The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) maintained the National Preparedness Level at 3 as of September 14, reflecting an improvement from the peak Preparedness Level 5 reached during the crisis period of early August. With 13,100 personnel currently assigned to wildfire incidents across the country, resources remain stretched — but the modest reduction in preparedness level signals some easing of the extraordinary pressure on national firefighting assets that defined the height of the 2026 season.

What Preparedness Level 3 Means

NIFC's National Preparedness Level system runs from 1 (minimal demand on national resources) to 5 (maximum commitment, with all national reserves fully deployed). At PL 3, the national resource pool is significantly committed, but some strategic reserves remain available for new large fire starts. Ordering of resources from outside a geographic area becomes necessary to meet demand, and priority-setting across competing incidents becomes a key management task.

During the August peak at PL 5, virtually all nationally available crews, engines, helicopters, and air tankers were committed to active incidents. The drop to PL 3 reflects the winding down of some Oregon fires and improved containment on Washington's largest blazes, freeing some resources for repositioning.

Pacific Northwest Resource Picture

The Pacific Northwest Geographic Area Coordination Center (NWGACC) continues to manage the highest concentration of large fires in the nation, with Washington, Oregon, and Idaho collectively accounting for 27 of the nation's 57 active large fires. Incident Management Teams (IMTs) remain assigned to multiple large fires across the region.

In Idaho, seven large fires are drawing significant resources:

  • Cascade Fire (Selway Wilderness): 7,475 acres, 50% contained — Nez Perce-Clearwater NF
  • Crooked Fire: 10,081 acres, 93% contained — Boise National Forest
  • Moose Mountain: 5,832 acres, 70% contained — Nez Perce-Clearwater NF
  • Upper Smith Fire: 4,848 acres, 41% contained — Idaho Panhandle NF
  • Silver Fire: 2,593 acres, 30% contained — Idaho Panhandle NF
  • Parker Lake Fire: 1,531 acres, 0% contained — Idaho Panhandle NF
  • Doublesprings: 1,779 acres, 60% contained — Salmon-Challis NF

The Idaho Panhandle fires — Upper Smith, Silver, and Parker Lake — are receiving significant attention due to their low containment percentages and the complex terrain of far northern Idaho's Selkirk and Cabinet mountain ranges.

Air Attack and Aviation Resources

Aviation resources have been critical to the 2026 PNW response. Air tankers, single-engine air tankers (SEATs), and helicopters have been continuously in demand across Oregon and Washington since mid-July. During the August peak at PL 5, the national fleet was fully committed, requiring strategic prioritization of air attack resources among competing high-priority incidents.

At PL 3, some aviation assets are beginning to shift from pure suppression duties toward mop-up support, bucket operations on remaining hot spots, and reconnaissance flights over high-priority containment areas. The transition of large fires from active suppression to mop-up frees tanker capacity for any new ignitions that may develop during remaining high-risk September weather windows.

BAER Teams Deploying Across the Northwest

As fires reach containment, Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams are deploying to assess post-fire conditions and implement emergency stabilization treatments. BAER teams are staffed by specialists including hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, biologists, vegetation experts, and archaeologists who evaluate the burned landscape and prescribe emergency treatments to protect public safety and prevent resource degradation.

Priority BAER assessments are underway on Oregon's largest fires, where the denuded landscapes — particularly the semi-arid shrublands of eastern Oregon — face significant erosion and watershed risk when fall and winter rains arrive. Emergency rock check dams, silt barriers, and reseeding treatments are being implemented on the most vulnerable portions of the burn scars.

For fire information hotlines and resource deployment updates, visit InciWeb.wildfire.gov or NIFC.gov.