National Wildfire Preparedness Level Raised to 4 Amid Critical Fire Weather in U.S. West

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) raised the national preparedness level to PL 4 on June 29, 2026, as 52 large fires burn across nine states, affecting approximately 465,189 acres. Extremely critical fire weather conditions are present in the Four Corners region (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona), with dangerous fire weather conditions also noted in the West. New large fires and increased activity are occurring in the Great Basin, Rocky Mountain, Southwest, and Northwest geographic areas due to persistent hot, dry, and windy conditions. More than 8,200 personnel are currently assigned to active incidents nationwide. The largest fire remains the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver, Utah.