U.S. Raises Wildfire Preparedness to Maximum Level 5 as 94 Uncontained Blazes Rake the West

On August 5, 2026, the National Interagency Fire Center raised the U.S. National Preparedness Level to Level 5—the highest level of emergency readiness—as 94 uncontained large wildfires burned 3.26 million acres across nine western states. Over 28,700 wildland firefighters, 1,618 fire engines, and 180 helicopters are currently deployed nationwide. The Northwest region faces the most extreme fire conditions, accounting for 49 uncontained large blazes and over 2.27 million burned acres. To support exhausted U.S. fire crews, international firefighting personnel and specialized incident management teams from Australia and New Zealand arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Military support has also been activated. Four U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems deployed to tactical airbases in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and Redding, California, to conduct continuous retardant drops. Extreme heat, record low fuel moisture, and dry lightning threats across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California continue to complicate suppression efforts, with high-pressure heat domes locking extreme weather over active fire zones.