PNW Focus

BLM and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service have imposed fire restrictions on all public lands in Oregon and Washington starting May 14, citing record-low snowpack and drought. Violations carry fines up to $100,000.

May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and with the Pacific Northwest on track for an active 2026 season, now is the time to create defensible space, harden your home, build a go-bag, and sign up for emergency alerts.

A statewide drought declaration, record-low snowpack, and a grim NIFC season outlook have Washington fire managers warning that 2026 could be among the worst wildfire years the state has seen. Even Western Washington faces elevated risk.

BLM fire prevention orders took effect May 14 in Oregon and Washington, and May 10 in Idaho, banning fireworks, exploding targets, and incendiary devices on public lands through fall. Officials warn 2026 could be an extreme fire year.

Gov. Tina Kotek received a statewide wildfire briefing and declared May Wildfire Awareness Month, warning that record drought, low snowpack, and rising human-caused ignitions signal a dangerous 2026 fire season for Oregon.

With forecasters warning of an above-normal 2026 fire season in the Pacific Northwest, fire agencies are urging residents to use Wildfire Awareness Month to create defensible space, plan evacuations, and practice fire-safe behaviors — starting today.

The BLM and U.S. Wildland Fire Service are implementing fire restrictions on all BLM-administered lands in Oregon and Washington beginning May 14, prohibiting fireworks, exploding targets, and incendiary devices as officials warn 2026 could be an extreme fire year.

With a historically dangerous fire season ahead, May is the right time for Pacific Northwest homeowners to build defensible space, prepare go-bags, and know their evacuation zone before the first spark flies.

BLM and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service will ban fireworks, exploding targets, and incendiary devices on all BLM lands in Oregon and Washington beginning May 14, citing extreme drought and heat risk.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal is kicking off Wildfire Awareness Month by urging homeowners to focus on the first five feet around their homes — where ember ignition is most likely — and to prepare evacuation plans before fire season peaks.

Gov. Tina Kotek warns that the 2026 Oregon wildfire season — already underway — could be severe and long-lasting, driven by record-low snowpack, drought, and above-normal temperatures forecast through fall.

Land managers across Oregon and Washington are expanding prescribed burn programs in 2026, using carefully planned low-intensity fires to reduce the catastrophic fuel loads that drive destructive wildfires.