThe NIMS Store - https://thenimsstore.com/SourcesNIFC and National Fire• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report: June 23, 2026, 0730 MDT (PL 3, fire counts, acres, predictive discussion)• NIFC National Fire News: current large fire activityWeather and Heat• NWS Weather Prediction Center: national forecast and heat discussion• NWS HeatRisk: excessive heat outlookFEMA• FEMA Newsroom: hazard mitigation funding announcementsUSGS• USGS Latest Earthquakes mapAlaska• NIFC IMSR: Alaska Area fire summary (Starry, Bear, Pogo, Kathul, Shaw)Arizona• Arizona Emergency Information Network: Pocket Fire, Oak Creek Canyon reduced to SET• Coconino National Forest: more resources arrive to battle Pocket FireCalifornia• USGS Latest Earthquakes map: M4.2 near Ridgemark, June 23Colorado• NIFC IMSR: predictive services discussion (record-heat potential, southern Colorado into New Mexico)Florida• NIFC IMSR: Southern Area fires and Florida near-record heatIdaho• NIFC IMSR: Northern Rockies Area (Shingle Creek)Nebraska• NIFC IMSR: Rocky Mountain Area (South Fork)Nevada• NIFC IMSR: Great Basin Area (Grapevine, Kane Springs)New Mexico• NIFC IMSR: Southwest Area (Rio Fire) and Four Corners fire weatherNorth Carolina• NIFC IMSR: Southern Area (Rose Bay Canal) and Carolinas fire weatherOregon• NIFC IMSR: Northwest Area (Lytle Fire)Utah• Gephardt Daily: Iron Fire at 31K acres, 9 percent contained• KSL: Cottonwood Fire east of Beaver, evacuations• NIFC IMSR: Great Basin Area (Iron, Cottonwood, Hastings, Sawmill, Bonneville)Washington• Washington State Patrol: state fire mobilization authorized for the Garred Road Fire• Columbia Basin Herald: Garred Road Fire contained at 3,500 acres• NIFC IMSR: Northwest Area (Garred Road, Kartar)