The extraordinary scale of the 2026 Pacific Northwest fire season has triggered deployment of U.S. military forces, Air Force Reserve airtankers, and international firefighting teams to supplement the more than 30,000 civilian personnel already working on wildfires across the country, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

U.S. Army Deployment from JBLM

Approximately 200 U.S. Army soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington State have been deployed to assist with Pacific Northwest wildfire suppression at the request of NIFC. Many of the soldiers completed wildland firefighter training with the U.S. Forest Service and are equipped to support ground operations alongside civilian crews.

Military support for wildfires is authorized when civilian firefighting resources are overwhelmed and the National Preparedness Level reaches threshold conditions. With NPL at 5 — the maximum — for an extended period during the 2026 season, those conditions have been clearly met. This is the first large-scale Army deployment to Pacific Northwest fires since the region faced similarly historic conditions several years ago.

MAFFS C-130 Airtankers

Two Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) C-130 airtankers and support personnel from the 302nd Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve, Colorado) have been deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon, according to NIFC situation reports. MAFFS-equipped aircraft can deliver up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant per drop and are activated when the civilian airtanker fleet — consisting of contracted air tankers and single-engine air tankers — is at or near capacity across the nation.

International Crews from Australia and New Zealand

Firefighting crews from Australia and New Zealand are assigned to support large fires in the Northwest Area, continuing the long-standing international reciprocal firefighting agreements that allow countries to exchange personnel during their respective fire seasons. The U.S. regularly exchanges crews with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other partner nations under these agreements.

The Scope of the 2026 Season

The 101 uncontained large fires burning nationally — with Oregon, Washington, and Idaho accounting for 53 of them — represent an extraordinary draw on firefighting resources. Year-to-date, 2026 has seen 46,509 fires burn 6.4 million acres, exceeding the 10-year average fire count by 26% and the 10-year average acreage by 55%.

The pace of the season has driven suppression costs well above projections. NIFC manages allocation of crews, aircraft, and equipment across geographic areas based on priority and need, but with every major western state reporting elevated fire activity simultaneously, competition for resources remains intense. Incident commanders across the Northwest are urged to order resources early through the Northwest Coordination Center at gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc.