International Crews, MAFFS Tankers, and 427 Crews Deployed as Northwest Resource Demand Hits Critical Levels

The scale of firefighting resources deployed to the Pacific Northwest has reached extraordinary levels as the 2026 fire season intensifies. As of August 5, more than 18,000 personnel across 427 crews are assigned to fires in Oregon and Washington alone, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC). Nationally, the figure exceeds 28,700 personnel on all active incidents.

International Crews Arrive

For the second time in recent years, international firefighting crews from Australia and New Zealand have been mobilized to assist with the United States wildfire crisis. A 15-member Incident Management Team and 59 individual firefighters from the two countries are currently assigned to Northwest incidents. International crews are part of a longstanding bilateral agreement between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand under which each country can request emergency firefighting assistance during periods of high concurrent demand.

The arrival of international crews reflects the degree to which domestic firefighting capacity has been stretched. With 94 large uncontained fires burning nationwide — 49 of them in the Northwest alone — NICC has been forced to draw on virtually every available resource.

MAFFS C-130 Airtankers

Four Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) C-130 airtankers have been activated and are supporting suppression efforts. MAFFS are military aircraft operated by Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units that are modified with temporary retardant-delivery systems. Two of the aircraft and their support personnel are from the 302nd Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve, Colorado).

MAFFS activations are relatively rare — they require the tanker coordinator at NICC to certify that commercial airtanker capacity has been exhausted or is insufficient to meet national demand. The current activation reflects a genuine shortage of commercial contract tanker availability relative to the number of active fires requiring aerial support.

Incident Management Teams

NIFC has deployed 27 Complex Incident Management Teams (IMTs) and one National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) to active incidents across the country. In the Northwest, major fires including the Rowe Creek Complex, Sinlahekin Fire, Spokane Area Fires, and Tartar Fire are each under the management of Type 1 or Type 2 IMTs drawn from multiple geographic areas.

The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 recently assumed command of the Tartar Fire in Idaho from Great Basin Team 3. The Oregon State Fire Marshal Blue Team and Southwest IMT 2 took joint command of the Rowe Creek Complex. These transitions reflect the high operational tempo and the need to rotate management teams to maintain effectiveness on long-duration incidents.

Aircraft Operations Across the Region

Air operations have been critical on multiple fronts. Single-engine airtankers (SEATs), heavy airtankers, Very Large Airtankers (VLATs), and helicopters have been working long operational days across eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and southern Idaho. Air operations are heavily dependent on smoke and visibility conditions — a particular challenge this week as dense smoke has reduced visibility in many fire areas.

Air Attack platforms directing aerial resources have been continuously active over the Sinlahekin, Tartar, and Spokane area incidents. Night air operations using infrared-equipped aircraft have been used to map fire perimeters and identify hot spots for next-day suppression planning.

Ground Crews and Support

Hotshot crews, Type 2 hand crews, engine companies, and dozer operators have been working in challenging terrain and heat across all major incidents. Hand crews are focused on direct and indirect fireline construction, structure protection, and mop-up operations in areas where containment has been achieved. Dozer operators have been critical on flatter terrain in the Columbia Basin and Snake River Plain where machine line construction is effective.