US Wildfire Season Stretches Resources as Fires Surge Across the West

The United States is experiencing a deadly wildfire season marked by persistent drought, record‑low snowpack and consecutive hot, dry, windy days. Hundreds of homes have burned, three firefighters were killed in Colorado, and a helicopter crash while fighting a Colorado fire claimed the pilot's life.

The National Interagency Fire Center raised the national preparedness level to 4 in late June, directing more crews, engines and aircraft to the most active areas. More than 2,000 fires have been confirmed since the start of July, prompting the deployment of 16 incident‑management teams that now oversee roughly 17,000 personnel across more than a dozen states. Resources from Alaska and California have been sent to assist, including teams helping with Utah’s Babylon Fire, the nation’s largest active blaze at about 166 square miles.

In total, over 5,600 square miles—larger than Yellowstone and Grand Canyon combined—have burned this year. Forecasts show above‑normal wildfire potential persisting through September across the Four Corners region up to the Pacific Northwest.