National Preparedness Level 5: Over 22,000 Firefighters Battling Record-Breaking 2026 Fire Season

The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) has maintained National Preparedness Level 5 — the highest possible level — as firefighters across the country battle one of the most active wildfire seasons in modern history. As of late August 2026, more than 22,000 personnel are committed to fire suppression, and the nation's firefighting resources are stretched to their limits.

The Scale of the 2026 Season

The numbers tell a stark story. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), firefighters have responded to 51,629 wildfires that have burned more than 7.9 million acres across the United States in 2026 — representing 127% of the 10-year average for total fires and a staggering 163% of the 10-year average for acres burned.

The NICC Incident Management Situation Report for August 23, 2026 recorded:

79 uncontained large fires burning across the nation
124 active incidents under management
22,122 personnel committed nationwide
7,738,302 acres burned year-to-date at that point

Northwest Resources Fully Committed

The Northwest Coordination Center, which coordinates firefighting resources for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, has had all available local, regional, and national resources committed for weeks. When local and regional resources are exhausted, NICC activates mutual aid sharing between geographic areas — but in 2026, most areas of the West are experiencing severe fire activity simultaneously, limiting what can be shared.

Resource types that have been in particularly high demand across the Pacific Northwest include:

Type 1 Incident Management Teams (IMTs) — The most experienced teams capable of managing the largest, most complex fires
Air tankers and large airtankers (LATs) — For retardant drops on active fire perimeters
Type 1 helicopters — For bucket drops, crew transport, and reconnaissance
Hotshot crews — Highly trained, self-sufficient hand crews for direct attack and line construction
Type 6 engines — For structure protection in the wildland-urban interface

International Assistance

The severity of the 2026 fire season has prompted activation of international fire crew agreements. Crews from Canada and Australia — countries with established reciprocal firefighting agreements with the U.S. — have been deployed to assist with operations in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. International crews typically operate within existing U.S. incident management structures and are folded into Incident Management Team operations.

Idaho: 44 Active Fires Across 20 Counties

Idaho is carrying a particularly heavy fire load this season. As of August 24, 44 wildfires were burning across 20 Idaho counties. The largest incidents include:

Tartar Fire (Washington County) — 158,027 acres
Moose Mountain Fire (Nez Perce-Clearwater NF) — 3,707+ acres, 7% contained, with recent escalation causing a change in evacuation status from Ready to Set
Multiple fires in the Selway Wilderness (Cascade, Wolf Creek, Three Links, and Grotto Fires)

Firefighter Safety Under Extreme Conditions

With resources committed at maximum capacity and fire behavior remaining extreme across the region, firefighter safety is a paramount concern for incident commanders. Operations in PDS-level fire weather are often restricted to nighttime and early morning hours when conditions moderate. The tragic deaths of two Washington State firefighters earlier this season underscore the dangers personnel face in the 2026 environment.