The scale of the 2026 wildfire season has pushed the nation's firefighting apparatus to near-peak capacity, with the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reporting nearly 17,000 personnel assigned to active incidents and military air assets now in the field to supplement the civilian fleet. The country has been at National Preparedness Level 4 since June 29 — one step below the maximum — reflecting the degree to which resources are committed across all geographic areas.

MAFFS C-130 Airtankers Deployed

Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) C-130 Hercules airtankers and their support personnel from the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing are currently deployed to San Bernardino and Santa Maria, California. MAFFS units are integrated into standard military C-130 aircraft and can each deliver up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in a single drop.

The MAFFS system represents an important surge capacity tool. These assets are activated during periods of exceptional fire demand when the commercial airtanker fleet is fully committed, providing the interagency system with additional large air tanker capability without the overhead of year-round aircraft contracts. Activation requires a formal request from the U.S. Forest Service to the Department of Defense.

The National Firefighting Workforce

As of July 14, the interagency firefighting system has mobilized personnel from across the country to active incidents:

  • Nearly 17,000 personnel assigned to wildfire incidents nationally
  • Firefighters drawn from federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • State resources from Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington DNR, Idaho Department of Lands, and agencies across the country
  • Contract crews, private hand crews, and cooperators supplementing federal and state forces
  • International resources and crews mobilized under reciprocal agreements where available

Northwest Preparedness at Level 3

While the national system sits at PL4, the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NWCC) in Portland is at regional Preparedness Level 3, indicating that regional resources are substantially committed to active incidents in Oregon and Washington. With five large Oregon fires and one large Washington fire on the national roster — plus four in Idaho — the Pacific Northwest is a significant contributor to national resource demand.

At PL3 and above, ordering additional resources from outside the region becomes increasingly competitive. NWCC acts as the coordination hub for resource requests, logistics, aviation support, and predictive services for all state and federal agencies in Oregon and Washington.

Aerial Resources in the Pacific Northwest

Multiple air resources are currently supporting Pacific Northwest fire operations, including:

  • Single-engine air tankers (SEATs) for rapid initial attack on new ignitions
  • Large air tankers for retardant drops on larger fires
  • Helicopters for water drops, crew transport, and reconnaissance
  • Air attack platforms (lead planes) for airtanker coordination
  • Unmanned aerial systems (drones) for reconnaissance and night operations

Wildland Fire Aviation Safety

Aviation operations in wildfire environments carry significant inherent risk. The wildland fire community is mourning the recent death of a contract helicopter pilot fatally injured in an aircraft accident on the Gold Mountain Fire near Telluride, Colorado, on July 12. As crews work around the clock in difficult terrain and degraded visibility, aviation safety remains a paramount priority for all incident commanders and agency administrators.