The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) confirmed this weekend that the nation remains at National Preparedness Level 3 — elevated since June 18, 2026 — as fire agencies coordinate the deployment of firefighters, aircraft, and incident management teams across multiple fronts from Alaska to Florida.

What Preparedness Level 3 Means

The National Preparedness Level (PL) system runs on a scale from 1 to 5, with PL5 representing the most severe national mobilization. At PL3, national coordination resources are heavily committed and resource orders from individual Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACCs) are being routed through the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) at Boise, Idaho. Regional resource sharing is a key feature of this phase, with crews and equipment being moved to wherever national need is greatest.

Current National Fire Activity

According to the NIFC Incident Management Situation Report issued Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 0730 MDT:

  • 45 uncontained large fires burning nationwide
  • 10 new large incidents reported in the previous 24 hours
  • 7 Complex Incident Management Teams (CIMTs) committed to incidents
  • Initial attack activity: Light to moderate (112 fires reported)
  • Year-to-date (Jan 1 – June 26): 35,247 fires, 2.9+ million acres burned nationally

Large fires are currently active across seven states: Alaska (12 large fires), Utah (3), New Mexico (3), Arizona (3), Nevada (2), North Carolina (1), Florida (1), Idaho (1), and Wyoming (1). The Pacific Northwest is also managing multiple large fires that have been escalating over the past week.

Resource Mobilization and Deployment

The national fire mutual aid system is designed to move resources fluidly across geographic boundaries as conditions evolve. During PL3, the NICC actively manages crew, engine, aircraft, and team availability to balance resources against current and forecasted incident demand. Firefighters, engines, aircraft and incident management teams are part of this national system designed to move assets where they are needed most.

The Pacific Northwest GACC (NWCG Northwest) has been a net exporter of resources at times this season, sending crews and equipment south and east to support high-priority incidents in Utah and the Southwest. With conditions now deteriorating at home, regional resources are being recalled and supplemented with out-of-region personnel.

Outlook: Holiday Weekend Surge Expected

Fire behavior analysts at NIFC are warning that the combination of a building heat dome, critically dry fuels, and the historically high human-ignition risk of July 4th could push national preparedness levels higher in the coming days. NIFC forecasters have noted above-normal fire potential across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies through at least the end of July.

For daily national fire statistics and preparedness level updates, visit nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn.