Washington state is home to the most extensive active wildfire complex in the Pacific Northwest, with approximately 20 to 23 fires burning across more than 413,500 acres as of October 11, 2026. The statewide average containment sits at roughly 60%, reflecting a handful of late-season fires still resisting control in rugged terrain.

Largest Active Fires in Washington

  • Little Giant Fire — Chelan County, 172,906 acres, 95% contained. The largest fire in Washington this season, burning in steep, remote terrain above Lake Chelan. Fire managers report strong progress and anticipate full containment in coming days.
  • Sinlahekin Fire — Okanogan County, 166,007 acres, 99% contained. Nearly out, the Sinlahekin burned through mixed shrub-steppe and ponderosa pine habitat in the Okanogan Highlands.
  • Ptarmigan Fire — Okanogan County, 25,566 acres, 90% contained. Burning at higher elevations in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
  • Three Queens Fire — Kittitas County, 9,575 acres, 33% contained. The least-contained major fire in the state, burning in the Cle Elum Ranger District. Cooler conditions have slowed fire spread.
  • Border 2 Fire — Whatcom County, 9,108 acres, 75% contained. Burning near the U.S.-Canada border in the North Cascades region.
  • Luna Fire — Whatcom County, 8,553 acres, 42% contained. Also in the North Cascades corridor, the Luna Fire has been complicated by remote terrain limiting ground access.
  • Hatch Grade Fire — Walla Walla County, 9,023 acres, 70% contained. A southeastern Washington rangeland fire.
  • Sisi Fire — Chelan County, 4,439 acres, 34% contained.

A Devastating Summer

The scale of Washington’s 2026 fire season becomes clear in the context of what happened earlier this year. In early August, rapidly spreading fires near Spokane burned more than 7,700 acres in a single wind event, with reports of more than 600 structures damaged or destroyed. The National Weather Service issued a rare Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning covering large portions of eastern Washington and Oregon at the height of the crisis.

The fires prompted mass evacuations across multiple communities in Chelan, Okanogan, and Spokane counties. Emergency shelters were activated across the region and National Guard resources were deployed to assist with search and rescue and evacuation logistics.

Pattern Change Brings Hope

A major atmospheric trough is now pushing into the region from the northwest, bringing a strong cold front, cooler temperatures, and light precipitation to western Washington and portions of the Cascades. Fire managers are leveraging the improved conditions to aggressively extend containment lines on the Three Queens, Luna, and Sisi fires before the next weather window closes.

For the latest information, visit the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest alerts page, the Washington Department of Natural Resources incident tracker, and InciWeb.