The nation's wildfire response machine is running at full capacity. The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) has maintained National Preparedness Level 5 — the highest tier of emergency mobilization — as firefighting agencies struggle to keep pace with one of the most demanding seasons in modern history.

By the Numbers

As of the Monday, September 7 situation report from NIFC, the scope of active operations is staggering:

  • 15,855 firefighters and support personnel assigned to incidents nationwide
  • 66 large fires burning across eight geographic areas
  • 53,233 total fires reported nationwide in 2026
  • 8.3+ million acres burned so far this season
  • National Preparedness Level 5 maintained throughout August and into September

At Preparedness Level 5, all available national resources — including shared resources from non-fire agencies and international partners — can be mobilized. Fire managers across the country have been navigating a resource allocation puzzle for weeks, prioritizing which incidents get airtankers, hotshot crews, and incident management teams based on threat to life and property.

Military Air Assets Deployed

In a sign of the extraordinary demand on resources, the U.S. military has deployed air assets to support wildland fire operations. Two Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) C-130 airtankers and their support personnel from the 146th Airlift Wing of the California Air National Guard have been deployed to San Bernardino, California, to support wildland fire operations nationally.

MAFFS units are military cargo aircraft modified to carry and drop fire retardant. They are activated only when civilian airtanker capacity is exhausted or when operations demand a surge in air attack capability. Their deployment this season reflects the sustained pressure on the nation's fixed-wing air fleet, which has been working around the clock across multiple fronts.

Incident Management Teams in the Field

Across the Pacific Northwest, multiple Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams are managing the region's most complex fires. The Critical Incident Management Team (NW Team 2) has been mobilizing to take command of the Three Queens Fire in Washington's Kittitas County, while other teams continue to manage the Hagen, Paradise, and Sisi fires in Oregon and Washington.

Incident Management Teams are specialized organizations of trained fire management professionals — including operations, logistics, planning, finance, and public information functions — capable of managing large, complex incidents for extended periods. A Type 1 team can oversee incidents with hundreds of personnel and multi-million-dollar operational budgets.

Interagency Cooperation at Scale

The 2026 season has required unprecedented interagency coordination. The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and state forestry agencies across the West have all contributed personnel and equipment to the national fire effort. International resources from Canada and Australia — part of longstanding bilateral fire exchange agreements — have also supplemented domestic capacity at key points this season.

The Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC) in Portland has served as the logistics hub for the Pacific Northwest, coordinating the movement of crews, equipment, and air resources among the region's many active fires.

Firefighter Safety

With 15,800-plus personnel in the field, firefighter safety remains a paramount concern. Fire managers emphasize that the improved weather across the Northwest is an opportunity — but not a reason for complacency. Smoke, unpredictable terrain, fatigue from a long season, and the ever-present possibility of rapid weather changes mean that crews continue to maintain strict safety protocols on every shift.