Army sends soldiers to fight Pacific Northwest wildfires

The Army will deploy 200 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington to join the fight against 49 large wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Northern Command said Wednesday.

The help was requested by the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates wildfire response efforts across the country. The center says more than 45,000 wildfires this year have burned 5.4 million acres.

The 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, based at Lewis-McChord, has been notified of the upcoming mission, the Army said. The soldiers are drawn from U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command, U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command.

The soldiers completed their initial firefighting training, conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, in July. They will undergo additional specialized training prior to joining containment operations.

“Our soldiers are well-trained and ready to respond quickly and effectively to assist in protecting people, property and public lands,” said Brig. Gen. Jerry E. Baird Jr., the NORTHCOM general commanding the effort. “This mission underscores our unwavering dedication to the Defense Support of Civil Authorities mission.”

Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division (Multi-Domain Command-Pacific) practice deploying emergency fire shelters during wildfire suppression field training hosted by the National Interagency Fire Center, July 15, 2026, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (Michael Majors/U.S. Army)

Once fully trained, equipped and deployed, the soldiers will serve as hand crews, constructing fire lines and conducting line-holding actions under the direct guidance of experienced civilian wildland fire crew bosses.

The Army said the additional training at Lewis-McChord will cover firefighter safety, fire suppression methods and the use of personal protective equipment.

The National Interagency Fire Center said Wednesday that of the 94 large uncontained fires currently burning in the United States, 49 are in Oregon and Washington. In Washington, the Sinlahekin Fire has grown to more than 117,000 acres, while the Little Giant Fire has surpassed 70,000 acres

In 1975, the Department of Defense entered into an interagency agreement with the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to provide firefighting support as needed.

Troops work in firefighting teams of about 20 soldiers, according to the Defense Department. Units are usually requested at the battalion level of about 550 soldiers, including command and support elements.

The military also supports firefighting efforts through the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) program, which provides Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units flying in military C-130 aircraft equipped for fire suppression missions. Aircrews receive annual training and certification.

The military has provided ground troops and air support in 16 of the past 40 years. MAFFS air support only was provided in 11 other years in that period.

So far this year, four MAFFS C-130 airtankers and personnel have been deployed for firefighting aerial missions. Two planes from the Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado deployed to Klamath Falls, Ore. One plane from the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming National Guard deployed to San Bernardino, Calif. One plane from the 146th Airlift Wing of the California Air National Guard deployed to Santa Maria, Calif.

The NIFC said that weather capable of stoking fires is expected to continue.

“Predictive Services forecasts another day of hot, dry and windy conditions across much of the West,” the NIFC said Wednesday. “Low relative humidity, gusty winds and temperatures approaching 100°F across portions of the Northwest and continuing extreme heat across California, the Great Basin, Southwest and southern Plains will support elevated fire potential. Isolated dry thunderstorms are also possible across northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.”