Washington state is preparing for what could be one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in decades, as fire managers, state agencies, and community advocates warn that a perfect storm of conditions — record drought, disappeared snowpack, and structural challenges in the firefighting workforce — has the region deeply exposed heading into summer 2026.
The Season That Won't Wait
In a news release that landed earlier this month, the U.S. Forest Service warned in stark terms: "Wildfires are burning longer, moving faster, and behaving less predictably than they did even a decade ago." That assessment is not a projection — it describes what firefighters have already been experiencing across Washington for years, and what forecasters say is about to intensify.
Washington declared a statewide drought emergency in April — for the fourth straight year — after the state recorded its fourth-warmest temperatures since recordkeeping began in 1895. Snowpack peaked at around 50% of normal this season and has already melted out approximately 26 days ahead of schedule.
Western Washington Now at Risk, Too
Historically, Washington's wildfire risk has been concentrated east of the Cascades, where dry forests and grasslands are more receptive to ignition. But fire professionals say that picture is changing.
Riva Duncan, president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters and a retired USFS veteran who spent decades working on fires in Oregon, says the geography of risk has shifted: "In Western Washington, you're seeing wildfires now where there weren't any before. It wasn't something that people worried about, but everything is connected."
The 2025 Bear Gulch Fire in the Olympic National Forest, which burned more than 20,000 acres, was the worst fire in the Olympic Peninsula since the Great Forks Fire of 1951 — a stark data point in a region that many residents still don't associate with wildfire risk.
Workforce Strain and Continued Cuts
Duncan says the human side of the fire problem is as worrying as the physical conditions. "There's no rest for hot shots and fire personnel across the country," she said. "They continue to work year-round with fewer resources and poor pay thanks to continued government cuts."
Federal workforce reductions, headquarters relocations, and funding freezes have left fire management agencies stretched thin. The U.S. Forest Service is simultaneously dealing with staff reductions, a major headquarters relocation, and grant disbursement freezes — all heading into what may be its most demanding season in years.
What State Agencies Are Doing
Washington's Department of Natural Resources has been activating its seasonal firefighting resources and coordinating with the Washington Military Department, county emergency managers, and tribal partners ahead of the season. The state has requested that its federal partners expedite grant disbursements to support prescribed burning and community preparedness work that is still possible before conditions lock out those options.
Residents across Washington — east and west of the Cascades — are being urged to prepare now: create defensible space around homes, sign up for emergency notification systems, develop and share household evacuation plans, and ensure go-bags and important documents are ready. The message from every agency is the same: do not wait until a fire is visible on the horizon.