National Wildfire Situation: 33 Large Fires Active, Season Surpasses 8.5 Million Acres

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported Monday that 33 large fires are actively burning across 12 states, with over 1.1 million acres currently under active fire management. As of September 21, 2026, the 2026 wildfire season has burned 8,542,800 acres in 56,651 fires — representing 125 percent of the 10-year average number of fires and 146 percent of the average acres burned for this date in history.

Current Fire Activity

Initial attack remained relatively light on Sunday, with 46 new fires reported nationwide, including three new large incidents. The states with the highest concentration of active large fires are Washington (8), Oregon (6), California (5), Montana (3), and Texas (3). Idaho, New Mexico, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, and Missouri each have one or more large fires burning.

Active large fires are currently burning a combined 1,100,923 acres nationally. One fire was reported as fully contained Sunday.

National Preparedness Level

The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group set the National Preparedness Level at 3 on September 9 — the middle tier on a scale of 1 to 5. At Preparedness Level 3, regional coordination centers are actively managing resource orders and national aerial resources are being prioritized across complex incidents. Over 10,000 personnel are currently assigned to wildland fire incidents nationwide, supported by 161 crews, 435 engines, and 65 helicopters.

Historic Season in Context

The 2026 fire season stands as the most destructive in at least a decade. By comparison, the same date in 2025 saw just 4.4 million acres burned — less than half of this year's total. Even the active 2020 season, which burned 7 million acres by this date, trails the 2026 totals by more than a million and a half acres.

The only recent comparable season is 2017, when 8.55 million acres had burned through September 21 — a figure that 2026 has now effectively matched or surpassed, depending on final accounting.

Weather Outlook

Weather patterns Monday will continue to challenge crews in several regions. In the Pacific Northwest, a trough aloft is driving breezy westerly winds gusting to 25 mph through Cascade gaps, with relative humidity expected to fall to 15–30 percent east of the Cascades through the afternoon hours. Similar low-humidity conditions are expected across Northern California, where overnight winds and poor overnight recovery will keep fuels primed.

In the Southeast, a weakening ridge of high pressure will still push afternoon temperatures into the mid-to-upper 90s from the lower Mississippi Valley into Tennessee, with relative humidity bottoming near 25–30 percent. Isolated thunderstorms are expected across west Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, bringing gusty outflow winds that could spark new ignitions.

Public Safety Reminder

NIFC is reminding the public that human-caused fires remain a significant contributor to the season's totals. Properly extinguishing campfires — using dirt and water to stir coals until completely cold — and storing fire-starting materials away from children are among the simplest steps residents can take to prevent new ignitions.