The National Interagency Fire Center raised the nation's fire preparedness level to 4 out of 5 in late June — historically unusual for this time of year — as 51 large uncontained fires burn across 12 states and national firefighting resources face heavy demand. The escalation signals one of the most active early fire seasons on record, with the pace of both ignitions and acres burned outrunning every recent year except 2022.

By the Numbers

As of July 1, 2026, the NIFC daily situation report documented:

  • 51 uncontained large fires burning across the country
  • 552,639 acres currently burning in active large fire perimeters
  • 9,000+ personnel assigned to active incidents nationwide
  • 257 new fires reported in a single day (July 1), including 3 new large fires
  • 0 large fires contained on July 1

Year-to-date through July 1, the 2026 fire season has logged 36,262 fires burning 3,168,102 acres. That compares to 34,457 fires and 1,831,125 acres at the same point in 2025 — meaning 2026 has already burned more than 1.3 million additional acres compared to last year's pace, and far exceeds the pace of 2024 (2,570,875 acres) and 2023 (677,301 acres).

Where the Fires Are

Active large fires are concentrated in the following states as of July 1:

  • Alaska: 15 fires (primarily in BLM zones; fire behavior there is managed for resource benefit in remote areas)
  • Utah: 8 fires including the Cottonwood Fire (93,918 acres, 5% contained) near Beaver — the largest fire in the nation
  • Arizona: 6 fires including the Pocket Fire (15,895 acres, 0% contained) 7 miles north of Sedona
  • Colorado: 6 fires including the Ferris Fire (21,279 acres) on the San Juan National Forest
  • Nevada: 4 fires including the Grapevine Fire (26,464 acres, 55% contained)
  • New Mexico: 4 fires
  • Idaho: 1 fire (Shingle Creek, 635 acres, 77% contained near Riggins)
  • Washington: 1 fire (Lambdin Fire, 12,776 acres, 25% contained near Wallula)

What Preparedness Level 4 Means

The national preparedness level reflects anticipated fire activity and the corresponding commitment of national suppression resources. At Level 4, national resources are "heavily committed" — meaning that Incident Management Teams, hand crews, engines, and aviation assets are at high utilization rates, and additional requests from any geographic area may face delays or denial due to scarcity.

Historically, the nation averages Preparedness Level 2 in June and Level 3 in July. Reaching Level 4 this early reflects the exceptional fire conditions driven by drought, heat, and below-normal snowpack across a wide swath of the West, including the Pacific Northwest.

Pacific Northwest on Watch

While the Pacific Northwest has so far seen less catastrophic fire activity than the Great Basin and Southwest, forecasters warn that the region's fire season is just beginning. Drought has grown across south-central and southeast Oregon, with extreme drought persisting in the central Oregon Cascades. Below-normal snowpack across the region means streams and soils dried out earlier than normal, and above-average temperatures are expected through the summer and fall.

AccuWeather's summer 2026 forecast identified higher-than-average fire risk throughout the Northwest, noting that the region is both warmer and drier than average and that these conditions are expected to persist through the fall season.