The National Interagency Fire Center announced that wildfire risk has pushed national resources to the highest preparedness level, trending earlier than the two previous years.
The NIFC is the nation’s center for wildland fires, and it operates on five levels of preparedness based on the risk of fires. Levels depend on the resources available locally and if national support is deemed necessary, meaning level 5 is the highest need for support from national services.
The nation reached level 5 as of Thursday due to fuel, weather conditions, fire activity and fire suppression resource availability throughout the country.
This comes amid several fires around parts of Washington, Idaho and Oregon with smoke and haze plaguing the northwest.
Compared to previous years, this date could be considered early in the season. In 2020, the NIFC announced the level 5 status on August 19 and did not reach level 5 in 2023.
The NIFC is constantly checking preparedness levels and has detailed reports monthly to monitor wildfire activity. You can find more information and those reports here.
