Army Soldiers, National Guard Join Firefighters as Nation Hits Preparedness Level 5 for Record 40th Day

The United States has been at National Preparedness Level 5 — the highest possible mobilization status for federal firefighting resources — for 40 consecutive days as of August 27, reflecting a fire season of historic proportions that has strained personnel and equipment to their limits. To meet the demand, the Department of Defense has deployed active-duty military soldiers alongside National Guard units to support firefighting operations across the Pacific Northwest.

What National Preparedness Level 5 Means

The National Preparedness Level (PL) system, managed by the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) in Boise, Idaho, runs from 1 to 5 based on the overall complexity and resource demand of the national fire situation. PL 5 indicates that national resources are fully committed, that additional mobilization is not possible without tradeoffs, and that the system cannot absorb new large fires without compromising response to existing ones.

The U.S. reached PL 5 on July 18, 2026, and has remained there continuously — a duration that reflects the relentless pace of fire starts across the West. Time magazine reported that as of late August, the nation had been at PL 5 for 38 consecutive days as of August 24, making 2026 exceptional even by recent elevated standards.

Military on the Fireline

In response to the resource strain, the federal government has authorized military support to civilian firefighting agencies. On the Little Giant Fire in Chelan County, Washington — currently the No. 2 priority fire in the nation — 240 active-duty Army soldiers are working alongside civilian crews on line construction, debris removal, and fire safety operations.

"We were trained in line cutting, debris removal, fire safety and fire behavior that you would see among much of the agency fire crews," said Maj. Donny Galatis, describing the soldiers' mission. "The mission is quite unique in itself. But we are here to help support the community."

The Washington Army National Guard is also activated across the state, assisting with evacuation support, logistics, and ground operations on multiple fires.

By the Numbers: August 26 Situation

Large fires nationally: 93 (14 new large fires started August 25)
Personnel committed: 22,356 firefighters and support staff
Year-to-date fires: 51,295
Year-to-date acres: 7,920,585
2025 comparison: 45,867 fires / 4,109,519 acres by same date
Active large fires in OR/WA/ID/MT: 54 combined

Surplus Equipment Being Redistributed

As fires like the Big Grass Fire on the Oregon-Idaho border reach high containment levels, equipment and personnel are being rapidly demobilized and reassigned to higher-priority incidents. Dozers, engines, water tenders, and hand crews from the Big Grass Fire were transported back to the Jordan Valley staging area for redeployment on active threats — a common logistics practice when resources are scarce system-wide.

Mutual Aid Across State Lines

Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are relying heavily on mutual aid agreements under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which allows states to share resources during declared emergencies. International crews from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have also been called in under standing wildfire crew exchange agreements to supplement the domestic firefighting workforce. The Northwest Coordination Center in Portland is managing resource requests and logistics across the region.