68 Large Wildfires Burning Across 15 US States, New Incidents in Pacific Northwest Amid Drought Conditions

As of July 17, 2026, 68 large wildfires are actively burning across 15 states in the US, with 17 new large incidents reported in the Northwest Geographic Area following a period of lightning. Over 17,400 firefighters are deployed. Record-low snowpack and ongoing drought in the Pacific Northwest are contributing to severe fire conditions, with a Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory issued for the region. The Little Knife Fire has spread into the US from Canada.