Washington state fire managers and emergency officials are warning residents to prepare for what could be one of the most active wildfire seasons in recent memory, driven by record-low snowpack, an early spring melt, and a statewide drought declaration issued in April.

Snowpack Far Below Normal

According to Drought.gov, snow drought is currently widespread across Washington due to unseasonably warm winter temperatures that brought more rain than snow to the mountains. Snowpack remains far below normal statewide, and snowmelt has occurred approximately one month earlier than average — accelerating the drying of fuels heading into summer.

On April 8, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide drought, citing the impact on water supplies, agriculture, fish, and wildlife. The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting below-normal precipitation across the Northwest through at least June, compounding fire risk.

Agencies Mobilizing Early

The U.S. Forest Service acknowledged the grim outlook in a recent statement, with Deputy Chief Sarah Fisher of Fire and Aviation Management noting: "All of our predictive models point to a challenging summer. But we have an incredible workforce and an interagency system built to adapt and meet challenges head-on."

The Forest Service says it can mobilize more than 28,000 wildfire responders and over 22,000 contracted resources across 2,500 vendors if conditions demand. Gifford Pinchot National Forest has continued using prescribed burns — conducted in cooler seasons under controlled conditions — to reduce hazardous fuel loads ahead of peak fire season.

Western Washington Not Immune

Riva Duncan, president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters and a retired U.S. Forest Service employee, warned that even Western Washington — historically less affected by large fires — is increasingly at risk. "In Western Washington, you're seeing wildfires now where there weren't any before," Duncan told the Tacoma News Tribune. "Everything is connected."

Duncan cited the 2025 Bear Gulch Fire in Olympic National Forest, which burned more than 20,000 acres — the largest fire on the Olympic Peninsula since the Great Forks Fire in 1951. She also cautioned that what used to be discrete fire "seasons" have effectively become year-round fire conditions, leaving hotshot crews and fire personnel with little downtime.

Key Risk Factors for 2026

  • Statewide drought declared April 8, 2026
  • Snowmelt approximately one month ahead of normal
  • Above-normal temperatures forecast through summer
  • Hazardous fuel buildup from years of suppression
  • Invasive grass species increasing fine fuel loads in Eastern Washington
  • Below-normal precipitation expected May–June

Fire managers urge residents across Washington to review their evacuation plans, sign up for county emergency alerts, create defensible space around structures, and follow all fire restrictions currently in effect on BLM and National Forest lands. The Bureau of Land Management implemented fire restrictions on all Oregon and Washington BLM lands effective May 14.