With the 2026 fire season already tracking significantly above historical averages, the National Interagency Fire Center reports that more than 5,000 personnel are currently assigned to wildfire incidents across the country. Fire managers are working to position resources ahead of what is expected to be an intense summer, particularly in the western United States and Pacific Northwest.

Current Deployment Snapshot

As of the NIFC May 22 national fire report:

  • 5,000+ firefighting personnel are deployed nationally
  • 18 uncontained large fires are burning across multiple states
  • One Complex Incident Management Team (IMT) is actively supporting response operations
  • Active fires are concentrated in California (6 large fires), Florida (2), Montana (1), and Texas (1) per NIFC daily fire statistics

Incident Management Teams

Incident Management Teams are the backbone of large fire response in the United States. Type 1 and Type 2 IMTs manage the most complex incidents, coordinating hundreds of personnel, aviation assets, logistics, and public information operations simultaneously. The activation of an IMT this early in the season reflects the scope and complexity of current fire activity.

The Pacific Northwest has several IMTs based within the region. As fire season escalates, these teams can be ordered nationally to fires anywhere in the country — and teams from other regions may be ordered into the Northwest when fires grow here. NIFC coordinates this national resource sharing through Geographic Area Coordination Centers and the National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise.

Aviation Assets

Air tankers, single-engine air tankers (SEATs), and helicopters are already in high demand. The 2026 contract aviation fleet includes both exclusive-use and call-when-needed aircraft. Aviation managers at NIFC note that early season demand for air resources in Southern California and the Southwest is competing with the need to pre-position assets for anticipated activity in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies as summer approaches.

Hotshot Crews and Ground Resources

The Pacific Northwest region is home to numerous Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHCs), the elite wildland firefighting units that serve as the tip of the spear on complex fire lines. These crews train year-round and are among the most sought-after resources during high-demand periods. Several Northwest IHCs have already been mobilized to incidents in other geographic areas this spring, consistent with the national resource-sharing system.

Preparing for a Long Season

Fire managers across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are actively pre-positioning resources, conducting equipment inspections, completing required training certifications, and coordinating with state agencies and tribal fire programs ahead of the anticipated peak season period from late June through September. The early arrival of BLM fire restrictions and elevated national fire activity suggest that 2026 will test the national fire response system sooner and more severely than most recent years.