Nation at Preparedness Level 4: 49 Large Fires Burning Across 13 States

The United States is navigating one of the most demanding stretches of wildfire activity in years, with the National Interagency Fire Center reporting 49 uncontained large fires burning across 13 states as of July 2, 2026. National Preparedness Level 4 — just one step below the maximum — has been in effect since June 29, with more than 9,600 personnel actively deployed to incidents nationwide.

National Situation Overview

The NIFC daily report shows 49 large uncontained fires with a combined footprint of approximately 581,993 acres burning across the country. Four new large fires were reported on July 1 alone, including new ignitions in the Northwest and Alaska, where conditions have been ripe for new starts.

Year-to-date statistics paint a sobering picture: as of July 2, 36,463 fires have burned more than 3.2 million acres across the United States. That total significantly outpaces the same period in 2025 (34,932 fires, 1.95 million acres) and 2024 (21,788 fires, 2.6 million acres).

States with Active Large Fires

Large fire activity is distributed across a wide swath of the West and other regions:

Alaska — 16 large fires (most in the nation)
Utah — 7 large fires, including the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver, currently the largest single fire in the nation
Colorado — 5 large fires
Nevada — 4 large fires
New Mexico — 4 large fires
Arizona — 3 large fires
Florida — 3 large fires
Washington — 2 large fires
Idaho — 1 large fire
Oregon — 1 large fire
Wyoming, Nebraska, and North Carolina — 1 each

Pacific Northwest in the Mix

Washington and Oregon each appear on the national large fire roster, as fire activity in the Northwest accelerates earlier than in recent memory. The Northwest Coordination Center has been coordinating resource requests across both Oregon and Washington, with additional Incident Management Teams and aviation resources pre-positioned ahead of expected demand through the holiday weekend.

Idaho’s single listed large fire is located within the state, while the broader NIFC seasonal outlook warns that above-normal fire potential will spread steadily northward into Idaho and Wyoming as July progresses.

Preparedness Level 4 — What It Means

National Preparedness Level 4 indicates that a very high level of wildland fire activity is occurring nationally, with significant resource competition among geographic areas. At PL 4:

Incident Management Teams are actively deployed or on standby across multiple regions
National resource sharing is in effect, with agencies drawing on equipment and personnel from across the country
Aviation assets, hand crews, and engine resources may be prioritized based on threat-to-life and structures
Local and state agencies may face delays in receiving support resources due to national demand

PL 5, the maximum, would indicate that virtually all national firefighting capacity is committed. NIFC has not yet reached that threshold, but fire managers acknowledge that another round of significant ignitions could push the system there quickly.

Week of Remembrance