Firefighters from around the country are being brought in to fight wildfires across western Washington

The NICC says widespread wildfire activity across the country is creating a shortage of fire fighters and resources, which demanded the increased support.

By Jason Upton September 6, 2024 1:46 pm

My Bellingham NowThe Pioneer Fire burns just south of Stehekin, WA. Photo courtesy Chelan County Emergency Management.

WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Pacific Northwest is upping its response for wildfires burning throughout our region.

The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) announced on Friday, Sept. 6 that it is now at Preparedness Level 5 – the highest level for wildfire response. That means more incident response teams from other parts of the United States are now being brought in to fight the fires burning across the region.

The NICC says widespread wildfire activity across the country is creating a shortage of firefighters and resources, which demanded the increased support.

Meanwhile, two smaller fires in the North Cascades – the Ruby Fire and Pincer Two Fire – are both under 1,000 acres and expected to burn through October.

Editor’s note: The story was updated to reflect more up-to-date fire information. MBN staff will continue to publish updates as more information is released.