The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports that 18 large, uncontained fires are currently burning across the United States, with more than 5,000 firefighting personnel now assigned to incidents nationwide. As of May 22, 2026, a total of 29,023 fires have burned more than 2.3 million acres this year — a pace that already puts 2026 on track to rival or exceed recent seasons in total acreage.
Southern California and Southwest Seeing Heaviest Activity
The most significant current incidents are concentrated in Southern California and the Southwest. The Santa Rosa Island Fire in Channel Islands National Park has grown to 18,379 acres after igniting on May 15. The fire is burning on Santa Rosa Island in a remote and logistically challenging environment, complicating suppression efforts.
In New Mexico, the Seven Cabins Fire has burned 17,116 acres with evacuations in effect for nearby communities. The Southern Area has seen the most sustained and intense activity nationally, with firefighters battling wind-driven runs and challenging terrain across multiple states.
National Preparedness Level Holds at 2
NIFC has maintained a National Preparedness Level 2 — on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) — indicating that resources are being committed to multiple incidents but national availability of firefighting assets remains adequate for now. One Complex Incident Management Team is supporting response efforts.
Fire managers note that while rainfall is forecast for some parts of the West in the coming days, it may be accompanied by dry lightning — a phenomenon that can ignite new fires even as precipitation falls short of providing meaningful fuel moisture relief.
Season on a Dangerous Trajectory
AccuWeather's national wildfire forecast projects between 65,000 and 80,000 total wildfires burning 5.5 million to 8 million acres nationwide in 2026. That compares to 77,850 fires that burned 5.1 million acres in all of 2025. Forecasters emphasize that while fire counts may be somewhat lower than some years, drought conditions and extreme heat are expected to cause individual fires to grow larger more quickly, driving up total acres burned.
NIFC urges the public to take fire prevention seriously during the Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer season. The majority of wildfires in the United States are human-caused and preventable. Simple measures — avoiding parking on vegetation, ensuring campfires are completely extinguished, and following local fire restrictions — can make a meaningful difference.