With more than 50 large fires burning across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana — and firefighting resources stretched thin — state and federal officials have called in military forces, out-of-state crews, and mutual aid resources to bolster suppression efforts in the Pacific Northwest.

Scale of the Deployment

According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), more than 27,900 firefighters and support personnel are engaged in nationwide fire activity as of August 3, 2026. Of those, more than 15,000 are assigned to fires in Oregon and Washington alone — representing more than half of the entire national mobilization, an extraordinary concentration of resources in a single region.

Nationally, the response includes 576 crews, 1,715 engines, and 212 helicopters. The Pacific Northwest is receiving the largest share of those assets as fires continue to spread and multiply.

Washington National Guard

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson activated 110 members of the Washington National Guard following his declaration of a State of Emergency for Spokane County. Guard members are serving as fireline support personnel, assisting with logistics, structure protection, and community support operations.

Separately, Washington DNR Commissioner Dave Upthegrove requested National Guard support earlier in the week as the agency battled 10 large, uncontained fires burning approximately 225,000 acres across the state.

Oregon Army National Guard

The Oregon Army National Guard has deployed two Chinook and two Black Hawk helicopters for water-dropping operations on the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County. The aviation assets provide critical direct attack capability in terrain that is difficult to access by ground crews.

Active-Duty U.S. Army

Approximately 250 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers mobilized to the Pacific Northwest on July 31 to assist with wildfire suppression. The deployment reflects the extraordinary scale of the 2026 fire season and the degree to which national firefighting capacity has been strained by simultaneous large fire events across multiple regions.

Out-of-State Resources

Resources from as far away as Florida have been dispatched to the Pacific Northwest, including additional engine crews, hand crews, and support staff. Incident management teams from California — including California Incident Management Teams assigned to the Little Giant Fire and the Grasshopper Fire on Mt. Hood National Forest — are providing Type 1 and Type 2 management expertise to the most complex and dangerous incidents.

Resource Strain

Fire managers have acknowledged that the sustained demand for resources is creating difficult triage decisions at the national level. With 99 large fires burning across the country, including 18 new large incidents in just the past 24 hours, the competition for firefighting resources is intense. Prioritization is based on threats to life, property, and critical infrastructure.