National Wildfire Situation Report: 2026 Season Running 146% Above Average Acreage Heading Into Final Weeks

With the 2026 wildfire season entering what may be its final weeks of peak activity, the National Interagency Fire Center’s latest situation report paints a stark picture: more than 8.5 million acres have burned nationwide year-to-date — 146% of the 10-year average acreage and 126% of the average number of fires for this date. It is shaping up to be the most destructive wildfire season in over a decade.

Current National Snapshot (as of September 18)

Active large fires: 22 across 11 states
Uncontained large fires: 50
Personnel assigned: Over 12,000 firefighters, dispatchers, aviation crews, and support staff
Equipment deployed: 229 crews, 625 engines, 70 helicopters
New fires (Sept. 18): 53 new fires reported, including 2 new large incidents
National Preparedness Level: 3 (down from 5 in August)

Year-to-Date by the Numbers

The 2026 season has far outpaced recent years at this date:

2026: 56,289 fires / 8,523,213 acres
2025: 50,328 fires / 4,438,417 acres
2024: 37,342 fires / 7,330,640 acres
10-year average: 44,745 fires / 5,823,577 acres

Where Active Fires Are Burning

Fire activity has shifted eastward and southward in recent weeks, with much of the ongoing large-fire action now centered in the southern Plains, Great Basin, and Rockies rather than the Pacific Northwest. Idaho leads the nation in active large fires with 5 incidents, followed by Texas and Oklahoma with 3 each.

In the Pacific Northwest, the major stories are ones of containment progress. Oregon’s Big Grass Fire — the largest in state history at 578,637 acres — is 94% contained. The Crosswhite Fire in Oregon is 92% contained at 342,923 acres. Washington’s largest fires, the Little Giant (172,695 acres) and Sinlahekin (166,026 acres), are both at 81% containment. The most active remaining PNW incident is Oregon’s Austin Fire near Mount Hood, at roughly 13,000 acres and 56% contained with homes and infrastructure still threatened.

Weather Outlook

The Climate Prediction Center’s extended outlooks lean warmer than normal across the interior West for the second half of September, which could provide additional opportunities for fire growth on existing incidents or produce new ignitions. Hot temperatures with highs near 100°F are still occurring in the southern Plains, and low relative humidity — in the 20-35% range — combined with breezy south winds is maintaining elevated fire conditions across a broad swath of the country.

The Pacific Northwest, meanwhile, is rated above normal for fire potential through the rest of September by NIFC, with fuels east of the Cascades re-drying as early-fall precipitation clears. The window for new major incidents in Oregon and Washington is narrowing but not yet closed.

Planning for What’s Next