The 2026 wildland fire season is running dramatically ahead of historical norms, with 31,511 fires burning nearly 2.5 million acres nationwide through early June — nearly double the 10-year averages of 22,270 fires and 1.27 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

As the Pacific Northwest transitions into its traditional peak fire season, forecasters and land managers are warning that conditions across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are primed for significant fire activity, particularly east of the Cascade Range.

National Landscape

The year-to-date numbers reflect a season that got off to an unusually early start, driven in part by a severe wildfire outbreak in the Great Plains earlier this spring. Nebraska alone saw several fires exceeding 100,000 acres, including the Morrill Fire at over 642,000 acres and the Cottonwood Fire at more than 129,000 acres. The Southwest Kansas Wildfire Outbreak burned approximately 127,840 acres.

Currently active on InciWeb, the South Fork Fire in Nebraska has burned over 23,112 acres and remains active as of this morning. In New Mexico, the Seven Cabins Fire — which started May 14 — has grown to 31,860 acres, prompting a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team deployment. The Bear Fire in New Mexico's Gila National Forest has reached 2,000 acres.

Northwest Status

The Northwest Geographic Area saw generally low fire activity through May, with only a handful of notable events as low-elevation fuels continued to cure. However, the situation is changing rapidly as above-normal temperatures arrive and fuel moisture continues to drop.

NIFC's National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook forecasts above-normal significant fire potential across the entire Northwest Geographic Area through September, with no indication of late-season relief. The most critical zone is east of the Cascades, where drought, heat, and curing grasses are converging.

Current Regional Activity

The East Side Fire in Montana's Gallatin National Forest burned 1,219 acres and was active roughly three weeks ago. Oregon's Moon Complex on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest — which burned approximately 19,520 acres — has reached 100% containment, though the Rogue River Trail from Dans Creek to Blossom Bar remains closed due to post-fire hazards.

Resource mobilization is increasing across the region. Interagency fire crews, air tankers, and Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams are on pre-positioning orders as coordination centers prepare for escalating activity.

What to Watch

  • Lightning activity east of the Cascades following incoming weather systems
  • Fuels drying in Oregon and Washington grasslands and shrublands
  • Human-caused ignitions during Fourth of July weekend
  • Continued drought conditions across southern Idaho and eastern Oregon

Fire managers urge the public to avoid activities that could spark wildfires — including unattended campfires, fireworks, and off-road vehicle use in dry vegetation — as the region heads into what forecasters are calling a high-risk fire summer.