The Deschutes, Malheur, and Sawtooth national forests are launching fall prescribed burning programs this week, using intentional, controlled fires to reduce fuel loads and protect communities from future catastrophic wildfires.

Rainfall near the Cascades is clearing wildfire smoke from much of Oregon and Washington, though Southwest Washington around Vancouver remains under an air quality advisory for smoke drifting from Oregon fires.

The Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park has grown to 4,606 acres and is 30% contained, keeping more than 800 personnel busy in remote wilderness terrain as the national fire season slowly winds down.

The Narrows Fire near Estacada is nearly out, and fire restrictions have been lifted across Mt. Hood National Forest as autumn rains return to the Oregon Cascades.

The Little Giant Fire in Chelan County and the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County — two of Washington’s largest wildfires of 2026 — are both approaching full containment as autumn weather brings relief to crews.

The Bitterroot National Forest is conducting thousands of acres of fall prescribed burns near Hamilton and Conner, Montana, as land managers race to reduce fuel loads ahead of next fire season. Separately, the Nature Grove Fire remains active at 1,422 acres with minimal behavior following recent rain.

The Narrows Fire on the Mt. Hood National Forest is 98% contained at 305 acres near Estacada, Oregon — among the last active large incidents on Oregon national forest lands as the state transitions out of a record-breaking 2026 season that burned over 2.3 million acres statewide.

Oregon's Legislature approved nearly $123 million in emergency wildfire funding — $108 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry and $15 million to the State Fire Marshal — after a record-shattering season that burned 2.3 million acres and cost the state more than $236 million through late August.

As National Preparedness Month draws to a close, the 2026 wildfire season stands as a sobering reminder of the stakes: 57,087 fires, 8.5 million acres, seven weeks at National Preparedness Level 5, and over $6 billion in federal firefighting costs. Officials urge the public to use this moment to strengthen emergency readiness.

Air quality advisories for wildfire smoke have affected the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington this week, driven by smoke from Oregon and Washington fires and Canadian wildfire transport. Improving weather — including increased rainfall west of the Cascades — is expected to bring relief.

Washington's statewide burn ban expires September 30, but fire officials are warning residents not to mistake the lifting of restrictions for the end of fire danger. Officials say no season-ending precipitation has arrived, fuels remain dry in Central Washington, and human-caused fire starts remain a significant concern.

The Upper Smith Fire in northern Idaho's Panhandle remains at 4,848 acres and 41% contained near the Canadian border. Burning since July 8 in steep, fuel-heavy terrain, officials expect full containment will require a season-ending precipitation event — with a target date of December 31.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office reduced evacuation warning levels tied to the Goat Fire on September 18 as the lightning-caused blaze reached 85% containment at 815 acres. Road access has been partially restored, though a forest closure order and structure protection measures remain in effect.

Ten large fires remain active across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies as the 2026 fire season eases from its summer peak. NIFC reports 6,824 firefighters still assigned nationally, with the Upper Smith, Goat, and Nature Grove fires among active incidents in Idaho, Washington, and Montana.

Oregon's massive Rowe Creek Complex — at nearly 374,000 acres one of the largest fires in state history — has reached 99% containment and transferred management back to local agencies, as other major fires across Mt. Hood and Umatilla national forests near full containment.

Recent rainfall has calmed fire behavior across Washington's Cascade mountain fires, bringing good news for crews managing the Little Giant and Sinlahekin fires — but a new fast-moving blaze near Benton City is commanding statewide resources as of Saturday morning.

While rain-driven improvements are bringing cleaner air to Portland, Seattle, and communities west of the Cascades, eastern Washington and Idaho continue to see elevated wildfire smoke levels, with air quality reaching the Unhealthy range in parts of southern Idaho this week.

The National Interagency Fire Center lowered the national preparedness level to PL 2 on September 22, marking a significant shift from a summer that saw the nation at its maximum preparedness level for seven straight weeks — even as 26 large fires continue to burn nationwide.

Oregon has burned more than 2.3 million acres in 2026 — shattering the state's previous wildfire acreage record — and the Oregon Legislature's Joint Emergency Board has approved $122.8 million in emergency funding, with total suppression costs projected to exceed $350 million before the season ends.

The Deschutes National Forest is preparing to launch its fall understory prescribed burning program as early as Tuesday, with up to 5,886 acres planned across the Bend-Fort Rock, Crescent, and Sisters ranger districts — a key step in reducing wildfire risk to communities across central Oregon.