The National Interagency Fire Center reduced the national wildfire Preparedness Level from 5 to 3 on September 9, 2026, offering some relief to a firefighting community that had been operating at maximum capacity for nearly seven straight weeks. But significant fire activity continues across the West, with 58 large fires actively burning as of September 15.

What the Level Change Means

The National Preparedness Level (PL) is a 1-to-5 scale used by NIFC to describe the overall commitment of national firefighting resources. PL 5 — the highest level — means that federal resources are fully committed and resource sharing between geographic areas is maximized. The level dropped to 3 as improving fire weather in some areas, greater resource availability, and lighter incident ordering eased pressure on the national system.

Between July 18 and September 4, the national firefighting force remained at PL 5 — a span of nearly seven weeks during which all available federal wildland fire resources were engaged. NIFC announced the step-down to PL 3 on September 9.

The Numbers Behind the Season

Year-to-date statistics through September 15 paint a stark picture of the 2026 fire season:

  • 55,419 fires have ignited across the country
  • 8,478,047 acres have burned — 147% of the 10-year average acres burned for this date
  • The number of fires is 125% of the 10-year average
  • More than 12,000 personnel remain assigned to incidents nationwide
  • 4 wildland firefighters and 2 pilots have died this season

Active Fires by Region

As of September 15, 58 large fires are actively burning across 13 states. The Pacific Northwest continues to account for the heaviest fire activity, with Washington (12 fires), Oregon (8 fires), and Idaho (7 fires) representing the top three states by large fire count. Montana holds 9 large fires, making the Northern Rockies a second major hot spot.

Resource Strain Persists

The step-down to PL 3 provides some breathing room but does not mean the crisis is over. A coalition of U.S. Senators wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Bergum and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins this week to raise alarm about continued resource shortfalls. Their letter noted that fully qualified incident management personnel are not available in sufficient numbers, that teams have been pushed into repeated and extended assignments, and that locally-led initial attack has been disrupted by national mobilization demands.

Firefighting leaders say the reduced preparedness level will allow some crews to rest and reset before fire conditions intensify again — a near-certainty given the seasonal outlook, which calls for above-normal fire danger across the Pacific Northwest through at least December.