The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho declared National Preparedness Level 3 (NPL 3) as of June 18, 2026 — signaling that fire activity across the United States has escalated to a point where national resources are being significantly committed and redistributed across multiple geographic areas.

What Preparedness Level 3 Means

The National Preparedness Level is a five-tier scale that reflects the overall demand for national firefighting resources. At Level 3, national resources are moderately committed, and coordination between geographic areas intensifies. Incident management teams, air tankers, hand crews, and other specialized resources may be ordered across geographic boundaries to support high-priority fires.

The June 27 Incident Management Situation Report from the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) reported:

  • 141 initial attack fires reported that day (classified as light activity)
  • 10 new large incidents declared
  • 37 uncontained large fires burning nationwide
  • 5 Complex Incident Management Teams (CIMTs) committed
  • 4 large fires contained that day

Year-to-Date Fire Statistics Well Above Average

As of June 26, 2026, a total of 35,247 fires have burned more than 2.9 million acres nationally this year. That compares to 33,552 fires and 1.73 million acres burned over the same period in 2025 — an increase of more than 1.2 million acres year-over-year. The 2026 season is tracking significantly above the 10-year average for this point in the calendar.

Where Resources Are Concentrated

As of the latest NIFC situation report, large fires are burning in the following states:

  • Alaska: 12 large fires (including the Bear Fire, Elliott Complex, and others in the Tanana Zone)
  • Florida: 5 large fires
  • Arizona: 4 large fires (including the Pocket Fire under Red Flag conditions)
  • New Mexico: 2 large fires
  • Utah: 1 large fire (Cottonwood Fire — nation's largest at 92,000+ acres)
  • Idaho: 1 large fire (including the Shingle Creek Fire near Riggins)
  • Colorado: 1 large fire
  • Wyoming: 1 large fire
  • North Carolina: 1 large fire

National Mutual Aid and Resource Sharing

NIFC emphasized this week that resource movement between geographic areas is a sign of the national fire coordination system working as designed. "When one area experiences high fire activity, resources may be temporarily reassigned from areas with lower activity," NIFC stated in its June 26 national fire news release. "This allows for faster response, stronger support, and safer operations during periods of increased demand."

For Pacific Northwest fire managers, this means that as southern states draw on national resources, pre-positioning of assets in the Northwest becomes increasingly important heading into the peak of fire season in July and August.