The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) elevated the National Preparedness Level to 3 on June 18, 2026, signaling a significant escalation in the national fire response effort. As of June 24, 32 large fires are burning uncontained across 11 states, with more than 6,200 personnel assigned to incidents across the country — including four complex incident management teams.

What Preparedness Level 3 Means

The National Preparedness Level (PL) system runs from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) and is set by the National Multi-Agency Coordination Group based on burning conditions, fire and non-fire activity, and resource availability. At PL3, national resources are being actively mobilized and shared between geographic areas. Competition for firefighting resources — crews, engines, helicopters, air tankers, and incident management teams — intensifies, and local agencies must balance prepositioning resources for new starts against the needs of large ongoing fires.

A PL3 designation also means that NIFC is closely monitoring resource availability nationwide and can begin drawing resources from geographic areas that are not yet active to support those under pressure.

Active Fire Activity by Region

The current national fire situation includes large fires in 11 states, with the heaviest concentrations in:

  • Alaska (8 large fires): Multiple fires burning in remote, lightning-dominated terrain, including the 3,194-acre Bear Fire and the 3,663-acre Kilolitna Fire.
  • Florida (5 large fires): Ongoing activity driven by seasonal drought and heat across the peninsula.
  • Utah (5 large fires): The Cottonwood Fire has grown to more than 61,000 acres, with extreme fire behavior reported. The Iron Fire at 37,172 acres is also active.
  • Arizona (4 large fires): Including the 9,530-acre Sycamore Fire north of Globe and the nearly 28,000-acre Billy Fire on the Tonto National Forest.
  • Washington (3 large fires): The Kartar Fire (near containment), the Garred Road Fire (active), and the Upriver Fire (213 acres in the Spokane area).
  • Nevada (2 large fires): The Grapevine Fire at 23,188 acres and Kane Springs Fire at 17,037 acres are both active in the Great Basin.
  • Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico (1 each).

2026 Season Statistics vs. Historical Averages

The year-to-date numbers through June 24, 2026 are striking:

  • Fires in 2026: 34,427
  • Acres in 2026: 2,774,915
  • Fires in 2025 (same date): 33,254
  • Acres in 2025 (same date): 1,724,144

The 2026 fire season has burned approximately 61% more acreage than the same period in 2025 — and 2025 was itself above the long-term average. The pace is also well ahead of 2024 (2.22 million acres) and 2023 (656,000 acres) at this date.

Resource Competition Impacts the Northwest

At PL3, the Pacific Northwest is competing with other geographic areas for national resources. The Great Basin, the Southwest, and parts of the Rocky Mountain area are all drawing heavily on national air tanker fleets, hotshot crews, and type 1 and type 2 incident management teams. Fire managers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are actively prepositioning available resources to maximize initial attack success — the best way to prevent new starts from becoming large fires that consume the resources needed elsewhere.

The Northwest Coordination Center in Portland tracks regional fire activity and resource availability, and coordinates with NIFC when national mobilization is needed. During peak seasons, resources from as far away as the southeastern United States and even international partners under the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) bilateral agreement may be deployed to the Pacific Northwest.

For the latest national fire situation, visit the NIFC website at nifc.gov or check the daily Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR).