PNW Focus

NIFC forecasters project above-normal wildfire potential for all of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho through August, driven by El Niño warmth, heavy spring grass growth, and below-normal snowpack. The high-risk window is arriving weeks early.

A fast-moving fire near Huntington, Oregon burned 1,500 acres, forced evacuations including a Level 3 Go Now order for Farewell Bend State Park, and briefly closed Interstate 84 Saturday night. Evacuation levels have since been downgraded.

The Bureau of Land Management has implemented statewide fire restrictions across all BLM-administered lands in Oregon and Washington, with district-level fire prevention orders adding additional prohibitions in areas including Coos Bay and Roseburg.

Idaho state and federal officials are sounding the alarm about a potentially severe 2026 wildfire season driven by historically low snowpack, above-normal temperatures, and early drying of fuels across the state.

Record warmth, one-third-of-normal snowpack, and early spring drying have Pacific Northwest fire officials warning of a challenging 2026 season well before peak fire weather arrives.

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Wildland Fire Service have implemented fire restrictions across Oregon and Washington effective May 14, and Central Oregon national forests and grasslands imposed campfire bans ahead of Memorial Day weekend — weeks earlier than in past years.

With the 2026 fire season already running above average and dangerous conditions forecast through the summer, Oregon and Washington fire agencies are urging homeowners in fire-prone areas to create defensible space and harden their homes now — while there is still time.

NIFC's seasonal outlook projects above-average wildfire potential across all of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and southwest Montana by August, with conditions expected to persist into September.

With Oregon's worst snowpack on record, Washington's fourth consecutive drought emergency, and AccuWeather projecting up to 8 million acres burned nationally, the Pacific Northwest is bracing for a severe 2026 fire season.

The Zen Fire on BLM land five miles south of Clarno, Oregon has burned 1,635 acres with no structures threatened. The fire is 37% contained as central Oregon firefighting resources work toward full containment.

Fast-moving fires in Sherman County, Oregon and Benton County, Washington shut down Interstate 84 and prompted evacuation notices near Horsethief Park, signaling an early and dangerous start to the 2026 fire season.

Fast-moving fires near Biggs Junction closed I-84 in both directions last weekend while evacuation notices were issued for portions of Horsethief Park on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge.

A prescribed burn on the Pine Mountain area of Central Oregon's Deschutes National Forest escaped its boundaries in early May and was declared a wildfire, underscoring the challenges of spring burning operations.

Oregon's Wildfire Awareness Month is underway, and state emergency management officials are urging all residents to pack go-bags, know evacuation routes, review insurance, and create defensible space before the fire season peaks.

Fast-moving flames shut down Interstate 84 near Biggs Junction last weekend as multiple simultaneous fires erupted across the Columbia Gorge corridor, signaling an early and potentially dangerous start to Oregon's 2026 wildfire season.

Agencies in the Deschutes National Forest and surrounding areas completed a series of spring prescribed burns near Bend, Sisters, Chemult, and Crescent, reducing fuel loads ahead of what forecasters expect to be a challenging 2026 fire season.

Fast-moving fires near Biggs Junction shut down I-84 and prompted evacuations at Horsethief Park on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge, signaling an early and active start to the 2026 wildfire season.

Oregon and Washington emergency managers are urging residents to complete wildfire evacuation preparations now, as early-season fires and an above-normal fire forecast signal a demanding summer ahead. Know your evacuation level system, build your go-bag, and sign up for county emergency alerts before you need them.

Fast-moving fires erupted along the Interstate 84 corridor near Biggs Junction in Oregon's Columbia Gorge this weekend, forcing a temporary freeway closure and vehicle crashes. Simultaneous fires burned in Washington's Benton County, signaling that Oregon's 2026 fire season is already underway.

Fire restrictions banning most open fires on Deschutes, Ochoco, and BLM Prineville lands took effect weeks earlier than normal as drought conditions dry out fuels ahead of the typical summer fire season.