An atmospheric river is forecast to deliver heavy precipitation to Oregon and Washington through mid-November, further suppressing already-low fire potential and contributing to snowpack recovery after a critically dry winter.

At least two Oregon wildland firefighters gave their lives during the 2026 fire season, joining more than 20 killed nationally. As the season closes, the Pacific Northwest pauses to remember those who did not come home.

For weeks this summer, air quality across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho reached levels health officials described as the worst on record. As the season closes, public health agencies are drawing lessons and pushing communities to prepare for 2027.

BLM and U.S. Forest Service units across Oregon and Washington are conducting fall prescribed burns while simultaneously launching post-season after-action reviews to assess resource gaps exposed by the record 2026 fire season.

Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou and Wallowa-Whitman national forests are actively conducting fall prescribed pile burns this week, using the moderate weather window to reduce hazardous fuel loads ahead of the 2027 fire season.

A new Stanford University report on wildfire policy calls for expanded prescribed burning, forest thinning, and home hardening programs — released as the federal government restructures its wildland fire workforce under the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service.

The National Interagency Fire Center reports 9.4 million acres burned nationally through end of October — 146% of the 10-year average — as fire weather calms across the country and the National Preparedness Level falls to 1.

The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service have launched fall and winter prescribed burning operations across Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho, taking advantage of autumn weather windows to reduce fuel loads ahead of the 2027 fire season.

The Three Queens Fire on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington's Kittitas County is 90% contained at 9,575 acres, with closures reduced and evacuation orders lifted, as the state's historic 2026 fire season winds to a close.

Two of Oregon's most significant 2026 wildfires — the Grasshopper Fire at 93,972 acres and the Austin Fire at 12,888 acres — are nearing final containment on the Mt. Hood National Forest, with crews targeting a December 1 closure date.

Oregon's Department of Forestry has officially declared the end of the 2026 wildfire season — the most destructive on record — after more than 2.5 million acres burned statewide and suppression costs topped $1.4 billion.

The wildfire suppression funding fix that prevents fire borrowing from other Forest Service programs expires at the end of FY2027, triggering a congressional budget debate after a season that cost billions.

The 2026 smoke season was among the worst on record for Pacific Northwest communities, with Chelan, Okanogan, and Walla Walla counties experiencing prolonged stretches of hazardous air quality from multiple large fires.

Congressman Baumgartner (WA-05) introduced the Healthy Forests Incentives Act, linking forest stewardship to private-sector tax incentives after a season that destroyed 700+ homes in eastern Washington.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is resuming fall prescribed burns to reduce fuel loads following a devastating season that saw three major fires burn within or adjacent to its boundaries.

A train of atmospheric rivers is delivering heavy rain to the Pacific Northwest through mid-November, with 60-70%+ above-normal precipitation odds cementing the end of the 2026 fire season.

NIFC is holding at National Preparedness Level 1, the lowest tier, with just four large fires burning nationwide. The 2026 season has recorded 9.47 million acres burned—146% of the 10-year average.

Washington’s 2026 fire season burned over 900,000 acres. The Little Giant (172,912 acres), Sinlahekin (166,007 acres), and Kaiser Canyon (138,293 acres) fires dominated a devastating summer across Chelan and Okanogan counties.

Oregon officially closed its 2026 wildfire season after a record 2.5 million acres burned statewide, shattering the previous record of 1.9 million acres set just two years ago.

Washington, Oregon, and Idaho saw historic wildfire smoke exposure in 2026, with several counties recording their worst air quality in 20 years of monitoring. Health agencies are reviewing impacts on vulnerable populations and planning expanded sensor networks ahead of 2027.