The financial strain of the 2026 wildfire season is reaching a critical threshold. A group of five U.S. senators has sounded the alarm about the federal government potentially running out of firefighting resources before the season ends, while Oregon lawmakers took emergency action this week to address mounting state costs.
Federal Budget Nearly Depleted
Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter on September 10 to the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture expressing serious concern about the agencies capacity to sustain firefighting operations through the remainder of the season.
Between July 18 and September 4, 2026, the national firefighting force was operating at Preparedness Level 5 — the highest possible level, with federal resources fully committed. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and U.S. Wildland Fire Service have dedicated more than $6 billion to fire suppression budget authority this year, spending nearly the entire fire suppression budget as of September 2, 2026. With the West expected to remain in peak fire season through at least October, the senators warned that suppression funds could run out entirely.
Personnel and Safety Concerns
The senators raised particular concern about personnel safety and operational capacity. Their letter stated that teams have worked more fires than is safe, using temporary supervisory structures because fully qualified personnel are not available. They also noted that locally-led initial attack was affected by national mobilization, with personnel working repeated or extended assignments.
Four wildland firefighters and two pilots lost their lives during the 2026 season, underscoring the physical and operational dangers of a season this severe. The senators called on USDA and DOI to provide detailed briefings on suppression fund status and personnel capacity.
Oregon Legislature Acts
At the state level, the Oregon Legislature approved nearly $123 million in emergency funding to help cover the costs of the 2026 wildfire season, directing money to the two state agencies responsible for firefighting. Oregon Department of Forestry received the bulk of the appropriation, while a separate $15 million was allocated to cover funding gaps at another agency. Officials noted that the federal government is expected to reimburse Oregon for some of these costs, but that reimbursements can take years to arrive, necessitating immediate state action.
Fire Borrowing Remains a Structural Problem
The funding crisis highlights a longstanding structural issue in federal fire management. Over the past several decades, the portion of the USFS total budget dedicated to fire has grown from under 20% to more than 50%. As fire costs consume an ever-larger share of the agency budget, critical funding for forest health, recreation, and other programs is reduced through a process known as fire borrowing — a cycle that reduces investments in the very fuels treatment work that would reduce future fire costs.
Advocates have long called for a dedicated fire cap that insulates the USFS budget from fire-borrowing, similar to disaster relief funding structures used by FEMA. The 2026 season has renewed those calls with fresh urgency.