The Pacific Northwest wildfire crisis has triggered one of the largest international firefighting mobilizations in U.S. history, with crews from Australia and New Zealand embedded on fires across Oregon and Washington, Canadian airtankers operating out of Boise, and military MAFFS aircraft flying retardant missions alongside civilian contractors. With 29,363 personnel assigned to wildland fire incidents nationwide as of August 15, the nation's firefighting capacity is operating at or near its maximum.
Australian and New Zealand Crews on the Ground
Three 15-member Incident Management Teams and 196 fireline management personnel from Australia and New Zealand are now assigned to large fires in the Northwest and Great Basin Geographic Areas, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The deployment came in response to a formal request as domestic resources were stretched across dozens of simultaneous large fires.
An additional fresh group of more than 100 firefighters from Western Australia and New Zealand arrived recently to reinforce the Australian-Kiwi presence already in place, according to reporting by Australian outlets. The international crews are working on fires in both Oregon and Washington, helping fill staffing gaps on handcrew assignments, line construction, and mop-up operations.
Notably absent from the mutual aid picture this year is Canada — which in previous years sent substantial firefighting resources to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. This summer, Canada is contending with its own severe wildfire season and has been unable to spare personnel and equipment for international deployment.
Military and Aviation Assets
Military Airlift Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) C-130 aircraft — four of them, according to previous NW FireWatch reporting — are flying tanker missions alongside civilian large airtankers. Two Large Airtankers and one Birddog (lead plane) from Manitoba, Canada, have also deployed to Boise in support of Pacific Northwest operations.
The Washington National Guard has activated hundreds of soldiers for fireline work, conducting fire line construction, hose lays, mop-up operations, debris clearing, and brushing and chipping. Guard units have been working alongside agency firefighters from across the country at fires near Leavenworth and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Washington.
Resources Drawn From Across the Nation
Beyond international and military assistance, firefighting agencies have drawn personnel and equipment from as far away as Florida and other southeastern states to support Pacific Northwest operations. The logistics operation required to move thousands of firefighters, engines, tenders, dozers, and support personnel to the region is being managed through the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NWCC) in Portland and the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) in Boise.
Both the Northwest Geographic Area and the national fire preparedness system remain at Preparedness Level 5 — the maximum — meaning virtually no additional resources are available in reserve. Fire managers warn that any new major ignition would compete for the same resource pool already committed to 88 active large fires nationwide.
The Human Side of the Response
Managing 25 Incident Management Teams simultaneously across Oregon and Washington demands extraordinary coordination. Fire behavior analysts, logistics specialists, communications officers, overhead teams, and countless support personnel are operating in a sustained surge environment that has lasted for weeks.
"These firefighters and support personnel working across the country to protect communities, critical infrastructure and public lands remain the backbone of the nation's wildfire response," NIFC stated in its August 15 update — a recognition of the extraordinary effort being sustained under conditions that show no immediate sign of easing.