National Fire News

August 18, 2026

Yesterday, 147 new fires were reported nationwide, including four new large fires. Firefighters are currently working to contain 76 uncontained large fires, with 29,509 personnel assigned to incidents nationwide. 

The Northwest remains the nation's most active fire area, with 34 uncontained large fires, including two new large incidents since yesterday. Multiple fires continue to threaten homes, communities and critical infrastructure. Serious fire activity is widespread nationwide, with nine geographic areas reporting large fires. 

So far in 2026, firefighters have responded to 49,242 wildfires that have burned more than 7.2 million acres across the United States, 129% of the 10-year average for fires and 168% for acres burned. 

As this summer has seen fires across the country consume thousands of acres, it is important to remember that early suppression of new fire starts remains a vital objective. The vast majority of wildfires are contained within 24 hours of their discovery, also known as the initial attack stage; these fires do not get large enough to be listed on the incident management summary report. Prepositioning firefighters and firefighting resources strategically for initial attack, especially in areas where predictive services have identified a potential for large fire growth, is a critical consideration during the busiest part of the fire year and must be balanced with the tremendous need for resources to fight large fires.