# InciWeb API

> InciWeb returns active wildfire listings and incident updates as a workflow and API.

InciWeb lists active fire-related incidents by state, ordered by table updates; it needs a state and optionally a maximum result count.

- Page: https://fous.com/workflows/inciweb
- Handle: `@inciweb`
- Category: [Government](https://fous.com/workflows/category/government)
- Source website: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with InciWeb.

## Methods

### Get wildfire

Operation `get_wildfire`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

Get the latest reported status and dated update for a named InciWeb wildfire, including evacuation and closure notices. Past notices may no longer apply; older fires not in InciWeb’s index may not be found.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `state` | string | no | `"WA"` | US state name or two-letter code to distinguish fires of the same name, for example California or CA. |
| `fire_name` | string | yes | `"Sinlahekin Fire"` | Wildfire name as shown on InciWeb, for example Park Fire. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "fire_name"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "state": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "",
      "description": "US state name or two-letter code to distinguish fires of the same name, for example California or CA.",
      "examples": [
        "WA",
        "California"
      ]
    },
    "fire_name": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Wildfire name as shown on InciWeb, for example Park Fire.",
      "examples": [
        "Sinlahekin Fire",
        "Park Fire"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "state": "WA",
      "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire"
    },
    {
      "state": "California",
      "fire_name": "Park Fire"
    },
    {
      "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `cause` | string or null | `"Lightning/Natural"` | Reported cause. |
| `state` | string or null | `"Washington"` | US state of the wildfire. |
| `location` | string or null | `"12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA"` | Incident location in words. |
| `fire_name` | string | `"Sinlahekin Fire"` | Name of the wildfire. |
| `size_acres` | number or null | `166026` | Reported incident area in acres. |
| `start_date` | string or null | `"2026-07-26"` | Start date in YYYY-MM-DD format. |
| `inciweb_link` | string | `"https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wanes-sinlahekin-fire"` | InciWeb incident information page. |
| `fuels_involved` | string or null | `"Short Grass (1 foot), Brush (2 feet) and Timber (Litter & Understory). Below 3,000 feet elevation, the fuels contributi` | Fuels involved as described by InciWeb. |
| `total_personnel` | number or null | `382` | Number of personnel assigned. |
| `latest_update_text` | string or null |  | Text of the most recent dated incident publication. |
| `latest_update_time` | string or null | `"2026-09-25T10:05:00-07:00"` | Publication date-time with UTC offset. |
| `containment_percent` | number or null | `93` | Reported perimeter containment percentage. |
| `road_or_area_closures` | string or null | `"Lassen National Forest lands, roads, and trails within the Park Fire Closure Area remain temporarily closed for the saf` | Road or area closure information in plain text. |
| `evacuation_information` | string or null | `"Last posted evacuation notice (2026-08-19; current status not confirmed): UPDATE: Sinlahekin Fire, Tonasket, WA. Evacua` | Reported evacuation information in plain text. |
| `official_announcements` | array |  | Official incident announcements shown on InciWeb. |
| `official_announcements[].link` | string | `"https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/wanes-sinlahekin-fire/blm-reduces-fire-closure-area-near-sinlahekin-f` | InciWeb announcement page. |
| `official_announcements[].title` | string | `"BLM Reduces Fire Closure Area Near Sinlahekin Fire 09-09-2026"` | Announcement title. |
| `estimated_containment_date` | string or null | `"2024-09-30"` | Estimated containment date in YYYY-MM-DD format. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "state": "WA",
  "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "cause": "Lightning/Natural",
  "state": "Washington",
  "location": "12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA",
  "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire",
  "size_acres": 166026,
  "start_date": "2026-07-26",
  "inciweb_link": "https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wanes-sinlahekin-fire",
  "fuels_involved": "Short Grass (1 foot), Brush (2 feet) and Timber (Litter & Understory). Below 3,000 feet elevation, the fuels contributing to fire spread are dominated by grass and sage brush. Above 3,000 feet elevati…",
  "total_personnel": 382,
  "latest_update_text": "Sinlahekin Fire Update September 25, 2026 Daily Update Quick Facts Size: 166,007 acres Start Date: July 26, 2026 Cause: Lightning/Natural Containment: 93% Personnel: 521 Location: 12 Miles W of Tonask…",
  "latest_update_time": "2026-09-25T10:05:00-07:00",
  "containment_percent": 93,
  "road_or_area_closures": "Multiple roads, trails and campgrounds in and around the fire area remain closed. Do not enter closed areas for hunting, woodcutting or recreation. Entering closed areas can interfere with firefighter…",
  "evacuation_information": "Last posted evacuation notice (2026-08-19; current status not confirmed): UPDATE: Sinlahekin Fire, Tonasket, WA. Evacuation Zone A150 REDUCED. Issued: 08-19-2026 at 05:34 PM Evacuation Zone A150 north…",
  "official_announcements": [
    {
      "link": "https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/wanes-sinlahekin-fire/blm-reduces-fire-closure-area-near-sinlahekin-fire-09-09-2026",
      "title": "BLM Reduces Fire Closure Area Near Sinlahekin Fire 09-09-2026"
    },
    {
      "link": "https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-publication/wanes-sinlahekin-fire/colville-national-forest-moves-to-stage-1-fire-restrictions-09-04-2026",
      "title": "Colville National Forest Moves to Stage 1 Fire Restrictions 09-04-2026"
    }
  ],
  "estimated_containment_date": null
}
```

### List active wildfires

Operation `list_active_wildfires`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

List active InciWeb fire incidents in a US state, newest table updates first. Details not published for an incident are null; listed incidents may include prescribed fires and other active fire-related incident types.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `state` | string | yes | `"WA"` | US state name or two-letter postal code, for example California or CA. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `3` | Maximum incidents to return, for example 25. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "state"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "state": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "US state name or two-letter postal code, for example California or CA.",
      "examples": [
        "WA",
        "California",
        "Delaware"
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 25,
      "maximum": 100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum incidents to return, for example 25.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        3,
        5
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "state": "WA",
      "max_results": 3
    },
    {
      "state": "California",
      "max_results": 5
    },
    {
      "state": "Delaware"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `fires` | array |  | Active incidents shown for the state, in InciWeb update order. |
| `fires[].cause` | string or null | `"Lightning/Natural"` | Reported cause, when known. |
| `fires[].location` | string or null | `"12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA"` | Incident location in words. |
| `fires[].fire_name` | string | `"Sinlahekin Fire"` | Fire name shown on InciWeb. |
| `fires[].size_acres` | number or null | `166026` | Reported incident size in acres. |
| `fires[].start_date` | string or null | `"2026-07-26"` | Incident start date, YYYY-MM-DD. |
| `fires[].inciweb_link` | string | `"https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wanes-sinlahekin-fire"` | InciWeb incident page. |
| `fires[].last_updated` | string or null | `"2026-09-28T22:33:00-04:00"` | Most recent incident information update, ISO 8601 with offset. |
| `fires[].incident_type` | string or null | `"Wildfire"` | Type of fire-related incident. |
| `fires[].containment_percent` | number or null | `93` | Percent of perimeter contained. |
| `fires[].evacuation_or_closure_note` | string or null | `"Multiple roads, trails and campgrounds in and around the fire area remain closed. Do not enter closed areas for hunting` | Short evacuation or closure note when published. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "state": "WA",
  "max_results": 3
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "fires": [
    {
      "cause": "Lightning/Natural",
      "location": "12 Miles W of Tonasket, WA",
      "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire",
      "size_acres": 166026,
      "start_date": "2026-07-26",
      "inciweb_link": "https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wanes-sinlahekin-fire",
      "last_updated": "2026-09-28T22:33:00-04:00",
      "incident_type": "Wildfire",
      "containment_percent": 93,
      "evacuation_or_closure_note": "Multiple roads, trails and campgrounds in and around the fire area remain closed. Do not enter closed areas for hunting, woodcutting or recreation. Entering closed areas can interfere with firefighter…"
    },
    {
      "cause": "Lightning",
      "location": "10 miles northwest of Stehekin, WA",
      "fire_name": "Sisi Fire",
      "size_acres": 4330,
      "start_date": "2026-08-14",
      "inciweb_link": "https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/waowf-sisi-fire",
      "last_updated": "2026-09-28T22:10:00-04:00",
      "incident_type": "Wildfire",
      "containment_percent": 15,
      "evacuation_or_closure_note": "The Pacific Crest Trail remains closed between the North Cascades National Park/Glacier Peak Wilderness boundary and High Bridge along the Agnes Creek portion of the trail."
    },
    {
      "cause": "Lightning",
      "location": "30 miles NW of Leavenworth, WA",
      "fire_name": "Little Giant Fire",
      "size_acres": 172891,
      "start_date": "2026-07-15",
      "inciweb_link": "https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/waowf-little-giant-fire",
      "last_updated": "2026-09-28T22:09:00-04:00",
      "incident_type": "Wildfire",
      "containment_percent": 91,
      "evacuation_or_closure_note": "Updates on alerts and evacuations can be obtained here on the Chelan County Emergency Management Facebook page, or the website at https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/emergency-management/pages/active-emergenc…"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@inciweb",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_wildfire",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "state": "WA",
    "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@inciweb\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"get_wildfire\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"state\": \"WA\",\n    \"fire_name\": \"Sinlahekin Fire\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=120) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@inciweb",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_wildfire",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "state": "WA",
    "fire_name": "Sinlahekin Fire"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@inciweb","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## Use cases

- Track active fire-related incidents by state
- Review reported wildfire size and containment
- Monitor incident updates and assigned personnel
- Check reported evacuation information and closures
- Collect incident announcements for team briefings

## FAQ

### Is Fous affiliated with InciWeb?

No. Fous is not affiliated with InciWeb. This workflow reads the public inciweb.wildfire.gov website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. With pay-as-you-go, a credit costs 1¢; monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a InciWeb account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from inciweb.wildfire.gov when you run it; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check on Sep 29, 2026.

### What active fire-related incidents are listed in a state?

List active wildfires returns incidents for a state, including names, locations, reported sizes, update times, and other published details.

### What is the latest reported status of a named wildfire?

Get wildfire returns the latest reported status and dated incident update for a fire name, optionally narrowed by state.

### What evacuation information or closures are reported?

Get wildfire returns reported evacuation information and road or area closures for a named wildfire.

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- [All Government workflows](https://fous.com/workflows/category/government)