Northwest is Nation's Fire Hotspot: 44 Uncontained Large Fires Burning Across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho

The Pacific Northwest remained the most active wildfire region in the United States on Wednesday, with 44 uncontained large fires burning across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The National Preparedness Level is at 5 — the maximum — with more than 30,000 firefighting personnel currently deployed to incidents nationwide.

As of August 12, 2026, Oregon leads all states with 23 large uncontained fires, followed by Washington with 20 and Idaho with 10. Nationally, 101 large fires are actively burning across nearly 3.97 million acres. Year-to-date, firefighters have responded to 46,509 wildfires that have burned more than 6.4 million acres — 126% of the 10-year average in fire count and 155% of the 10-year average in acres burned.

NIFC specifically identified the Wrights Spring, Little Giant, Big Grass, and Sinlahekin fires in Washington state as exhibiting "active or extreme fire behavior," with evacuations and closures in effect and homes, communities, and critical infrastructure threatened.

Oregon's Historic Fire Year

By acreage burned, Oregon is experiencing its most severe wildfire season in recorded history. The Grasshopper Fire, burning on the east side of Mount Hood in Wasco County, has exceeded 77,000 acres with roughly 20% containment. The Rowe Creek Complex in central and eastern Oregon — the state's current largest active blaze — has reached 364,413 acres at 76% containment, with approximately 1,900 residents still under evacuation orders.

What Is Driving the Fire Activity

Persistent drought across the Pacific Northwest, combined with above-normal temperatures and critically low relative humidity, has created ideal conditions for rapid fire spread. NASA Earthdata confirmed that multiple wildfires ignited across Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia in early August due to "persistent drought conditions and extreme fire weather." Approximately 2.2 million acres were actively burning in Washington and Oregon as of August 8.

The latest NIFC Wildfire Potential Outlook forecasts above-average fire risk for all of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho through at least September 2026. Northern Montana, Nevada, Utah, and California are also in above-average risk territory through the period.

For the latest fire information, visit InciWeb at inciweb.wildfire.gov or the Northwest Coordination Center at gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc.