The Hawk Fire on the north edge of Reno reaches 27 percent containment with 32 homes destroyed and 243 people in the Red Cross shelter, while FEMA approves a Fire Management Assistance Grant and Washoe County schools stay closed. In north central Texas, the new Ross Fire grows to roughly 50,000 acres and triggers a 3:00 a.m. mandatory evacuation in southern Jack County. Memphis Light, Gas and Water still has nearly 25,000 customers dark three days after a 70 mile per hour windstorm, with 18 school campuses closed. Also in this episode: 26 Extreme Heat Warnings across the Southwest and Texas, new Red Flag Warnings for southwest California, burn scar flooding in Colorado and Utah, a CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities addition with a Thursday federal deadline, and a forecast window for Kilauea’s next fountaining episode. 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

• Hawk Fire, Nevada: More than 15,000 acres and 27 percent contained. 32 homes destroyed, six damaged, seven minor burn injuries. Shelter population 243 and falling, U.S. 395 reopened, Stead repopulating, Washoe County schools closed Tuesday, FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant approved August 24.

• Ross Fire, Texas: Roughly 50,000 acres and 5 percent contained after an overnight run from Palo Pinto County into southern Jack County. Mandatory evacuation issued just before 3:00 a.m., FM 4 closed, evacuation center at the Twin Lakes Recreation Center in Jacksboro.

• Memphis power restoration: 24,900 MLGW customers out at 7:29 a.m. Central Tuesday from a peak above 140,000. Majority restoration forecast for Thursday evening. 18 Memphis Shelby County Schools campuses closed, all after school activities canceled districtwide.

• National wildfire posture: Preparedness Level 5, 86 uncontained large fires, 22,085 personnel, 7.8 million acres year to date at 168 percent of the ten year average. Australian and New Zealand teams and 240 JBLM soldiers are supporting operations.

• Heat and fire weather: 26 Extreme Heat Warnings and 31 Heat Advisories across Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Red Flag Warnings for southwest California from Tuesday morning through Friday afternoon, with plume dominated fire potential called out.

• Burn scar flooding: Flash Flood Watch for the Aspen Acres scar in Colorado from 2:00 p.m. Tuesday. Overnight flood wave down the Paria River from Bryce Canyon, Utah into Lees Ferry, Arizona, with mudslides and rockfalls reported inside Bryce Canyon National Park.

• Cyber: CISA added CVE-2026-21962, affecting Oracle HTTP Server and the Oracle WebLogic Server Proxy Plug-in, to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Federal civilian remediation deadline is Thursday, August 27.

• Volcano: Kilauea remains at Advisory and aviation color code Yellow. Summit inflation now matches episode 53 deflation, with episode 54 most likely between Tuesday and Friday.

• Assistance deadlines: Michigan and Wisconsin applications for FEMA assistance and SBA disaster loans close 11:59 p.m. Monday, August 31.

• Water systems: New boil orders or advisories in Vermont, Virginia, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri and Mississippi, plus three emergency water main breaks in the District of Columbia Monday evening.

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Sources

NIFC and national wildfire

• National Incident Management Situation Report: PL 5, 86 uncontained large fires, 22,085 personnel, YTD acres, international and military support

CISA

• CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog: Oracle HTTP Server and WebLogic Proxy Plug-in, August 24, 2026

• Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog: catalog version 2026.08.24, remediation due August 27

DHS

• National Terrorism Advisory System: no current advisories

CDC

• E. coli and Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Alfalfa Sprouts: 55 cases, 4 hospitalizations, 15 states, updated August 24, 2026

FEMA

• FEMA Approves Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Hawk Fire, Washoe County: August 24, 2026

Weather and tropical

• NWS Active Alerts Count: Extreme Heat Warnings, Heat Advisories, Flood and Red Flag Warnings by area

• WPC Excessive Rainfall Discussion: Slight risk, northeast Florida through the Georgia coast

• NHC Active Cyclones: Moke final advisory, remnants, no U.S. watches or warnings

• NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook: AL95 and AL96, no U.S. threat

USGS

• Kilauea Volcano Status: Advisory, aviation color code Yellow, episode 54 forecast window

• Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Messages: summit inflation matches episode 53 deflation

Nevada

• Governor and Washoe County leaders provide Hawk Fire update: acreage, containment, 32 homes destroyed, injuries, U.S. 395 reopened

• Red Cross shelter at Reno Sparks Convention Center housed 243 people overnight

• Washoe County School District cancels classes Tuesday

• Governor declares state of emergency for the Hawk Fire in Washoe County

Texas

• Texas A&M Forest Service public incident feed: Ross Fire 50,000 acres 5 percent, Rio Escondido 2,500 acres 30 percent

• Mandatory evacuation order issued in southern Jack County: FM 4 closed, Jacksboro evacuation center, school delay

Tennessee

• MLGW outage count and restoration estimate

• Most Memphis schools reopen Tuesday, 18 campuses stay closed

Washington

• Hidden Meadows Fire in Clark County: Level 3 evacuations, shelter, SR 503 closure

• Three Queens Fire at 7,285 acres, containment 13 percent

• Level 3 Go Now evacuations issued for the Goat Fire in Kittitas County

• Yakima and Benton county evacuations downgraded to Level 1 for the Colwash Fire

Oregon

• McCully Fire north of Sumpter surpasses 4,000 acres: Level 3 upgrade, North Pole Fire, forest closure

• Air quality advisory issued for Baker and Umatilla counties

California

• Timber Fire evacuations expanded near Big Sur: acreage, zones, structures threatened

• CAL FIRE MP18 Fire incident page: 7,610 acres, 91 percent, Highway 96 traffic control

• NWS Los Angeles Red Flag Warning: southwest California zones, Tuesday through Friday

Colorado

• Colorado DHSEM State EOC update, August 24: Response Level 2, fire acreages, disaster declaration request, assistance centers

• NWS Pueblo Flash Flood Watch for the Aspen Acres burn scar

Idaho

• Owyhee County expands evacuations as multiple lightning caused fires burn

Hawaii

• Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Tropical Storm Moke page

Alaska

• Rain aids firefighters, safety threats remain on properties impacted by the Mukluk Fire

Arizona

• NWS Phoenix Extreme Heat Warning: temperatures and cooling center guidance

• NWS Flagstaff Flash Flood Warning: Paria River flood wave at Lees Ferry

Utah

• NWS Salt Lake City Flash Flood Warning: Bryce Canyon National Park, mudslides and rockfalls reported

Montana

• Bitterroot National Forest Nature Grove Fire update: acreage, evacuation warnings, road closures

New Mexico

• Frijoles Fire daily update: acreage, containment, evacuation status, NM 503 closure

Minnesota

• InciWeb July 2026 Superior NF Wildfires: complex acreage and containment

Indiana

• Gary power outage recovery, NIPSCO restoration timeline and ComEd assistance

Michigan

• FEMA and SBA assistance applications for April storm damage due August 31

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Emergency Management: deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is August 31

New York

• Cause of the Bronx 911 outage revealed

Vermont

• Town of Brattleboro precautionary boil water notice, August 24

Virginia

• Boil water notice issued for parts of Washington County, Virginia

Arkansas

• Okolona under boil order after pump malfunction

Iowa

• East Buchanan schools cancel first day of classes due to water main break

Missouri

• Portions of Mountain View under a boil water advisory

Mississippi

• Mississippi State Department of Health boil water alerts and rescissions

Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

• NWS San Juan active alerts: Heat Advisory for Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques

Northern Mariana Islands

• Rota opens application for the Temporary Roofing Program after Bavi