Eastern Washington is facing one of the most intense early-season fire outbreaks in recent memory. Multiple large fires ignited this week across Okanogan, Yakima, Columbia, and Franklin counties, prompting widespread evacuations, road closures, and the deployment of state and federal firefighting resources. As of Friday morning, June 19, Washington leads the nation with six large fires actively burning within its borders.

Washington Fires at a Glance

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) confirmed Thursday that the following large fires are burning in Washington state:

  • Kartar Fire (Colville Agency/BIA) — 7,500+ acres, 0% contained, 15 miles southeast of Omak. Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations in effect for Kartar Valley.
  • Tucannon Mutual Aid Fire (Washington State Fire Marshal) — 7,732 acres, 10% contained, 8 miles east of Dayton. State fire mobilization authorized.
  • Roza Fire (BLM Spokane District) — 3,923 acres, 20% contained, 9 miles north of Selah. Caused temporary closure of Interstate 82.
  • Juniper Dunes Fire (BLM Spokane District) — 13,003 acres, 50% contained, 10 miles northeast of Pasco. Firefighters making steady progress.
  • Cable Creek Fire (Oregon DOF, Pendleton Unit) — 1,200 acres, 0% contained, 8 miles east of Ukiah, OR. Burning grass and brush in Umatilla County.

National Context

The outbreak in the Pacific Northwest contributed directly to the National Interagency Fire Center raising the National Preparedness Level (NPL) to Level 3 on Thursday, June 18 — a significant escalation from the PL2 that had been in place since March. At PL3, geographic areas are increasingly drawing on national firefighting resources, and incident management teams are being deployed across multiple regions simultaneously.

Nationally, 27 large fires are burning across 13 states, covering roughly 182,000 acres. Nearly 5,000 personnel and two Complex Incident Management Teams are assigned nationwide. So far in 2026, 33,349 fires have burned more than 2.6 million acres — well above the 10-year average of 24,685 fires and 1.6 million acres for the same period.

What Sparked the Outbreak

A cold front sweeping through the Pacific Northwest late Tuesday, June 16, produced a dangerous combination of strong erratic winds, critically low relative humidity values, and dry fuels cured by an early start to fire season. The National Weather Service office in Pendleton issued Red Flag Warnings for much of eastern Washington and northeast Oregon that day, cautioning that any ignition could result in rapidly spreading fire. Multiple ignitions followed within hours of the warning being issued.

Fire officials say drought conditions — including below-normal snowpack and soils drying earlier than normal — have left fuels primed for rapid spread. The state has seen below-average precipitation for several consecutive months across its eastern regions.

Ongoing Operations

Air tankers, helicopters, engine crews, and hand crews are working all active fires. The Washington State Patrol activated the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan for the Tucannon Fire, bringing in additional engines and crews from mutual aid jurisdictions across the state. Residents in affected counties are urged to monitor local emergency management websites and sign up for emergency alerts through AlertSense or their county alert system.