Washington State is experiencing its most active early-season wildfire outbreak in years. In the span of just one week — June 14 through June 21 — multiple major fires ignited across Eastern Washington, forcing thousands of evacuations, destroying homes, threatening energy infrastructure, and stretching the state’s firefighting resources to their limit. Here is a comprehensive overview of all active incidents and what’s at stake for Washington communities this fire season.

Active Fires at a Glance (as of June 21, 2026)

  • Kartar Fire (Okanogan County / Colville Reservation): ~11,679 acres, 0% contained. Level 3 evacuation orders for Kartar Valley Road, Omak Lake Road, and Columbia River Road areas.
  • Roza Fire (Kittitas/Yakima County): ~3,923 acres, 20% contained. Level 2 evacuations for Burbank Creek area. NW Team 2 managing incident.
  • Tucannon Fire (Columbia County): 8,061 acres, 50% contained. State Fire Mobilization authorized. Energy infrastructure and residences threatened.
  • Upriver Fire (Spokane area): 213 acres, ~60% contained. 15 homes destroyed, 1 fatality. All evacuations downgraded to Level 1.
  • Juniper Dunes Fire (Franklin County, near Pasco): Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Road and trail closures in effect. Last report unless significant activity occurs.

The Human Cost

The Upriver Fire near Spokane has been the most devastating in terms of immediate human impact, with at least one person dead and 15 homes confirmed destroyed. More than 11,000 residents were placed under evacuation orders at the fire’s peak, making it one of the largest evacuation events in Spokane’s recent history. The Kartar Fire has displaced hundreds of residents in the Okanogan Highlands and Omak Lake area, many of whom remain unable to return home.

Infrastructure and Resource Threats

The Tucannon Fire has raised concerns beyond residential structures, with energy infrastructure identified as being threatened. The BLM’s Juniper Dunes fire near Pasco, while currently at minimal behavior, is in an area with road and trail infrastructure. Washington State’s agricultural heartland — including orchards, wheat fields, vineyards, and livestock operations — is also at significant risk as the dry season deepens.

State Response

Washington’s response has been robust. The State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray has activated to Level 2 partial activation. State Fire Mobilization — the highest level of state firefighting resource coordination — was authorized for the Tucannon Fire, deploying five strike teams, three hand crews, and air resources. The Washington DNR is coordinating information through its Fire Dashboard and the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center’s morning briefings.

The state is also drawing on national resources through NIFC as the National Preparedness Level sits at 3, meaning geographic areas are competing for a limited national pool of specialized firefighting resources including Type 1 crews, air tankers, and Incident Management Teams.

What to Watch This Week

The critical factors to watch in the coming days include:

  • Wind events: Any strong wind event in Okanogan County could push the uncontained Kartar Fire toward additional communities
  • Temperature and humidity: Continued hot, dry conditions will keep all active fires at high risk of growth
  • New ignitions: With dry fuels across the region, any new ignitions from lightning, human activity, or equipment use could grow rapidly
  • Resource competition: As fires continue burning simultaneously across multiple states, Washington may face delays in obtaining additional national resources

Stay Informed

Washington residents are urged to monitor the following resources:

  • Washington DNR Fire Dashboard: dnr.wa.gov/wildfire-resources/current-wildfire-incident-information
  • InciWeb: inciweb.wildfire.gov (for Upriver and other federally-managed fires)
  • Northwest Interagency Coordination Center blog: nwccweb.us
  • Your county emergency management office for evacuation orders specific to your area
  • Washington State Patrol: wsp.wa.gov for state fire mobilization updates