The Bureau of Land Management and the newly formed U.S. Wildland Fire Service announced October 1, 2026 the launch of their fall and winter prescribed burning program across Oregon and Washington, capitalizing on favorable fuel moisture and air quality conditions as the wildfire season transitions.

Timing and Scope

According to the BLM announcement out of Portland, prescribed burning operations will begin across Oregon and Washington as weather, fuel, and air quality conditions become favorable, with operations expected to continue throughout the fall and winter months. Specific units and acreage targets were not disclosed in the initial announcement, but agency officials indicated burns would occur on BLM-administered public lands across both states.

Prescribed fire is a critical tool for reducing accumulated fuels — grasses, shrubs, and forest understory — that feed catastrophic wildfires. After a season as severe as 2026, land managers are eager to expand the scale of prescribed burning to reduce the risk of future megafires.

Air Quality Coordination

Prescribed burns will only be ignited when air quality conditions meet standards set by state environmental agencies. Oregon DEQ and Washington DOE air quality staff will coordinate with BLM and USWFS personnel on burn days to minimize smoke impacts on nearby communities. Given the significant smoke burden placed on PNW communities during the 2026 wildfire season, agencies emphasized they would be especially attentive to receptor communities during fall burn operations.

Why Fall Burns Matter

Fall is one of the best seasons for prescribed fire in the Pacific Northwest. Cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity, and shorter burning windows allow land managers to control fire behavior while still achieving resource management objectives. Fuels treated with prescribed fire now will reduce the intensity of any future wildfire that runs through the same landscape.

  • Prescribed fire reduces fuel loading that drives catastrophic wildfire behavior
  • Fall burns benefit from cooler, more controllable conditions
  • Treated acres are less likely to generate extreme fire behavior in future seasons
  • Burns are coordinated with state air quality agencies to minimize smoke impacts

Members of the public in areas near planned burns may notice smoke on the horizon during burn operations. Residents with respiratory conditions are encouraged to monitor their local air quality index and have a plan to limit exposure on burn days.