Washington officials push to preserve wildfire prevention funding

By Dan Thesman on Friday, November 13th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories

Following the most destructive summer for wildfires in Washington’s recorded history, Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove and local officials across the state are urging lawmakers to maintain funding for fire prevention and forest restoration.

With the 2026 wildfire season officially over, Upthegrove told reporters at a news conference Tuesday that more than 1,500 blazes burned nearly 1 million acres statewide this year.

At the crisis’ peak, more than 8,500 personnel from 27 states and four nations were deployed to battle the flames.