NIFC Lowers Fire Preparedness to Level 1 as 11 Large Fires Continue

TL;DR: The National Interagency Fire Center lowered the National Preparedness Level to 1 on October 14, 2026, while 11 large fires using 1,820 personnel continued to burn in seven states after a year that produced 64,718 fires and 9,028,873 acres burned.

National posture eases to lowest level

The national wildland fire posture moved to its lowest setting in mid-October, even as crews remained assigned in California, the Northwest, the Upper Midwest, and the South. The change took effect at 7:30 a.m. MDT on October 14, 2026, on a scale from 1 to 5, according to the National Fire News | National Interagency Fire Center.

The October 16, 2026 edition of that report explains that the National Interagency Standards for Resource Mobilization call for Preparedness Level 1 when local areas can meet incident objectives with little or no help from the national system. The report lists four supporting factors: little risk of depleting capability in any geographic area to support operations elsewhere, conditions not favorable for significant wildland fire activity in most geographic areas, adequate resource capability with little or no mobilization through the National Interagency Coordination Center, and minimal expected potential for new significant fires.

For households, the practical meaning is that national competition for crews, engines, and aircraft is low. Local units are handling current incidents without drawing heavily on outside assistance. That status does not mean fire risk has ended in every community, because 11 large fires were still listed as active and one new large fire was recorded in the reporting period.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, lists current public hours as 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, Monday through Friday. The National Fire News report is currently updated on Fridays, and readers seeking newer incident detail are directed to check the Incident Management Situation Report, known as the IMSR.

A record-heavy year by fire count and acres

Year-to-date totals place 2026 well above recent norms for both fire numbers and area burned. Through October 16, 2026, the nation recorded 64,718 fires and 9,028,873 acres burned, according to the National Fire News | National Interagency Fire Center.

That fire count represents 132% of the 10-year average number of fires for the date, while the acreage represents 143% of the average acres burned for the date. The 10-year year-to-date average for 2016-2025 is 48,906 fires and 6,316,574 acres.

Annual comparisons for the same January 1 to October 16 window show the scale of the difference:

• In 2025, there were 55,569 fires and 4,753,997 acres.
• In 2024, there were 42,594 fires and 7,859,370 acres.
• In 2023, there were 47,925 fires and 2,531,890 acres.
• In 2022, there were 56,449 fires and 6,940,567 acres.
• In 2021, there were 47,675 fires and 6,499,507 acres.
• In 2020, there were 46,033 fires and 8,343,839 acres.
• In 2019, there were 43,509 fires and 4,454,812 acres.
• In 2018, there were 49,899 fires and 8,155,195 acres.
• In 2017, there were 51,435 fires and 8,769,877 acres.
• In 2016, there were 48,986 fires and 4,913,184 acres.

The current national statistics page, titled Statistics | National Interagency Fire Center, lists the same October 16, 2026 markers: 11 large fires being suppressed, one new large fire, 64,718 year-to-date wildfires, 689,314 acres burned on large fires, 1,820 personnel assigned, and 9,028,873 year-to-date acres burned. It notes that statistics come from the Incident Management Situation Report published by the National Interagency Coordination Center and was last updated Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:35.

An earlier seasonal benchmark included in the document titled Issued: October 1, 2026 Next Issuance: November 2, 2026 Outlook Period – October 2026 through January 2027 reported 62,369 wildfires and 8,604,892 acres burned as of September 30. That outlook described the 2026 total at that point as 134% of average for fire numbers and 141% of the previous 10-year average for acres.

Crews, engines and aircraft still committed

Firefighters were working to contain 11 large fires across the country in the October 16 report. A total of 1,820 firefighters and support personnel were assigned to incidents, including 18 crews, 113 engines, and 9 helicopters.

Initial attack activity was described as light, with 69 fires in the national situation summary. No complex incident management teams or National Incident Management Organization teams were listed as committed at the national level in that summary, which aligns with a Preparedness Level 1 period when mobilization through the coordination center is limited.

Acres counted from all active fires totaled 689,314. The report lists zero large fires newly contained in that daily-statistics snapshot and one new large fire or emergency response, identified with an asterisk.

States reporting large fires totaled seven. Michigan reported three large fires. California reported two. Oregon reported two. Washington, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Mississippi each reported one.

California: two long-duration incidents near parks and coast

California accounted for two fires and 32,138 acres, with no new starts and none listed as fully contained in the state subtotal.

The Dome fire in Yosemite National Park, managed by the National Park Service, was listed at 6,788 acres and 95% contained, located one mile north of Wawona, California. Public information was listed as 209-662-7175.

The Timber fire on the Los Padres National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, was listed at 25,350 acres and 97% contained, located approximately four miles southeast of Big Sur, California. Public information was listed as (805) 549-3318.

The separate national situation summary describes both California incidents as showing minimal fire behavior with smoldering and creeping, with area, road, and trail closures in effect. It lists timber, brush, and medium slash on the Dome incident and grass, timber, and chaparral on the Timber incident.

Oregon and Washington: three Northwest fires and threatened homes

Oregon accounted for two fires and 106,860 acres. Washington accounted for one fire and 4,615 acres.

In Oregon, the Austin fire on the Mt. Hood National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, was listed at 12,888 acres and 98% contained, 25 miles southeast of Estacada, Oregon. The Grasshopper fire, also on the Mt. Hood National Forest, was listed at 93,972 acres and 98% contained, 14 miles southwest of Dufur, Oregon. The contact number listed for both was 541-982-5802.

In Washington, the Sisi fire on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, was listed at 4,615 acres and 34% contained, 10 miles northwest of Stehekin, Washington. The contact number was (509) 682-4900.

The national situation summary notes residences threatened on the Sisi incident and describes moderate behavior there with smoldering, backing, and flanking in timber and closed timber litter. It describes minimal behavior with smoldering on the Austin incident in brush, timber, and closed timber litter, and minimal behavior with creeping and smoldering on the Grasshopper incident in brush, hardwood litter, and closed timber litter. Area, road, and trail closures were in effect for all three.

Michigan: three fires in the Upper Peninsula region

Michigan accounted for three fires and 1,454 acres, with none listed as fully contained in the state subtotal.

The Black River fire, under the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, was listed at 382 acres and 60% contained, four miles south of Wakefield, Michigan. The Craig Lake 1 fire, also under the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, was listed at 606 acres and 57% contained, seven miles northwest of Michigamme, Michigan. The Ridge fire, also under the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, was listed at 466 acres and 30% contained, six miles north of Negaunee, Michigan.

The situation summary describes timber and grass on Black River, hardwood litter and timber on Craig Lake 1, and timber and hardwood litter on Ridge. It notes residences threatened at Black River, structures threatened at Ridge, and area and trail closures at Craig Lake 1. It also notes minimal behavior with smoldering and creeping at Black River, minimal behavior with smoldering at the other two, trail closures at Ridge, and precipitation over the Black River area the prior day.

South and Rockies: Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wyoming

Mississippi reported one fire and 150 acres, with one new large fire. The Mount Pilgrim Road fire, under the Mississippi Forestry Commission, was listed at 150 acres and 10% contained, 12 miles northeast of Canton, Mississippi. It was the incident marked with an asterisk as new.

Oklahoma reported one fire and 128 acres. The South White Wolf fire, under the Oklahoma Division of Forestry, was listed at 128 acres and 75% contained, five miles southeast of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.

Wyoming reported one fire and 1,645 acres. The Pk fire in Sheridan County, listed under county jurisdiction, was 1,645 acres and 85% contained, 10 miles west of Sheridan, Wyoming.

The situation summary describes timber on both Southern Area incidents, with active behavior involving creeping and backing at Mount Pilgrim Road and minimal behavior with creeping at South White Wolf. It describes brush, grass, and timber on the Wyoming incident, with minimal behavior involving smoldering.

Why the national level fell in October

The drop to Preparedness Level 1 followed a rapid late-season cooldown described in the document titled Issued: October 1, 2026 Next Issuance: November 2, 2026 Outlook Period – October 2026 through January 2027.

That outlook states that fire activity diminished quickly during September, with only California and the Southern Area remaining moderately active at the end of the month. It records that the National Preparedness Level fell from five to four on September 4, to three on September 9, and to two on September 22, on a scale of 1 to 5.

September precipitation was above normal for northern California and most of the Northwest eastward into Montana, according to the same outlook. Precipitation was also above normal for much of the Southwest into the central and northern Plains, as well as a small portion of southern California. Precipitation was below normal for central California into Nevada, as well as much of the southern Plains into the Southeast.

Despite the easing fire workload, drought remained widespread. The outlook states that overall drought continued to slowly expand during the prior month, covering more than 59% of the country. It reports drought development or intensification in much of the southern Plains into the Southeast and northern New England, with improvement noted in Florida and portions of the Rockies and northern Plains into Minnesota.

What the seasonal outlook signals for households

The October outlook keeps significant fire potential above normal into October for specific areas rather than most of the country. For October, above-normal potential was forecast for portions of north Texas and western Oklahoma, much of east Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley, northeast Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, western Upper Michigan, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the document titled Issued: October 1, 2026 Next Issuance: November 2, 2026 Outlook Period – October 2026 through January 2027.

For November, the outlook forecasts normal potential for most of the country except portions of east Texas and eastern Oklahoma eastward into most of Kentucky and Tennessee, plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For December, it forecasts normal potential for the contiguous United States and Alaska, with above-normal potential remaining for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For January, normal potential is forecast across the country.

Households in the areas named for October and November should treat local burn rules, burn bans, and county or state forestry notices as the controlling guidance. National-level easing does not replace county alerts, park closures, or road and trail closures near an active incident.

Defensible space work to do during lower demand

The National Fire News report uses the lower-tempo period to urge yard work that creates defensible space around homes in fire-prone areas. The tips are presented as property-protection steps, not only appearance improvements.

The listed steps are to prune trees six to ten feet above the ground, remove dead leaves and branches and dispose of them, keep lawns green and short, and store firewood away from the house. The report also advises having a plan for family and pets for a fire emergency and points readers to Firewise.org for home and landscape preparation.

Residents can apply those actions in sequence: clear dead material first, maintain separation between ground and low limbs, keep grass trimmed, move woodpiles away from structures, and confirm that household members know exit routes and pet arrangements. People living near the Michigan, California, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Oklahoma, or Mississippi incidents should also check closure notices before traveling, because area, road, and trail closures were reported at multiple fires.

How to track verified updates

Because the National Fire News report is currently updated on Fridays, households should use daily or incident-level sources between editions. The report itself directs readers to the IMSR for more information.

The Statistics page directs readers to the same Incident Management Situation Report system as the source for national numbers. For local decisions, county emergency management offices, state forestry agencies, national forest alerts, and national park alerts provide closure boundaries, evacuation information, and contact numbers listed for individual fires.