The National Interagency Fire Center elevated the nation to Preparedness Level 3 on June 18, 2026, reflecting the increasing scale and complexity of wildland fire activity across multiple regions of the country. As of Friday, June 26, 37 large fires remained uncontained nationwide, with more than 6,700 personnel deployed to incidents from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Basin.

What Preparedness Level 3 Means

The National Preparedness Level (PL) system runs on a scale of 1 to 5 and measures the overall demand for firefighting resources relative to available national supply. At PL3, geographic areas are increasingly drawing on national support to manage active incidents. While resource capability remains sufficient to sustain current operations, competition for crews, aircraft, and equipment is intensifying. A further escalation to PL4 or PL5 would indicate that demand is outpacing the available national resource pool.

National Snapshot — June 26, 2026

  • 37 large fires uncontained nationwide
  • 6,700+ personnel assigned to incidents across the country
  • 4 complex incident management teams (CIMTs) committed
  • 34,038 fires have burned more than 2.7 million acres in 2026 to date
  • 6 new large fires reported in the past 24 hours

Great Basin the Most Active Region

The Great Basin — encompassing Nevada, Utah, and surrounding areas — is currently the most active geographic area, accounting for the largest concentration of large fires. The Cottonwood Fire in Utah's Beaver County has grown to over 70,000 acres, making it the largest active fire in the nation and one of the most destructive in Utah history. FEMA has authorized disaster funds for the fire, which has threatened more than 300 homes and critical infrastructure.

Pacific Northwest Resources Under Pressure

The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) is tracking multiple large fires in Washington and preparing for the expected increase in activity across Oregon and Idaho beginning in July. With the entire inland Northwest projected to experience above-normal fire potential through the summer, competition for nationally available resources will intensify further in the weeks ahead. Fire managers are urging communities to complete evacuation plans and preparedness steps now, before the peak of the season.