22,400 Firefighters on the Line as Northwest Drops from Maximum Preparedness Level

The sheer scale of the 2026 fire season has stretched federal and state firefighting resources to the limit. As of September 1, 22,434 firefighters and support personnel are deployed to wildfire incidents across the United States — a massive mobilization that reflects the extraordinary demands of a season already burning well above historical averages.

Northwest Preparedness Level Drops for First Time in 44 Days

In what fire managers are treating as a cautiously positive development, the Northwest Geographic Area dropped from Preparedness Level 5 (PL5) to Preparedness Level 4 on August 31 — the first reduction after an unprecedented 44 consecutive days at the highest possible level.

The five-level preparedness scale reflects the overall severity of fire conditions and the demand for firefighting resources:

PL1: Normal activity, resources readily available
PL2: Elevated activity, some resource competition
PL3: High activity, resources becoming scarce
PL4: Very high activity, significant resource shortfalls possible
PL5: Extreme activity, maximum mobilization, resources critically committed

Even at PL4, the Northwest remains in a resource-stressed posture. The national level is still at PL5, meaning that competition for crews, air tankers, and overhead teams between regions remains intense.

Idaho and Washington: 14 Large Fires Each

Idaho and Washington are tied for the most large fires of any state in the nation, with 14 each. This has placed enormous pressure on the regional coordination centers at NIFC in Boise, which have been managing resource orders and priority assignments across a multi-state theater of operations.

Key resources that have been heavily utilized this season include:

Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams: Multiple teams have been cycling through PNW assignments for months
Hotshot Crews: 20-person elite hand crews from across the West have been deployed extensively across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho
Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs): Aerial resources have been critical for initial attack and structure protection in steep terrain
Type 1 and Type 2 Helicopters: Used for helitack operations, crew transport, and precision retardant drops in areas inaccessible to ground forces

International Assistance

Given the extraordinary demands of the 2026 season, the United States has been coordinating with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) for mutual aid resources, including hand crews and equipment from Canadian provinces. Australia and New Zealand, through the Southern Hemisphere fire exchange program, also contributed resources during their off-season earlier in 2026.

Idaho Panhandle Fires Draw Resources

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are hosting several significant fires, including:

A fire burning 4,701 acres (42% contained) six miles west of Porthill, in the far northern Idaho Panhandle
A fire burning 2,424 acres (0% contained) near Roman Nose on the Silver Dollar Peak area
The Cascade Fire on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests (6,800 acres, 50% contained), located 19 miles east of Lowell

The concentration of fires in the Idaho Panhandle has impacted communities in Boundary and Bonner counties and generated heavy smoke that has affected Sandpoint, Coeur d'Alene, and the surrounding region.

Looking Ahead