PNW Focus
Oregon's 2026 Wildfire Season: A Record-Breaking Reckoning
Oregon's 2026 fire season scorched 2.1 million acres and cost an estimated $1.4 billion to suppress — the most destructive and expensive season in state history.
PNW Focus
Oregon’s 2026 Wildfire Season Shatters All Records: 2.3 Million Acres and a State Forever Changed
Oregon has burned more than 2.3 million acres in 2026, demolishing its previous all-time wildfire record and leaving a trail of evacuations, insurance upheaval, and federal emergency declarations across the state.
PNW Focus
Washington’s Statewide Burn Ban Expires Today — Fire Officials Warn the Season Isn’t Over
Washington’s emergency outdoor burn ban, in place since early August, expires September 30 — but state fire officials and local chiefs are urging residents to remain cautious, noting that fire season does not end with the calendar.
PNW Focus
Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests Launch Fall Prescribed Burn Season
Deschutes National Forest plans to burn up to 5,886 acres near Bend, Sisters, La Pine, and Sunriver this fall. The Ochoco National Forest began its prescribed burn season September 28. Expect some smoke in Central Oregon communities during operations.
PNW Focus
Oregon's 2026 Wildfire Season: By the Numbers as Autumn Arrives
Oregon's 2026 fire season shatters all records at 2.5 million acres burned. The Rowe Creek Complex (373,927 acres) transitioned to local agencies September 25. The Grasshopper, Hagen, and Austin fires remain active.
PNW Focus
Washington's Little Giant and Sinlahekin Fires Enter Final Containment Phase
The Little Giant Fire (172,891 acres, 81% contained) and Sinlahekin Fire (166,026 acres) are winding down as crews shift to mop-up. All Sinlahekin evacuation orders were lifted September 12. Washington's statewide burn ban expires September 30.
PNW Focus
Pacific Northwest Forests Begin Fall Prescribed Burns to Reduce Future Wildfire Risk
The Deschutes, Malheur, and Sawtooth national forests are launching fall prescribed burning programs this week, using intentional, controlled fires to reduce fuel loads and protect communities from future catastrophic wildfires.
PNW Focus
Washington’s Largest 2026 Fires Nearing Containment: Little Giant and Sinlahekin Updates
The Little Giant Fire in Chelan County and the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County — two of Washington’s largest wildfires of 2026 — are both approaching full containment as autumn weather brings relief to crews.
PNW Focus
Fall Prescribed Burns Resume in Bitterroot as Montana Agencies Race to Reduce Fuel Loads
The Bitterroot National Forest is conducting thousands of acres of fall prescribed burns near Hamilton and Conner, Montana, as land managers race to reduce fuel loads ahead of next fire season. Separately, the Nature Grove Fire remains active at 1,422 acres with minimal behavior following recent rain.
PNW Focus
Oregon's Narrows Fire Near Mt. Hood Reaches 98% Containment as Region Transitions Out of Peak Season
The Narrows Fire on the Mt. Hood National Forest is 98% contained at 305 acres near Estacada, Oregon — among the last active large incidents on Oregon national forest lands as the state transitions out of a record-breaking 2026 season that burned over 2.3 million acres statewide.
PNW Focus
Deschutes National Forest to Begin Fall Prescribed Burns Across Central Oregon Next Week
The Deschutes National Forest is preparing to launch its fall understory prescribed burning program as early as Tuesday, with up to 5,886 acres planned across the Bend-Fort Rock, Crescent, and Sisters ranger districts — a key step in reducing wildfire risk to communities across central Oregon.
PNW Focus
Oregon's 2026 Fire Season: Over 1.1 Million Acres, Record Costs, and Lessons for 2027
Oregon experienced one of its most destructive wildfire seasons in recorded history in 2026, with over 1.1 million acres burned, costs topping $842 million, and landmark fires near Jordan Valley and Fossil raising urgent questions about preparation for next year.
PNW Focus
Oregon's Historic 2026 Wildfire Season: By the Numbers
Oregon's 2026 wildfire season has shattered all previous state records, with more than 2.5 million acres burned across over 1,500 fires. Suppression costs have reached at least $236 million as the state seeks additional funding and federal fire borrowing looms as a risk.
PNW Focus
2026 Fire Season by the Numbers: Pacific Northwest Hardest Hit as Nation Logs 8.5 Million Acres Burned
With the 2026 wildfire season approaching its end, the numbers tell a sobering story: more than 8.5 million acres burned nationwide, Oregon set a new largest-fire-in-history record, and Washington saw 67,000 people under evacuation orders at the season’s peak.
PNW Focus
Idaho Fire Season Winding Down: Upper Smith Fire Still Active Near Canada Border, Mop-Up Dominates
Idaho wildfire activity has dropped sharply from its summer peak, with most personnel now focused on mop-up and post-fire repair. The Upper Smith Fire in the Idaho Panhandle—6 miles from the Canadian border—remains the state’s only active large fire, at 41% containment.
PNW Focus
Washington Cascade Fires: Three Queens Remains Dangerous Near Snoqualmie Pass, Sisi Threatens Stehekin
Washington State is still home to seven large uncontained fires, with the Three Queens fire near Snoqualmie Pass at just 23% containment threatening numerous residences and critical infrastructure. The remote Sisi fire near Stehekin is only 15% contained.
PNW Focus
Oregon Fire Season: Major Incidents Near Containment Following Record-Setting Summer
Oregon's six active large fires are approaching containment, led by the 373,927-acre Rowe Creek Complex near Fossil at 99% contained. The 2026 season produced Oregon's largest wildfire on record.
PNW Focus
Washington Fire Update: Eight Large Incidents Active Across the Cascades and Okanogan Highlands
Eight large wildfires remain active across Washington state, including the 172,814-acre Little Giant Fire and the 166,005-acre Sinlahekin Fire. Breezy Cascade gap winds and low humidity return Tuesday.
PNW Focus
ODF Plans Fall Prescribed Burn Near Corvallis as Agencies Push Post-Season Fuels Treatment
The Oregon Department of Forestry plans a prescribed training burn of up to 40 acres at Bald Hill Farm near Corvallis. A new federal hazard pay rule covering prescribed burns could boost recruitment for fuel treatment programs.
PNW Focus
Idaho Wildfires: Cascade Fire at 70% Containment, Big Grass Fire Fully Contained
Idaho's Cascade Fire is 70% contained at 7,475 acres in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. The season-defining Big Grass Fire in Owyhee County reached full containment September 13 after a massive suppression effort.