The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho is currently operating at National Preparedness Level 2 — the second-lowest level on a scale of 1 to 5 — reflecting early-season fire activity across multiple geographic areas that is drawing on national firefighting resources before the traditional peak of summer fire season has even arrived.

According to NIFC's Friday morning Incident Management Situation Report, critical fire weather conditions are forecast for portions of the Four Corners states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah), where gusty winds of 40–45 mph and relative humidity values of 7–20 percent are creating extreme fire danger. Isolated dry thunderstorms are possible across eastern Nevada, southern Utah, northwest Arizona, and southwest Colorado.

Idaho and Montana on Watch for Dry Lightning

Of more immediate concern to Pacific Northwest fire managers, the NIFC situation report highlights a higher potential for thunderstorms further north and east — including across the mountains of Idaho and most of Montana. Dry or nearly-dry thunderstorm activity can produce lightning strikes on parched fuels without delivering meaningful rainfall, a combination that historically triggers multiple simultaneous ignitions across remote terrain.

With the Summit Creek Fire already burning at 1,500 acres in the Sawtooth National Forest of southern Idaho, additional lightning-caused ignitions across the region would rapidly strain local and regional firefighting resources. Aerial assets including retardant tankers and Type 1 helicopters are already being positioned with the fire season in mind.

What Preparedness Levels Mean

NIFC's preparedness level system signals how much demand is being placed on the national firefighting resource pool:

  • Level 1: Normal conditions, resources broadly available
  • Level 2: Increased activity in one or more areas, some resources committed
  • Level 3: Heavy activity nationally, resources strained in multiple regions
  • Level 4: High demand, prioritization of resources required
  • Level 5: Extreme national fire emergency, all available resources deployed

During the peak years of 2020, 2021, and 2022, NIFC reached Preparedness Level 5 multiple times during summer months. That the agency is already at Level 2 in late May 2026 suggests fire managers expect conditions to escalate quickly.

Favorable Weather Briefly for Oregon and Western Washington

The NIFC situation report notes that a cold, fast-moving low-pressure system is bringing rain to much of Oregon and western Washington this weekend, providing a brief reprieve from fire weather conditions. However, forecasters caution that moisture relief for the high desert and eastern portions of both states will be minimal, and that the combination of warm temperatures and dry fuels means the window of reduced fire risk will be short-lived.

The National Interagency Coordination Center publishes daily situation reports at nifc.gov during the active fire season. Residents in fire-prone areas are encouraged to monitor forecasts and remain aware of changing conditions.