US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for June 26

The US National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reported that as of Friday, June 26, 36 large fires are actively burning across the country, with six new large fires reported in the last day.

The National Fire Preparedness Level remains at 3 out of 5.

Wildland firefighters continue to face challenging conditions on multiple fronts. The Cottonwood Fire near Beaver, Utah, remains the nation’s largest active wildfire. Although precipitation moderated fire behavior and growth on Thursday, NIFC said the fire remains extremely active. The agency also emphasized that wildland fire does not follow state lines, and neither does the national wildfire response system. Firefighters, engines, aircraft, and incident management teams continue to be reassigned as needed to support areas experiencing elevated fire activity, reflecting a coordinated national effort to protect firefighters and communities.

Daily Statistics

As of Friday, there are 36 large wildfires or emergency responses ongoing. Only four are partially contained.

Alaska leads with 12 active fires. Arizona and Florida each have five, Utah has four, New Mexico has three, Nevada has two, and Colorado, Idaho, North Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming each have one.

The updated year-to-date comparison is as follows:

Year-to-date through June 26, 2026: 35,247 wildfires reported, burning 2,938,982 acres.

During the same period last year: 33,552 wildfires reported, burning 1,728,139 acres.

NIFC said the 2026 wildfire season continues to outpace historical levels, with the number of wildfires running 134% above the 10-year average and acres burned 162% above the 10-year average.