The elevation of the National Preparedness Level to 4 on June 29, 2026 is not merely a bureaucratic designation — it has real consequences for how firefighting resources are allocated, and it raises the stakes for every fire that ignites in the Pacific Northwest as the peak of the summer fire season approaches.

What PL4 Means for Resources

The National Preparedness Level system reflects the overall demand for wildland firefighting resources across the country. At PL4, national coordination centers face high competition for resources, and agencies must carefully triage requests from multiple geographic areas simultaneously.

Nationally, more than 8,200 personnel are currently deployed to active incidents. This includes hotshot crews, engine crews, helicopter crews, type 1 and type 2 incident management teams, logistics support, aviation assets, and support staff. As fires continue to grow in the Southwest and Great Basin, those resources become harder for Northwest regions to access quickly.

Who’s Out There

The Pacific Northwest is home to a significant concentration of national firefighting assets, including:

  • Multiple Type 1 and Type 2 Hotshot Crews based in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho
  • Air tanker bases at Redmond (Oregon), Moses Lake and Wenatchee (Washington), and Boise (Idaho)
  • Large air tanker (LAT) and very large air tanker (VLAT) dispatch capability
  • Rappel and helitack crews based at multiple national forests
  • Smokejumper bases in Redding, CA and McCall, ID serving the broader Northwest region

With PL4 in effect, some of these resources may already be deployed to fires outside the region, leaving the Northwest with reduced initial attack capability if multiple fires ignite simultaneously.

Oregon and Washington Fire Agency Readiness

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) both maintain state-level fire protection programs that complement federal firefighting capacity. Both agencies enter peak staffing in July and August, when the risk of large fires on state and private lands is highest.

Washington DNR’s fire dashboard — updated in real time throughout fire season — provides current incident information for Washington state. Oregon’s Forestry Department maintains a statewide fire response system coordinated through the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.

Idaho Bureau of Land Management

Idaho’s BLM lands, particularly in the Snake River Plain and central mountain regions, represent some of the most fire-prone terrain in the Pacific Northwest. The BLM Idaho State Office coordinates with the Great Basin and Northern Rockies Coordination Centers for resource sharing across state lines.

Private Landowner and Community Resources

As national resources get stretched, the importance of local fire preparedness grows. Property owners in fire-prone areas of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho can strengthen community fire resilience by:

  • Creating and maintaining defensible space around structures (100 feet minimum where possible)
  • Clearing gutters and roofs of flammable debris
  • Using fire-resistant building materials on decks and outbuildings
  • Participating in local Firewise USA communities
  • Ensuring home address numbers are visible from the road for emergency responders
  • Having a written family evacuation plan with multiple routes and a meeting point

Fire Season Outlook

Fire weather forecasters are projecting above-normal fire potential across much of the Pacific Northwest through July and into August, driven by below-normal snowpack from the 2025–26 winter, early season warming, and predicted continued dryness. The National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook will be updated by NIFC on July 1 and will provide a more detailed month-by-month forecast for the region.

Residents are encouraged to check nifc.gov, dnr.wa.gov, and the Oregon Department of Forestry website for the latest updates throughout the season.