The National Interagency Fire Center raised its National Preparedness Level to 3 (PL3) on June 18, 2026, reflecting growing demand for firefighting resources across multiple geographic areas as the 2026 fire season enters its most critical phase.
Current Deployment Picture
As of June 23, the national firefighting system has more than 5,000 personnel assigned to incidents across the country, including two complex incident management teams (Type 1 and Type 2 teams capable of managing major multi-day incidents). A total of 31 large fires are being tracked across eight geographic areas, with the Great Basin leading the count with 11 active large fires.
Geographic areas increasingly drawing on national support include the Great Basin, the Northwest (Oregon and Washington), and the Northern Rockies (Idaho and Montana). When multiple regions simultaneously require national resources, competition for incident management teams, large air tankers, and Type 1 helicopters can become acute.
Air Resources and Aviation
Aviation assets are among the most critical -- and most constrained -- resources in the national firefighting toolkit. Large air tankers, single-engine air tankers (SEATs), and Type 1 heavy helicopters are in high demand early in the season. The Pacific Northwest is currently drawing on both nationally contracted air tankers and exclusive-use contracts held by the Northwest Coordination Center.
The Spokane-area Upriver Fire has made extensive use of helicopters drawing water from the Spokane River, while retardant-dropping aircraft have been deployed to slow fire spread in the Yakima Valley and near residential zones.
Hand Crews and Ground Forces
Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHC) -- the elite 20-person hand crews at the forefront of wildland fire suppression -- are being ordered from across the country to the Pacific Northwest. The Northwest Coordination Center coordinates crew availability and deployment through the national resource ordering system (ROSS).
State agencies including the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Oregon Department of Forestry also deploy their own engine crews, hand crews, and equipment, supplementing federal resources on state and private lands.
Looking Ahead
Fire managers are watching the 7-10 day outlook closely. If the current high-pressure pattern persists and new ignitions continue at the current pace, a move to Preparedness Level 4 is possible. PL4 would signal that the national system is significantly stressed and that some incidents may not receive the resources they need in a timely manner. Residents in fire-prone areas should take preparedness seriously now, not after fires start.