In a remarkable seasonal turnaround, forest crews across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies that were battling active wildfires just weeks ago are now lighting controlled fires — taking advantage of an unusually wet September to begin the fall prescribed burning season well ahead of schedule.
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
On the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in northeastern Oregon, fire crews ignited approximately 605 acres in the Limber Jim Creek area — about 20 miles southwest of La Grande — on Wednesday, September 23. The burn marks the forest's first prescribed fire of the fall and came less than three weeks after multiple wildfires, including the McCully Fire north of Sumpter, were still actively spreading.
"A quick shift," acknowledged Joel McCraw, deputy fire staff for the Wallowa-Whitman, noting that the interval between wildfire suppression and prescribed burning is unusually short this September. The explanation comes down to a single word: rain. Parts of the Wallowa-Whitman received as much as two inches of rainfall during the first half of September, dramatically lowering fire danger.
Higher temperatures forecast for Thursday and strong winds possible Friday mean burning likely won't continue into the weekend, McCraw noted. Fire managers are taking a cautious, day-by-day approach.
Malheur National Forest
The Malheur National Forest has also begun prescribed fire activities across all three of its ranger districts — a coordinated effort to reduce fire-prone fuel loads ahead of the 2027 season. Residents and travelers near Malheur National Forest should be aware that areas may close temporarily during operations and that smoke will be visible from surrounding communities. Check airnow.gov for air quality information during burning periods.
Bitterroot National Forest — Montana
In Montana's Bitterroot Valley, the Bitterroot National Forest conducted prescribed burns in the Stevensville 3-mile Wildlife Management Area on September 23 and 24. Smoke from these burns was visible from the Threemile, Ambrose, Stevensville, and Florence areas. No public closures were scheduled with these burns.
The Prescribed Fire Window
Finding the right conditions for prescribed burning is a careful balancing act. McCraw described the need for a Goldilocks situation — conditions where the landscape is neither so wet that flames won't spread, nor so dry that a prescribed fire could escape. Weather also plays a key role: managers seek moderate temperatures and wind speeds that allow fire to move through treated areas safely.
The national preparedness level now sits at PL 2, freeing up resources from suppression assignments across the region. In some years, McCraw noted, the prescribed burning window doesn't open until mid-October — and in some years it never opens at all. The early fall window in 2026 is being treated as a valuable opportunity to build landscape-scale resilience ahead of what may be another difficult season in 2027.