The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is currently operating at National Preparedness Level 2 (NPL-2) — the second of five levels on the scale used to describe the overall national fire situation and the extent to which national resources are being committed to fire management activities.

What NPL-2 Means

National Preparedness Levels are set by the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) and reflect the overall suppression and support resource commitment across the country. At NPL-2, resources are being mobilized across multiple geographic areas, but the national system is not yet under maximum strain. As fires grow and competition for limited resources increases, NIFC can escalate the preparedness level — NPL-5 represents the highest level of national emergency.

Currently, 2,559 personnel are assigned to active large fire incidents across the country, including at least one complex Incident Management Team (IMT) committed to the South Fork Fire in Nebraska.

Key Resource Categories Being Deployed

As fire activity picks up heading into summer, NIFC and the Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACCs) are tracking and dispatching several categories of critical firefighting resources:

  • Incident Management Teams (IMTs): Type 1 and Type 2 teams that take command of large or complex fires. These teams are limited in number nationally — early-season commitment of IMTs increases the risk of resource competition as summer progresses.
  • Hotshot Crews: Elite 20-person hand crews capable of working in rugged, high-intensity environments. Twenty hotshot crew slots are nationally shared and dispatched by priority.
  • Air Tankers and Helicopters: Single-engine air tankers (SEATs), multi-engine retardant bombers, and heavy helicopters are being positioned or deployed to active incidents. The Twin Sisters Fire in Washington/Oregon is already receiving air support.
  • Smokejumpers: Paracargo and smokejumper bases across the West are staffing up for the season's first significant jump opportunities.

Northwest Coordination Center on Alert

The Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC) — which covers Oregon, Washington, and portions of Idaho — is ramping up staffing and resource tracking as the region enters peak fire season. The USFS Pacific Northwest Region (R6) provides current incident and personnel updates through its fire information page, while Washington DNR and Oregon ODF maintain their own coordination networks for state-protected lands.

Prescribed fire operations are largely winding down for the spring window as fire danger increases. The Teton Interagency Fire area reported fuels personnel completing prescribed burn work in early June — typical timing, as agencies shift from prescribed fire to suppression posture by mid-June.

Mutual Aid and International Resources

The United States maintains mutual aid agreements with Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for firefighting personnel and resources during peak demand periods. Canadian fire activity this year has also been significant, meaning cross-border resource sharing may be more limited than in some prior years. NIFC monitors international fire conditions as part of its preparedness planning.

The Resource Competition Concern

Fire managers across the Pacific Northwest are watching national resource availability closely. In years when multiple large fires ignite simultaneously across different regions, incident management teams, hotshot crews, and air tankers can be in short supply. With the 2026 season already above average nationally, land managers and communities are urged to build local capacity — including pre-positioning resources and training — rather than assuming national resources will be immediately available for every new ignition.