The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) dropped the national fire preparedness level to Preparedness Level 1 (PL1) on October 14, 2026 — the lowest on a five-point scale — as seasonal cooling and precipitation suppress wildfire activity across most of the country. Eleven large fires remain active in five states, but the conditions that fueled the explosive 2026 fire season are rapidly diminishing.

What PL1 Means

A Preparedness Level 1 designation indicates that geographic areas can accomplish incident management objectives using local resources with little or no national support. It signals that conditions are not favorable to support significant wildland fire activity in most areas, and that the potential for emerging significant wildfires is expected to remain minimal.

At PL1, the NICC is not actively mobilizing national resources through interagency channels, and resource capability is adequate with little mobilization occurring.

Fires Still Burning

Despite the lower preparedness level, firefighters continue working on 11 large fires nationwide. As of October 16, those fires are distributed across five states:

  • California: 4 fires, including the Timber Fire (25,350 acres, 97% contained) near Big Sur
  • Oregon: 2 fires, including Grasshopper (93,972 acres, 98%) and Austin (12,888 acres, 98%)
  • Michigan: 2 fires in the Upper Peninsula
  • Washington: 1 fire (Sisi Fire, 4,615 acres, 34% contained near Stehekin)
  • Mississippi: 1 fire

All active fires are burning a combined 142,624 acres. A total of 1,820 firefighters and support personnel remain assigned, with 18 hand crews, 113 engines, and 9 helicopters in operation.

A Record-Breaking Year by the Numbers

The 2026 wildfire season has been extraordinary by any measure. Through October 16, 64,718 fires have burned 9,028,873 acres nationwide — 132% of the 10-year average number of fires and 143% of average acres burned for this date.

For comparison, the same period in prior years:

  • 2025: 55,569 fires / 4,753,997 acres
  • 2024: 42,594 fires / 7,859,370 acres
  • 2023: 47,925 fires / 2,531,890 acres
  • 2022: 56,449 fires / 6,940,567 acres

The 10-year average (2016–2025) through this date is 48,906 fires and 6,316,574 acres. The 2026 season has significantly exceeded both benchmarks.

Looking Ahead

While the national preparedness level is low, fire danger does not end in October. Dry offshore wind events in the Pacific Northwest, wind-driven fire events in Southern California, and drought conditions in parts of the interior West can all produce dangerous fire behavior well into autumn and winter. Residents in fire-prone areas are encouraged to maintain defensible space and have evacuation plans ready year-round.