A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is raising urgent concerns about the federal government's capacity to fight wildfires for the remainder of 2026, warning that suppression budgets are nearly exhausted and personnel are stretched beyond safe limits.

The Letter

On September 10, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a joint letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture expressing serious concerns about federal wildfire preparedness and response capacity heading into the final weeks of peak fire season.

Budget Nearly Gone

The numbers are sobering. The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Wildland Fire Service had more than $6 billion in fire suppression budget authority available for fiscal year 2026 — and nearly the entire amount was committed by September 2. With the traditional peak of fire season in the West extending through October, the senators warn that federal wildfire suppression funds could run dry entirely.

Personnel Pushed to the Limit

Between July 18 and September 4, the national firefighting force operated continuously at National Preparedness Level 5 — the highest possible level, meaning all federal resources were fully committed. The senators noted that during this period:

  • Incident Management Teams worked more fires than is considered safe.
  • Temporary supervisory structures were deployed because fully qualified personnel were unavailable.
  • Locally-led initial attack was negatively affected by national mobilization demands.
  • Personnel worked repeated or extended assignments beyond recommended limits.

“We are concerned that the agencies simply do not have enough highly qualified personnel, Incident Management Teams, and supervisory staff to sustain operations,” the senators wrote.

Human Cost

The senators pointed to the human toll of the 2026 season, noting the loss of four wildland firefighters and two pilots — a high fatality rate that they called “exceptionally concerning.” Colorado alone has seen over 240,000 acres burned and significant loss of firefighting personnel.

Oregon's Perspective

Senator Wyden, who represents Oregon, has separately pressed for answers as the state's federal firefighting resources strained under the relentless 2026 fire season. Oregon has burned more than 2.5 million acres in 2026 — a new state record — at a cost exceeding $236 million in state suppression funds alone, with federal costs running into the billions.

What Comes Next

Congress is being pressed to authorize emergency supplemental firefighting appropriations before the fiscal year ends September 30. Without additional funding, agency officials have warned that they may be forced to curtail operations on active fires or delay responses to new ignitions. The senators called for immediate action to shore up both the firefighting workforce and suppression budgets heading into the final stretch of the 2026 season.