Preparing for incoming wildfire threats in 2026

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:03]2026 is shaping up to be a wildfire season for the ages. The fire's moving our direction, so I need to keep moving.

[00:00:10][music] >> Within an hour, it was disaster. We did just get a notice to evacuate.

[00:00:15]>> A snow drought and record-breaking March heat wave are putting our forests in serious jeopardy. That premature melt is what feeds the fuel that feeds the fires. Our team is on the ground across the West helping you prepare.

[00:00:29]>> It's always a good idea to be ready for everything. The preventative measures your neighbors are taking to protect their property. Now they're plastic which is much less flammable. How wildland firefighters train to battle the flames in extreme conditions. Everything that we take needs to be carried either by hand or by harness. And the new technologies that are helping stop the flames before there's even a spark.

[00:00:55]>> How can we prevent trees from falling into our conductors?

[00:01:05]Hello, I'm Scott Thuman. The 2026 wildfire season is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous and challenging in years. And preparation has never been more important. A historic snow drought across the West is fueling that threat.

[00:01:20]Not only was snow cover the lowest in the 26-year satellite record, but much of it melted a month early during that March heat wave. Take a look at the numbers here. As of mid-May, many areas have less than 20% of their normal snow water equivalent. That's the amount of water that will eventually feed rivers and reservoirs. Across portions of Oregon and Nevada, the numbers are in the single digits. The terrain is so dry a small spark could ignite a massive fire.

[00:01:52]Anthony Ramos is in Nevada with a closer look at the snow drought's impact. While the 2025 winter Sierra snowpack was well below average, it's not a lack of precipitation that's the concern. We've actually seen a plenty of precipitation through most of the Sierra Nevada, but rather what experts call a warm snow drought, causing precipitation that would normally fall as snow to fall as rain. Andrew Schwartz is the director of the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, a resource dating back to 1946 monitoring snow conditions and weather patterns in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Donner Pass. We can really get to to snow drought in one of two different ways. Either we don't have the precipitation coming in that we need, or it's too warm and we're getting it as rain and we're getting premature melt.

[00:02:39]>> That premature melt, according to Schwartz, is what feeds the fuel that feeds the fires. We really want to have our snowpack around as much as possible going into the late spring and early summer. The more fuels dry out and the earlier fuels dry out, the more likely they are to create substantial fire hazards and problems later in the year.

[00:03:00]The United States Department of Agriculture and other partners, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, release a weekly drought monitor update. Drought conditions range across the Silver State from abnormally dry all the way up to extreme, depending on where you are. But does drought have a significant impact on the wildfire outlook? Drought and wildfire don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, but there is a correlation between the two. Brad Rippey is a meteorologist with the USDA and a rotating author of the drought monitor.

[00:03:29]We had inadequate snowpack.

[00:03:32]Then, on top of that, we had that record-setting warm and dry March, some of that warmth extending into April.

[00:03:38]Rippey says there are other factors to consider. We've got a period of time this spring and early summer where we're going to have forests and hillsides exposed to the warming effects of sunshine and wind. And those conditions, to Reppy, can extend the wildfire outlook. Just one of the reasons crews are hard at work on many ongoing mitigation projects across the state.

[00:04:00]And mitigation projects, according to Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue Division Chief August Eiserhagen, shouldn't just be up to officials. Now is the opportunity to for the public to take advantage of defensible space, home hardening, evacuation planning. Um now is the now's the time. We don't have time once we get into the height of the season. With wildfire being an inevitable part of living in the Truckee Meadows, Eiserhagen reminds residents have your go bag ready with the essentials that you need to have with you, whether that's medication or clothing or specific dietary needs.

[00:04:32]Having all of that pre-built and knowing how you're going to get out, a few different options for how you're going to get out if uh if evacuations take place. In Reno, I'm Anthony Ramos reporting.

[00:04:43]To combat what the US Forest Service calls a wildfire crisis, experts are purposely igniting small, controlled fires to reduce the risk of larger fires from getting out of control.

[00:04:54]Meteorologist Stella Sun tells us how forest management practices impact wildfire season out west and what preventative measures homeowners there are taking to protect their property.

[00:05:09]Majestic views like this, surrounded by nature. And we bought this house mostly because we like the location. It backs up against woods. Oh, wow. Your A beautiful backyard is why some take the gamble of living in areas susceptible to wildfires. We put in the new decks. They were wood decks before. Now they're uh plastic, which is much less flammable.

[00:05:33]But we're heavily residential in what we call the wildland-urban interface, which means we built our houses in the woods.

[00:05:41]So, that aspect makes us more susceptible to the threat of wildfire. Those who live in wildland urban interface areas are taking preventative measures to protect their home. They used to have bushes and stuff up against the house. Everything now within the 5-ft immediate zone, there are no vegetation. Communities like this one, surrounded by land at high risk for wildfires, are becoming more common. In fact, the US Fire Administration suggests around 1/3 of housing units and more than 60,000 communities in the US are at risk for wildfires.

[00:06:18]To protect homes and forest health, federal and state agencies are using science-backed measures to try and reduce the severity of future fires.

[00:06:27]We know that we can reduce the intensity and destruction of fires and slow the spread of them so firefighters can get there before they hit homes. US Forest Service studies spanning decades show forest management practices, such as thinning out forests then setting prescribed burns, can impact the effects of wildfires in the woods. Science shows that that combination of mechanical thinning and prescribed fire is the most effective way to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire. To fend off what the US Forest Service calls a wildfire crisis in the West, the agency's strategy, starting in 2022 and lasting through 2032, treat up to 20 million acres on National Forest System lands, treat up to 30 million acres on other federal, state, tribal, and private lands, and develop a plan for long-term maintenance beyond 2032.

[00:07:21]As we continue to expand into the forest and with housing and with, you know, the urban sprawl of it, we're putting more homes at risk and more people at risk.

[00:07:30]>> It's really nice. That's why we moved here. As homeowners take the risk of living in areas susceptible to wildfires to enjoy majestic views like this, and out here, you're a a more on your own.

[00:07:41]For those people that are purchasing homes or moving to the forest, you know, it's really important that when you get in there, do the work immediately. You know, get yourself prepped up.

[00:07:50]Questions are now emerging about whether major changes inside the US Forest Service could impact how quickly fires are detected and then attacked. Vasily Varlamos is asking officials and agencies what happens if a fire starts and the nearest ranger station is closed or understaffed. The US Forest Service is undergoing major national changes, consolidating research facilities and closing its nine regional offices nationwide. Thousands of employees have already left the agency through early retirement or resignations, and there is uncertainty about the future of some ranger stations nationwide. Oregon congressional lawmakers are warning the restructuring could quote further erode the agency's ability to complete its mission.

[00:08:34]>> I'd say there's just a a growing amount of just apprehension about what it's going to look like on the ground level um in a couple years times.

[00:08:41]>> Kieran Evans, an attack crew squad leader for the Forest Service, says most of the changes so far have been at higher administrative levels, and he expects little to no change to how federal crews respond to fires this season. In a statement to K2 News, the US Forest Service said, "The Forest Service's fire readiness and response remains unchanged, and our operational firefighters and aviation resources continue to support wildfire response."

[00:09:05]Lucas Mayfield, who spent 19 years with the Forest Service, says even if a ranger station closed, firefighters are still dispatched through regional coordination centers. While a an office may be closed, firefighters will still be on. While downplaying staffing concerns for the upcoming season, he warns there are broader concerns about long-term staffing and capacity across the western US, especially as fire seasons become longer and more demanding.

[00:09:32]Coming up next on wildfire season, prepare and protect. It is not just the flames. A closer look at the dangers inside wildfire smoke. Plus, we'll take you behind the scenes as firefighters train to face the flames.

[00:09:58]As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, smoke-impacted regions are suffering. The mountain community of Oakridge, Oregon is one example. Trapped by its own topography, local leaders say bad air threatens the town's health, equity, tourism, economy, and long-term population growth. Tiffany Lewis has more.

[00:10:21]Surrounded by high mountain ridges at the end of a valley, Oakridge naturally traps wildfire smoke. You're coughing it up, you're breathing it in, your eyes are burning, it's no fun.

[00:10:30]>> When fires ignite in Lane County, Medford, and even Northern California, any smoke that ends up in the Willamette Valley settles in Oakridge and stays there. And during the summertime when that smoke rolls in, it seriously impacts our tourism. We really depend on that all summer long. And so, when that smoke comes in, nobody wants to come.

[00:10:48]It's It really affects everything.

[00:10:50]That geographic reality has created a public health crisis and geographical health inequity. Everybody should have access to a healthy way of life and be able to pursue health. But what we're seeing now, uh more more is a geographic health equity issue where based on where you live, it may be harder for you to be healthy. New research suggests long-term exposure of smoke particulate is linked to lung disease and adverse birth outcomes. A smoke can linger for 2 to 3 months. There's also a lot of um at-risk individuals in the area, people that are elderly or have certain disabilities that smoke can really impact them. The danger isn't just what you can see the brown haze of particulate matter. Nearby wildfires also spike ground-level ozone.

[00:11:37]The ozone content within the air at ground level can cause some of the same health adverse health impacts as actual wildfire smoke.

[00:11:47]And ozone unfortunately can't be filtered out by a HEPA filter or by a an N95 mask. And so we're looking at some pretty serious health impacts regardless of what's done. The town has heavily relied on Oak Ridge Air, a nonprofit that's provided over 2,000 free HEPA air purifiers and petitions the state and federal government for continued funding. We are also revitalizing the Willamette Activity Center and that's going to function also as a secondary shelter for anybody that doesn't have air purifier. Public health officials urge residents to monitor the air quality in real time, use high-efficiency particulate air filters, and limit your exposure to the outdoors without an N95 mask. I'm Tiffany Lewis.

[00:12:28]Becoming a wildland firefighter takes more than just training. It takes grit.

[00:12:34]The work pushes both body and mind to the limit. David Ochoa takes us behind the scenes where firefighters learn to handle the heat.

[00:12:44]Before firefighters can ATTACK A WILDFIRE, THEY NEED TO TRAIN.

[00:12:52]And test. We need to ensure that every one of our firefighters has the ability to hit the fire ground in tip-top shape.

[00:13:00]>> To do that, wildland firefighters like John Smith and those at the North Tooele Fire District in Utah must pass the pack test, which means completing 3 miles in under 45 minutes while wearing a 45-lb vest. The fire that we're going to maybe miles away from where we take everything off the truck. So everything that we take needs to be carried either by hand or by harness. The test is done every year, not just by Utah firefighters, but every wildland firefighter in the country. That way firefighters from Tooele County can go and help out in other states and vice versa and join up seamlessly.

[00:13:36]>> We've had firefighters from this house go fight everywhere from Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, California, Oregon, Washington. We had firefighters go fight in Los Angeles last year.

[00:13:47]>> David, you mentioned Utah fire crews have been out there for a few days now.

[00:13:51]I was also in LA during last year's fires and got to spend some time with some of the firefighters. They've been out here working hard.

[00:13:58]>> So if I'm going to be out covering them, might as well get a taste of what they have to do. So I'm going to be trying my hand at this pack test with zero training. So I'll be happy if I just finished. But I obviously can't do it looking like this. So I need to go get changed so I can do this comfortably.

[00:14:16]All right, much better. What do you think, John? You look ready. Ready to go? Let's get to work. We headed over to a local high school and got geared up.

[00:14:24]How's that feel? Heavy. That's good.

[00:14:26]That means you did it right. And then we got right to it. Tooele County Fire Warden Dan Walton was there to track times. On your mark, get set, go. All right, here we go.

[00:14:39]Lap number three done.

[00:14:42]It's not easy.

[00:14:47]Total time is at 38 minutes.

[00:14:49]So I got 7 minutes to finish this lap.

[00:14:52]Feeling pretty good about that.

[00:14:59]Finish strong.

[00:15:02]14:20 41:23 41:23 Good job. I'll take it. Yeah, we'll see out there, man.

[00:15:09]>> [laughter] >> We're going to need the help this year.

[00:15:11]That's because they're expecting a busy summer.

[00:15:14]>> If it does not cool down or start raining and I mean soon, we're going to be dealing with some very large fires in the year 2026. So as we get into the summer months and you see all of those firefighters across the country up in the hills, in the fields fighting those fires in the heat, carrying their gear, and just doing everything they need to do, you'll know it started with training just like the pack test we saw here.

[00:15:34]Reporting from Tooele County, Utah, I'm David Ochoa.

[00:15:38]When we come back, stopping a fire before it starts. The aerial technology that's identifying risks in advance.

[00:15:55]Wildfires are becoming more destructive every year. But, new technology is helping to stop fires before they start.

[00:16:04]Southern California Edison is using a remote sensor to detect fire risks. It is called LiDAR, short for light detection and ranging. Kim Stevens shows us how it works.

[00:16:17]Remote sensing is the new fire prevention tool. Nothing is more accurate than the measurement of of the speed of light. Which, in this case of LiDAR, comes through laser pulses of light, mapping out the land, powerlines, and trees below. This team is doing aerial imaging, scanning powerlines in the Southland, looking for equipment that may be damaged or too close to trees where they could spark a fire. We want to ensure there's no contact. And we want to ensure before there's even the potential for contact, we know about it. So, if there's a tree encroaching a line, and it could be problematic, we calculate those distances to identify which of those trees there are. And send out a field crew to fix it at the exact spot they know it to be. I'd say we're about 7 minutes out.

[00:17:10]This aerial imaging can scan thousands of miles in a short amount of time from the nose of a chopper or the wing of a small plane. We already have a 1.6 million tree inventory. Southern California Edison's been doing this mapping since 2017.

[00:17:29]It's precision The precision is within 6 in of any given point.

[00:17:34]is hailed as a major wildfire prevention tool. So, that's really the intent of using the technology is how can we prevent trees from falling into our conductors that are, you know, outside of the trimming zone. In areas the human eye cannot really see, so hazards can be identified earlier and responded to faster. The hope is before a fire ignites.

[00:17:59]All right, speed altitude is good.

[00:18:02]Next, the 30 minutes that could help save your life.

[00:18:15]30 minutes, that's all you could need to make sure that you and your families can evacuate a wildfire safely. Tonight, a fire expert walks through what you can do in that time right now and when disaster strikes. Barry Mangold reports.

[00:18:32]Skies filled with smoke, streets lined with fire. These were the sights during the 2020 wildfire season in Oregon, where dry conditions and gusty winds fanned the flames of multiple deadly mega fires that claimed 11 lives.

[00:18:48]Any evacuation starts with preparation.

[00:18:51]Portland Fire and Rescue's Rick Graves says your go bag should have spare clothes, shoes, prescriptions, a charger for electronics to start.

[00:18:59]>> If we have a situation where we've got a impending fire or some other natural disaster that has stopped power from flowing into your home, we recommend 2 weeks of a supply at your house. And is that two weeks supply of food or >> Absolutely.

[00:19:14]>> and including just the medication, you know, toiletries, and clothing.

[00:19:19]>> It's always a good idea to be ready for everything. And when you receive an evacuation order, it's time to move. If a notification comes, have a go bag ready so you don't need to take any time. Graves says to save time, know and practice your evacuation routes in advance, and plan where to safely meet friends and family. If you're driving through a situation where there is fire around you, should you change how you drive? No. There's no sense in driving any more aggressively. Be safe, be smart. Continue forward if that's the plan that you have.

[00:19:54]>> In the Pacific Northwest, hikers have found themselves in sudden emergencies.

[00:19:58]If you are in an area like Portland's Forest Park, >> make sure you're signed up to public alerts. Just texting a friend, I have landed at this particular spot. I'm hiking this direction. That's what I'm doing.

[00:20:09]>> Leaving a note in your vehicle. It's not going to make a difference how prepared you are if I'm unprepared.

[00:20:15]>> Absolutely. Everybody can help us help them. Reporting in Portland, I'm Barry Mangold.

[00:20:22]Thank you for joining us for this special presentation of wildfire season, prepare and protect. I hope you've learned something today to help you and your family get ready for what could be a busy season.

[00:20:35]I'm Scott Thuman. Stay safe this summer.