The 2026 Washington wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires in the U.S. state of Washington.
Background
The state legislature appropriated $120 million for firefighting in 2026, twice the previous year's budget.
, 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.
Events 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, and was contained in about a day.
On May 27 and May 28, members of the Washington National Guard conducted wildfire training in anticipation of summer mobilizations.
By June 12, the Department of Natural Resources had responded to over 200 wildfires.
The first fatality of the year was due to the Upriver Fire just outside Spokane city limits.
Another fatality was reported in July due to the Chelan Hills Fire.
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. These dry thunderstorms, further aided by hot and windy conditions, would spark numerous large wildfires across Washington and Oregon. 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.
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.Storm Prediction Center August 1, 2026 1200 UTC Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook This would lead to the issuance of the first ever PDS Red Flag Warning in Washington State history. The same day, Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide fire emergency and outdoor burn ban through September 30.
On August 5, air quality index (AQI) in Leavenworth was recorded at more than seven times the "past traditional index maximum" of 500. Some transit services were shut down per Washington Department of Labor and Industries safety rules when the AQI value exceeded 849. Most of the smoke was from the Little Giant Fire about away.
On August 7, the governor declared a statewide public health emergency due to wildfire smoke.
List of wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than , or produced significant structural damage or casualties. NameCounty Size Start dateContainment dateStatistics reference Cause Notes ImagesWaste WayGrantHuman In and around drainage canal near Mattawa, Washington, affected high voltage transmission lines.Country MeadowsBenton escaped controlled burnIn Badger Canyon, resulted in evacuation orders.Highway 24YakimaBurned north of State Route 24 east of Moxee.ChestnutChelanPrompted level 2 evacuations for Chelan Falls.Juniper DunesFranklin 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.Highway 730Walla Walla, Umatilla (Oregon)Burned near highway 12 and moved south, crossing into Oregon. Prompted evacuations.TuleYakima June 14June 22Burning next to and closed Highway 97 in both directions. Grew rapidly.Highway 17GrantVehicle crashBurned 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".TucannonColumbiaBurning east of Dayton.RozaKittitas, YakimaHumanClosed Interstate 82 between Selah and Ellensburg and State Route 821. Burned in Yakima Canyon.KartarOkanoganHumanBurning near Keller and merged with another fire. Prompting evacuations.UpriverSpokaneRemains of one individual discovered on June 17. At least 15 homes destroyed and evacuation of over 10,000 people on June 16–17.Garred RoadGrant west of Coulee City; caused June 23 evacuations at Sun Lakes Park Resort and closed U.S. Route 2.Garred Road fire, InciWeb, accessed 2026-06-26LunaWhatcomLightningStarted north of NewhalemLambdinWalla WallaJune 29July 6Caused Level 2 and 3 evacuations and jumped highway US 12.Chelan HillsDouglas 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.B and OOkanogan July 9Near OkanoganB and O Fire, Inciweb, accessed 2026-07-13Kaiser CanyonOkanogan, FerryJuly 16lightning Started near Nespelem, moved into the outskirts of town itself leading to the forced evacuation of over 1,000 people. Multiple structures destroyed, including a historic Indian Shaker Church building. Encircled the community by July 19 to 21, with access to Nespelem uncertain. Nespelem evacuated July 25.https://kpq.com/kaiser-canyon-fire-surrounds-nespelem/Kaiser Canyon Fire, Inciweb, accessed 2026-07-28Lyons FerryAdams, Franklin, WhitmanJuly 16LightningBurning in Lyons Ferry State Park near Kahlotus; prompted "go now" evacuations. Caused hazardous air quality in Spokane.Neff JonesFranklinJuly 16LightningNear the Snake River.Devils CanyonFranklinJuly 16Lightning Near Kahlotus.Royal LakeAdamsJuly 16Near Othello.Little Giant FireChelanJuly 16LightningBurning in the Cascade foothills north of Plain; caused multiple level 3 "go now" evacuations.Border 2Whatcom (Canada & U.S.)LightningEast of Ross Lake. Straddles Canada–United States border and named the Hozomeen Mountain Wildfire in Canada where it grew to over 6,000 acres by August 10.ParadiseWalla WallaJuly 16Burning in Oregon and WashingtonModriteFerryJuly 17LightningNear Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake; prompted "go now" evacuations. Powerlines to Inchelium, Covada, and the Silver Creek area were destroyed by the fire.PtarmiganOkanoganLightningBurning near the Canadian border.High LavaSkamania Lightning northwest of Stabler.Signal PeakYakimaBurned just to the South of White Swan, just missing the town.Bradeen HillStevensHumanBurning near Gifford.Pearl HillDouglasJuly 25July 29Burning near Bridgeport within the burn scar of a 2020 fire holding the same name.SinlahekinOkanogan July 26LightningBurning west of Tonasket in the Sinlahekin Valley region.White Swan/RansierYakimaJuly 26Started just Southeast of White Swan, due West the Signal Peak fire. Level 3 "go now" evacuations would be issued as the fire burned through part of White Swan, destroying 24 structures including 16 homes. Autumn LaneSpokane, StevensPart of the Spokane Complex Fires. Three fires (Old Trails, Fairview, and Autumn Lane) started near Spokane amid extremely dry and windy conditions during an unprecedented Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning. 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 reentered Spokane County.FairviewSpokanePart of the Spokane Complex Fires. Three fires (Old Trails, Fairview, and Autumn Lane) started near Spokane amid extremely dry and windy conditions during an unprecedented Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning. The Fairview fire started east of Spokane and rapidly spread uphill and with winds into residential neighborhoods, farms, and scattered homes.Old TrailsSpokaneArson (Suspect charged, not yet convicted)Part of the Spokane Complex Fires. Three fires (Old Trails, Fairview, and Autumn Lane) started near Spokane amid extremely dry and windy conditions during an unprecedented Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning. Old Trails 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.HudspethStevensAugust 1Under investigationBurning near Hunters.Red SkyYakimaAugust 1August 2Burned in Southern Yakima, Washington; prompted level 3 "go now" evacuations.Mitre RockStevens, LincolnAugust 1August 9Under investigationBurned near Fort Spokane.Three QueensKittitasJuly 15LightningSix miles (10 km) east of Snoqualmie Pass ColwashYakima, BentonAugust 22Burning near ToppenishGrew from 30 acre vegetation fire to over 34,000 acres within 1 day.
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