UNITED STATES

New data released on June 1 by the National Interagency Fire Center revealed that 2.4 million acres have burned across the country this year, which is nearly double the 10-year average. According to the latest NIFC forecasts, low winter snowpack levels, ongoing drought, record-breaking spring temperatures, and other factors will contribute to above normal potential for significant wildfire risk in 2026. This heightened risk applies to many areas of the country through September, including in parts of the Pacific Northwest, Colorado’s Front Range, the Gulf Coast, and other areas of the Great Basin and Southwest.

In addition to current and predicted meteorological and environmental conditions, recent policy decisions in Washington, D.C. are likely to have a significant impact on the 2026 wildfire year. In particular, massive staff layoffs, budget cuts, below-average levels of hazardous fuels reduction, and low morale are likely to constrain the capacity of federal agencies to manage heightened wildfire risks in the months ahead.

The U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies that fight wildfires lost more than 26,000 rangers and staff since the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began laying off employees in early 2025, a 17% nationwide reduction. In some western states, federal agencies lost more than 30% of junior staff — the core of the workforce that is typically on the front lines of wildfire response.

Across California, 1,540 federal land management agency staff were lost from 2024 to 2025 and hazardous fuels reduction work happened on 136,611 fewer acres in 2025 compared to 2024.

Read Moonshine Ink’s reporting on the lengthened fire season and impacts of Forest Service layoffs.

~ Center for Western Priorities press release