Idaho Governor Declares Fire Disaster Emergency, Deploys National Guard to Big Grass Fire

On July 29, 2026, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a disaster emergency declaration to bolster wildfire suppression efforts across the state, citing extreme fire conditions driven by prolonged hot, dry weather, severe drought, dry lightning, and human-caused ignitions. The declaration authorizes state agencies to provide assistance and unlocks financial support through the State Emergency Response Team for extraordinary statewide fire monitoring and response costs. The declaration specifically authorizes additional resources for the Big Grass Fire in Owyhee County and also covers wildfire response related to the now-contained Turner Fire in Boundary County. As part of the response, Little authorized deployment of the Idaho National Guard to assist firefighting efforts at the Big Grass Fire. Maj. Gen. Tim Donnellan stated the Idaho National Guard is prepared to provide personnel and equipment to support the effort. One report noted that a group of Idaho lawmakers had urged the governors of Idaho and Oregon to consider deploying National Guard resources to the Big Grass Fire shortly before Little's announcement, though this sequence was not corroborated by other outlets. Idaho is entering what officials describe as a critical period of the 2026 fire season, with the disaster declaration remaining in effect to support ongoing suppression operations. Separately, unrelated reporting indicated Idaho National Guard members have been deployed in Washington, D.C. since February 2026, though this deployment appears distinct from the wildfire response and its connection, if any, to current Guard resource availability was not addressed in the available reporting. Details on the total number of personnel or equipment deployed to the Big Grass Fire, the fire's size, and containment status remain unspecified across the reports.