The National Interagency Fire Center’s October 2 daily report shows 4,093 firefighters and support personnel currently assigned to wildland fire incidents across the country. The deployments span 11 active large fires in five states, supported by 65 crews, 119 engines, and 26 helicopters — a substantial commitment reflecting how much of the season’s activity remains concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and California.

Where the Resources Are Going

Active fires burning in the Southern California, Northwest, and Southern geographic areas are absorbing the bulk of current deployments. Washington state alone accounts for five of the 11 large fires, including the still-burning Sisi and Three Queens fires in the Cascades and the newly ignited Hatch Grade fire in southeastern Washington. Oregon’s two remaining active large fires — the Austin and Grasshopper fires on the Mt. Hood National Forest, both at 98% containment — continue to hold crews in final mop-up status.

In California, two fires requiring significant resources include the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park (5,855 acres, 40% contained) and the Timber Fire on Los Padres National Forest (25,350 acres, 88% contained). The Timber Fire, located southeast of Big Sur, has cost approximately $170 million and threatened numerous structures throughout its progression.

Interagency Coordination

The 2026 fire season has stretched interagency coordination capacity significantly. Multiple Incident Management Teams have been cycling through Pacific Northwest assignments since July, when fire conditions exploded across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho simultaneously. The Northwest Geographic Area Coordination Center in Portland has served as the hub for resource ordering and logistics throughout the season.

Federal, state, and local agencies involved in current Northwest fire operations include:

  • U.S. Forest Service (Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mt. Hood National Forests)
  • National Park Service (Lake Chelan NRA / North Cascades)
  • Washington State Department of Natural Resources
  • Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office
  • Oregon Department of Forestry
  • Bureau of Land Management, Oregon/Washington

Resource Strain and the Budget Crisis

The scale of this season’s response has come at enormous financial cost. The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Wildland Fire Service committed over $6 billion in fire suppression budget authority in 2026, nearly exhausting their full-year suppression budget by early September — months before the fiscal year ended on October 1. This prompted Senators Bennet, Wyden, Padilla, Hickenlooper, and Schiff to formally sound the alarm about insufficient resources during peak fire season.

The structural budget problem — where large fire suppression costs consume funds intended for forest health, restoration, and recreation — has been a persistent issue for decades. The newly passed Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act and renewed calls for reauthorizing the wildfire disaster reserve fund reflect growing Congressional recognition that the current funding model is unsustainable.

Crew Types on the Line

The 65 crews currently deployed nationally include Type 1 and Type 2 Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHC), National Guard crews, and contract crews. Hotshot crews, the elite of wildland firefighting, are 20-person units trained for deployment in the most dangerous and complex fire environments. During peak season in August and September, hundreds of crews were simultaneously deployed across the West.

  • Total personnel assigned nationally (Oct. 2): 4,093
  • Crews: 65
  • Engines: 119
  • Helicopters: 26
  • Large fires burning: 11
  • States with large fires: WA (5), CA (2), OR (2), AL (1), TX (1)