The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) has maintained the nation’s highest wildfire preparedness level — Preparedness Level 5 — since July 18, 2026, reflecting the extraordinary scale of fire activity burning simultaneously across the United States. As of August 10, more than 30,000 firefighting personnel are engaged on active incidents across the country.

National Resource Deployment

According to NIFC’s daily national fire news summary, the following resources are currently assigned to incidents nationwide:

  • Personnel: 30,419
  • Crews: 645
  • Engines: 1,870
  • Helicopters: 226
  • Large fires being managed: 94

These figures represent a near-maximum deployment of interagency wildland fire resources, drawing personnel and equipment from across the country and, through international agreements, from Canada and Australia.

What Preparedness Level 5 Means

The national preparedness scale runs from 1 to 5. Level 5 — the highest — is declared when fire activity has consumed national resources to a degree that additional fires cannot be staffed without pulling personnel from existing incidents or requesting international assistance. At this level, resources are prioritized based on values at risk, with the most threatening fires to human life and communities receiving first call on scarce assets.

For communities in the Pacific Northwest, this means that Incident Management Teams and specialized resources like Hotshot crews and air tankers may take longer to arrive at new fire starts. Early detection and rapid initial attack become even more critical during these periods.

Northwest-Specific Resource Pressures

The Northwest Geographic Area Coordination Center (NWCC) in Portland has been managing heavy resource demand across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. NIFC predictive services issued fuels and fire behavior advisories for Southwest Idaho, citing critically dry conditions that present a high risk for any new ignitions becoming large fires quickly. The Northwest region’s preparedness level also rose from 2 to 3 on July 12 before national PL5 was declared.

International Assistance

As in previous years of extreme fire activity, the U.S. has activated international resource sharing agreements with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to bring additional crews and expertise to bear on the nation’s most pressing fire situations. These crews are integrated into existing Incident Management Team structures and operate under U.S. protocols.

NIFC publishes updated resource deployment data daily at nifc.gov. The full Incident Management Situation Report for August 9 is available at nifc.gov/nicc-files/sitreprt.pdf.