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2026 Washington wildfires

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2026 Washington wildfires
Burn scar from the Tule Fire
Date
  • May 7, 2026 –
Statistics
Total area425,000 acres (172,000 ha)
Impacts
Deaths2
Evacuated11,000
← 2025
Fire behavior within the Kaiser Canyon Fire

The 2026 Washington wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires in the U.S. state of Washington.

Background

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The state legislature appropriated $120 million for firefighting in 2026, twice the previous year's budget.[1]

As of May 2026, the National Interagency Fire Center predicted above average wildfire risk for Eastern Washington in June 2026; above average for all of Eastern Washington and most of Western Washington in July; and above average for the entire state in August. The risk assessments reflected a combination of early-season drying due to low snowpack, which led to drought conditions in the region; the Washington State Department of Ecology declared statewide drought emergency in early April.[2][3]

Events

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The fire season started on May 7, 2026, with the Libby Creek Fire in the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. It was suspected to be the result of human activity in the forest,[4] and was contained in about a day.[5]

On May 27 and May 28, members of the Washington National Guard conducted wildfire training in anticipation of summer mobilizations.[6]

By June 12, the Department of Natural Resources had responded to over 200 wildfires.[7]

The first fatality of the year was due to the Upriver Fire just outside Spokane city limits.[8]

Another fatality was reported in July due to the Chelan Hills Fire.[9]

On July 15 and July 16, much of Washington was subject to isolated dry thunderstorms, leading to the issuance of red flag warnings for a large portion of the state.[10] These dry thunderstorms, further aided by hot and windy conditions, would spark numerous large wildfires across Washington and Oregon.[11] The Kaiser Canyon fire in particular would scorch over 50,000 acres in a matter of days, prompting numerous evacuations for the entire population of Nespelem.[12]

On August 1, the Storm Prediction Center would issue a rare Extremely Critical Risk in its Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook, encompassing the majority of Eastern Washington, due to dangerously high winds and low humidity.[13] This would lead to the issuance of the first ever PDS Red Flag Warning in Washington State history.[14] The same day, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide fire emergency and outdoor burn ban through September 30.[15]

List of wildfires

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The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Name County Size Start date Containment date[a] Statistics reference Cause Notes Images
Waste Way Grant c. 300 acres (120 ha) May 17 May 18 Human In and around drainage canal near Mattawa, Washington, affected high voltage transmission lines.[17]
Country Meadows Benton 1,700 acres (690 ha) May 23 c. May 30 escaped controlled burn In Badger Canyon, resulted in evacuation orders.[18][19][20][21]
Highway 24 Yakima 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) June 4 June 5 Burned north of State Route 24 16 miles (26 km) east of Moxee.[22]
Chestnut Chelan 1,500 acres (610 ha) June 6 June 8 Prompted level 2 evacuations for Chelan Falls.[23][24]
Juniper Dunes Franklin 13,003 acres (5,262 ha) June 13 June 18 Burned within the Juniper Dunes Wilderness and closed the area.

Firefighting in wilderness area conducted with hand tools alone, due to absence of transportation infrastructure.[25][26][27]
Highway 730 Walla Walla, Umatilla (Oregon) 8,262 acres (3,344 ha) June 14 June 17 Burned near highway 12 and moved south, crossing into Oregon. Prompted evacuations.[28][29]
Tule Yakima 24,090 acres (9,750 ha) June 14 June 22 Burning next to and closed Highway 97 in both directions. Grew rapidly.[30][31][32]
Highway 17 Grant 1,300 acres (530 ha) June 16 June 16 Vehicle crash. Burned near State Route 17 east of Ephrata. Officials were "urging residents near Highway 17 east of Ephrata to leave the area if they fe[lt] unsafe due to a growing grass fire".[33]
Tucannon Columbia 8,069 acres (3,265 ha) June 16 June 20 Burning 8 miles (13 km) east of Dayton.[34][35]
Roza Kittitas, Yakima 3,923 acres (1,588 ha) June 16 June 25 Human Closed Interstate 82 between Selah and Ellensburg and State Route 821. Burned in Yakima Canyon.[36][37][38]
Kartar Okanogan 11,746 acres (4,753 ha) June 16 July 8 Human Burning near Keller and merged with another fire. Prompting evacuations.[39][40]
Upriver Spokane 213 acres (86 ha) June 16 June 24 Remains of one individual discovered on June 17. At least 15 homes destroyed and evacuation of over 10,000 people on June 16–17.[8][41][42][43]
Garred Road Grant 3,369 acres (1,363 ha) June 22June 26 4 miles (6 km) west of Coulee City; caused June 23 evacuations at Sun Lakes Park Resort and closed U.S. Route 2.[44][45][46]
Lambdin Walla Walla 13,300 acres (5,400 ha) June 29 July 6 Caused Level 2 and 3 evacuations and jumped highway US 12.[47]
Chelan Hills Douglas 9,700 acres (3,900 ha) July 4 July 10 Jumped several roadways and a canyon as it moved northeast, prompted evacuations for Chelan Hills. Likely destroyed or damaged approximately 100 structures, including 19 primary residences confirmed destroyed. One person perished in the fire.[48][49][50]
B and O Okanogan 2,927 acres (1,185 ha) July 9 Near Okanogan[51]
Kaiser Canyon Okanogan, Ferry 124,251 acres (50,283 ha) July 16 lightning Started near Nespelem, moved into the outskirts of town itself leading to the forced evacuation of over 1,000 people. Multiple structures destroyed, including an historic Indian Shaker Church building. Encircled the community by July 19 to 21, with access to Nespelem uncertain. Nespelem evacuated July 25.[52][11][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60]
Lyons Ferry Adams, Franklin, Whitman 34,011 acres (13,764 ha) July 16 Lightning Burning in Lyons Ferry State Park near Kahlotus; prompted "go now" evacuations. Caused hazardous air quality in Spokane.[61][62][63]
Neff Jones Franklin 7,150 acres (2,890 ha) July 16 Lightning Near the Snake River.[61][64][65]
Devils Canyon Franklin 4,747 acres (1,921 ha) July 16 Lightning Near Kahlotus.[61][64]
Royal Lake Adams 2,037 acres (824 ha) July 16 Near Othello.[66]
Little Giant Fire Chelan 28,493 acres (11,531 ha) July 16 Lightning Burning in the Cascade foothills north of Plain; caused multiple level 3 "go now" evacuations.[67]
Modrite Ferry 40,635 acres (16,444 ha) July 17 Lightning Near Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake; prompted "go now" evacuations.[68][69][70]
Ptarmigan Okanogan 12,460 acres (5,040 ha) July 17 Lightning Burning near the Canadian border.[71]
Signal Peak Yakima 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) July 24 August 1 Burned just to the South of White Swan, just missing the town.[72][73]
Bradeen Hill Stevens 4,212 acres (1,705 ha) July 25 Burning near Gifford.[74]
Pearl Hill Douglas 8,058 acres (3,261 ha) July 25 July 29 Burning near Bridgeport within the burn scar of a 2020 fire holding the same name.[75]
Sinlahekin Okanogan 73,794 acres (29,863 ha) July 26 Lightning Burning west of Tonasket in the Sinlahekin Valley region.[76][77]
White Swan/Ransier Yakima 1,302 acres (527 ha) July 26 Started just Southeast of White Swan, due West the Signal Peak fire. Level 3 "go now" evacuations would be issued as the fire burned through the town, destroying numerous structures.[72]
Old Trails Spokane 3,509 acres (1,420 ha) August 1 [78] Started near Airway Heights and quickly spread towards the city limits of Spokane. After jumping the Spokane River, the fire prompted numerous level 3 "go now" evacuations as it burned through highly populated suburban areas of the city.[78]
Autumn Lane Spokane, Stevens 3,300 acres (1,300 ha) August 1 Started just South of Suncrest across the Spokane River. The fire quickly jumped the river and burned to the East, prompting numerous level 3 "go now" evacuations as it entered Spokane County.[79]
Hudspeth Stevens 4,211 acres (1,704 ha) August 1 Burning near Hunters.[80]
Red Sky Yakima 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) August 1 Burning in Southern Yakima, Washington; prompted level 3 "go now" evacuations.[81]
Mitre Rock Stevens, Lincoln 1,547 acres (626 ha) August 1 Burning near Fort Spokane.[82]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[16]

References

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  1. ↑ Carter, Simone (April 29, 2026). "Wildfires are increasingly common in Western WA. Here's what to expect this year". The Olympian. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  2. ↑ "National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Wildfire outlook signals elevated risk for WA this summer". Quincy, Washington: Source One News. April 8, 2026. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  4. ↑ Fletcher, Zachary (May 8, 2026). "First wildfire of 2026 reported in Central Washington". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ "WA's first wildfire of the season now 100% contained". 6:00 AM news broadcast. Tacoma: KCPQ-TV. Retrieved May 9, 2026 – via YouTube.
  6. ↑ Joseph Siemandel (June 2, 2026). "Washington Guard Strengthens Wildfire Readiness". nationalguard.mil. Washington National Guard.
  7. ↑ Frank Lenzi (June 12, 2026). "Hot, dry weekend raises Washington wildfire concerns: 'Don't be that spark'". mynorthwest.com. Seattle: KIRO-TV.
  8. 1 2 ALEXANDRA DUGGAN; NICK GIBSON (June 18, 2026). "One dead, at least 15 homes lost in Spokane County's Upriver fire". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington – via Yakima Herald.
  9. ↑ "Chelan Hills Fire now deadly, 'Go Now' evacuations underway". KIRO-TV. July 6, 2026. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  10. ↑ MacMillan, Brian (July 14, 2026). "WA braces for wildfires as incoming storm expected to bring lightning". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Wixey, Will (July 16, 2026). "Multiple wildfires spark across WA after thunderstorms". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  12. ↑ staff, Source ONE News (July 19, 2026). "Kaiser Canyon Fire Near Nespelem Explodes to 53,321 Acres; More Than a Dozen Structures Burn". Source ONE News. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  13. ↑ Storm Prediction Center August 1, 2026 1200 UTC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook
  14. ↑ Palmer, Morgan (August 1, 2026). "'Particularly dangerous situation': Extreme fire risk east of Cascades today". KIRO 7. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Gov. Ferguson declares statewide wildfire emergency, burn ban through Sept. 30". Seattle: KING-TV. August 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Cause Revealed In 300-Acre Waste Way Fire Near Mattawa May 19, 2026". SourceOne News.
  18. ↑ "Wildfire briefly closes I-84 near Biggs Junction; Separate fire in SE Washington state burns 250 acres". Portland, Oregon: KPTV. May 23, 2026.
  19. ↑ Cory McCoy (May 26, 2026). "Evacuation order lifted as 1,700-acre Badger Canyon fire nearly contained". Tri-City Herald.
  20. ↑ "Country Meadow Fire". WFCA fire map. Western Fire Chiefs Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs. May 30, 2026. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Hundreds of homes threatened in Benton County wildfire". Seattle: KITO-TV. May 24, 2026 – via Yahoo News.
  22. ↑ "Brush fire east of Moxee fully contained". Yakima Herald-Republic. June 5, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  23. ↑ Rattner, Mark (June 7, 2026). "Chestnut Fire near Chelan Butte drops to 1,500 acres, 50% contained". KHQ-TV. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  24. ↑ "CHESTNUT - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.jconline.com. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  25. ↑ Culbreth, Erin Wencl & Josh (June 14, 2026). "Juniper Dunes Fire grows to 3,627 acres, Juniper Dunes closed". AppleValleyNewsNow.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  26. ↑ Culbreth, Erin Wencl & Josh (June 14, 2026). "Juniper Dunes Fire grows to 10,577 acres, Juniper Dunes closed". AppleValleyNewsNow.com. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  27. ↑ Annette Cary (June 16, 2026). "Juniper Dunes fire grows to 10,000+ acres". Tri-City Herald. firefighting was being done with hand tools. There are no roads or maintained trails in the wilderness area.
  28. ↑ "Twin Sisters fire in Walla Walla County grows to over 3,600 acres". Spokesman.com. June 14, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  29. ↑ Thesman, Dan (June 14, 2026). "Wallula Gap Fire: Highway 730 Evacuations Eased, Hatch Grade Still Told to 'Go'". Elkhorn Media Group. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  30. ↑ Culbreth, Josh (June 15, 2026). "Tule Fire south of Toppenish grows to 5,000 acres". AppleValleyNewsNow.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  31. ↑ Journalist, Mark Rattner NonStop Local Digital (June 15, 2026). "Tule Road brush fire near Toppenish grows to 18,625 acres". NonStop Local Tri-Cities/Yakima. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  32. ↑ Rattner, Mark (June 19, 2026). "Brush fire near Toppenish at 24,090 acres, 100% contained". NBC. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  33. ↑ Desaulniers, Robert (June 16, 2026). "Highway 17 Fire contained near Soap Lake". Apple Valley News Now. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Tucannon Mutual Aid - Wildfire and Smoke Map". datacentral.kitsapsun.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  35. ↑ Thesman, Dan (June 17, 2026). "State resources mobilized as 9,500-acre Tucannon Fire burns uncontained in Columbia County". Elkhorn Media Group. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  36. ↑ "ROZA - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Roza Fire in Yakima River Canyon affecting travel between Selah and Ellensburg". Yakima Herald-Republic. June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  38. ↑ Rattner, Mark; McNamara, Mazie; McGever, Caleb (June 17, 2026). "Roza Fire near Selah grows to 3,923 acres, I-82 fully open". NBC. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  39. ↑ Rattner, Mark (June 17, 2026). "Kartar fire near Keller hits 6,500 acres, evacuations still in effect". KHQ-TV. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Kartar - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.indeonline.com. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  41. ↑ Yan Zhuang; Amy Graff (June 17, 2026). "Wildfire in Washington State Prompts Evacuation Orders". The New York Times.
  42. ↑ Emmalee Appel (June 17, 2026). "Officials: One person reported missing, at least 15 homes burned or heavily damaged by Upriver Fire". Spokane: KREM-TV. The sheriff's office says at least one person has been reported missing by family members, and 15 homes have been destroyed or damaged in the fire.
  43. ↑ "Upriver Fire". Inciweb fire information system. U.S. Government interagency National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  44. ↑ Lexi Herda (June 23, 2026). "Sun Lake Campground near Coulee City evacuated for fast-moving wildfire". Seattle: KIRO-TV News.
  45. ↑ Cody Proctor (June 22, 2026). "Wildfire burning near Coulee City causes road closures". Spokane: KREM-TV – via MSN.
  46. ↑ Garred Road fire, InciWeb, accessed 2026-06-26
  47. ↑ Sumrall, Frank (June 30, 2026). "Lambdin Fire grows to 13,300 acres, "Go Now" evacuations in effect in Walla Walla". MyNorthwest.com. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  48. ↑ Robertson, Kipp (July 10, 2026). "19 homes destroyed in Chelan Hills Fire that is now 100% contained, sheriff's office says". KING 5. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  49. ↑ Staff, KOMO News (July 5, 2026). "Firefighters battle Chelan Hills Fire as blaze swells, evacuation orders stay". KOMO. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  50. ↑ Hansen, Chris HansenChris (July 5, 2026). "Number Of Homes Destroyed By Chelan Hills Fire Could "Easily Exceed 100," Says Douglas County Sheriff". News Radio 560 KPQ. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  51. ↑ B and O Fire, Inciweb, accessed 2026-07-13
  52. ↑ "Kaiser Canyon wildfire explodes to 72 square miles, threatens town of Nespelem". The Seattle Times. July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  53. ↑ McGever, Caleb; Waite, Oliver. "Kaiser Canyon Fire estimated to be burning at 12,495 acres in Okanogan County". KHQ. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  54. ↑ Day, Sunny (July 18, 2026). "Family's camping trip turns to ash as Kaiser Canyon Fire spreads across 37,000 acres". Spokane: KXLY-TV. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  55. ↑ https://kpq.com/kaiser-canyon-fire-surrounds-nespelem/
  56. ↑ "Kaiser Canyon fire scorches 60,000 acres, surrounds town of Nespelem". The Seattle Times. July 19, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Homes and a historic church destroyed in Northwestern wildland fire". www.kozi.com. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
  58. ↑ Chris Hansen (July 22, 2026). "Kaiser Canyon Fire Spreads To Almost 80,000 Acres, More Homes Possibly Destroyed Near Nespelem". Wenatchee, Washington: KPQ (AM).
  59. ↑ Nick Hawthorne (July 25, 2026). "Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations for the town of Nespelem due to the Kaiser Canyon Fire". KXLY.
  60. ↑ Kaiser Canyon Fire, Inciweb, accessed 2026-07-28
  61. 1 2 3 Staff, KREM (July 17, 2026). "Four separate fires, including Lyons Ferry and Neff Jones Fires, burning between Whitman, Franklin, and Adams counties". KREM. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  62. ↑ Culbreth, Josh (July 17, 2026). "Lyons Ferry Fire burning more than 25,000 acres, Level 3 (GO NOW!) evacuations in place in southwestern Whitman County". Apple Valley News Now. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  63. ↑ Hawthorne, Nick; Sears, Gabrielle (July 18, 2026). "Lyons Ferry Fire in Adams County burns 34787 acres with 5% containment". KXLY. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  64. 1 2 Rosane, Eric (July 17, 2026). "Update: About 40K acres burning in wildfires north of Tri-Cities. +6K to the south". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  65. ↑ Desaulniers, Robert (July 17, 2026). "1,500-acre Neff Jones Fire threatening homes south of Kahlotus". Apple Valley News Now. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  66. ↑ Staff (July 18, 2026). "Hot, dry weekend weather fuels new wildfire activity across Washington". KING 5. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  67. ↑ Staff, KIRO 7 (July 31, 2026). "Level 3 evacuation orders issued for areas of Entiat Valley of Chelan County for Little Giant Fire". KIRO 7. Retrieved August 1, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  68. ↑ Kacmaz, Yigit (July 18, 2026). "Modrite Fire burning near Lake Roosevelt prompts Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations". KREM2. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  69. ↑ Sears, Gabrielle (July 18, 2026). "Level 3 Go now evacuation for Modrite Fire near Inchelium". KXLY. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  70. ↑ Day, Sunny (July 31, 2026). "Modrite Fire: Inchelium evacuated as nation's highest priority wildfire burns over 40,000 acres". KXLY. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  71. ↑ Carly, Poirier (July 26, 2026). "Okanogan County wildfire near the Canadian border burning 12,000 acres". KREM2. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  72. 1 2 Ayer, Tammy (July 31, 2026). "Efforts to contain White Swan wildfires continue". Yakima Herald. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  73. ↑ "Signal Peak". Kitsap Sun. August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  74. ↑ Waite, Oliver; McNamara, Mazie; Rattner, Mark (July 25, 2026). "Stevens County wildfire grows to more than 4,000 acres, Level 3 evacuations ordered". KHQ. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  75. ↑ Hansen, Chris (July 30, 2026). "Pearl Hill Fire Near Bridgeport Reaches Full Containment, As Residents Breathe Sigh Of Relief". KPQ. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  76. ↑ Rattner, M. (July 30, 2026). "Sinlahekin Fire grows near Tonasket as evacuations expand to Fish Lake".
  77. ↑ "Sinlahekin Fire". Inciweb. US Forest Service. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  78. 1 2 McGever, Caleb (August 1, 2026). "Evacuation shelter opens for Old Trails Fire evacuees as 2,500 acre fire burns north of Airway Heights". KHQ. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  79. ↑ Wright, Jarrett (August 2, 2026). "Here's what we know about all the fires currently burning across Spokane County". KREM2. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  80. ↑ Sun, Kitsap (August 1, 2026). "HUDSPETH". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  81. ↑ Culbreth, Josh (August 1, 2026). "BREAKING: Red Sky Fire prompting evacuations in Union Gap and Parker". Apple Valley News. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  82. ↑ Appel, Emmalee (August 1, 2026). "Level 3 (Go Now!) Evacuations in place for wildfire burning near Fort Spokane in Stevens County". KREM2. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
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