Nevada fire officials are warning that 2026 could bring a challenging wildfire season, with abundant fuels and early drought conditions raising the potential for large-scale fires as the state heads into warmer months.

On Wednesday, Gov. Joe Lombardo received a briefing from state and federal fire agencies, including the Nevada Division of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, on wildfire conditions and preparedness across the state.

“2026 is going to prove to be challenging,” said Ryan Shane, the state forester fire warden for the Nevada Division of Forestry.

While fire activity in northern Nevada was fairly mild in 2025, Shane said other parts of the state saw significant impacts.

“2025 last year was the heaviest fire year we’ve had in the last five, just about 457,000 acres burned, which is slightly above our 20 year rolling average,” Shane said. He added that “the acreage burned was largely in the northeastern Nevada.”

Communities being ready, the public not starting fires, and the fire suppression service getting out there doing a quick job of suppression fires kept any of these fires from going very large in this part of the state.

Officials said about 579 fires burned in 2025, with more than 300 of those being human-caused.

Looking ahead to 2026, Shane said fuels are abundant across the region, particularly in northern Nevada, as drought conditions begin to take hold.

“This is the first year of the onset of the drought cycle. And we have a lot of carryover fuels from previous years, as well as the fuels that have grown this year. We have a lack of snowpack in the upper elevations,” Shane said.

Fire agencies are coordinating with the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which helps officials plan for fires and allocate resources when needed.

Jim Wallmann, a meteorologist with the National Interagency Coordination Center, said low Sierra snowpack and amount of fuel available is among the biggest factors influencing this year’s fire activity.

“They’re going to cure out generally earlier and then all the leftover grass in northern Nevada that we have from the last couple years as well and whatever little growth we get from this year will only add to it,” Wallmann said.

Shane said interagency agreements and help from local communities will be key through the year, urging residents to be prepared when outdoors.

“If you’re out and about, make sure you carry a shovel, some water, possibly a fire extinguisher, and a way to communicate and report a fire if you see one or cause one,” Shane said.

The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Division of Forestry are working to mitigate fuels, while efforts including resilient landscaping, fire-adapted communities and safe, effective fire response are aimed at keeping Nevada more fire-ready in 2026.

Email reporter Anthony Ramos at aramos@sbgtv.com. Follow @antramosnews on X and Anthony Ramos on Facebook.

Memorial Day is just days away and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is bracing for the holiday that it said is “one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.”

Heavy traffic is anticipated along the I-15 along the I-15 between Las Vegas and Southern California with peak travel delays expected on Memorial Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Travel times at the Nevada-California border are expected to be significantly delayed during this time, the RTC said.

Not only will travelers on Las Vegas roads be impacted this upcoming Monday, the Harry Reid International Airport is also expecting increased traffic May 25.

Here’s everything Las Vegas travelers need to know about traffic over Memorial Day weekend including changes to bus schedules, how to check travel times and how to use other travel resources.

When is Memorial Day 2026?

Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 25 this year.

Is the 15 freeway to Las Vegas open?

As of May 20, the I-15 going between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is open with minimal traffic, according to Caltrans. However, travelers may experience some delays because of road work at Cima Road between Mountain Pass and Halloran Springs, as well as around Barstow and Victorville. The delays are expected to increase on Memorial Day.

To stay updated on I-15 traffic between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, travelers can visit Caltrans’ Quick Map at quickmap.dot.ca.gov for California travel information and seeingorangenv.com for Nevada traffic updates.

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The Wolf Pack are headed on a road trip! A whole group of Nevada coaches, student athletes and staff are hitting the road across Northern Nevada to spread the brand of Wolf Pack athletics.

The trip will span over three days and over a thousand miles across the region, giving them the chance to connect with fans, alumni, and all the communities across Northern Nevada.

“It’s a really fun opportunity to get out in a lot of communities in Northern Nevada that often times come to Reno to support the Wolf Pack,” said head football coach Jeff Choate. “It’s an opportunity for us to get our brand out locally and just interact with some great people.”

The Coaches Caravan kicked off their journey Monday morning in Carson City, gathering at the Nevada State Capitol, greeted by a group of Wolf Pack faithful who were beyond excited to have the opportunity for interaction.

“So much about what college athletics is are bringing communities together. There’s nothing that brings a community together like sports,” said athletic director Stephanie Rempe. “It lets them get to know our coaches and athletes and the things that they’re trying to do to represent the university and the state of Nevada. Getting to know them and meet them makes you care that much more and makes them want to come support and cheer on the Pack!”

The Coaches Caravan continues through Northern Nevada until their final stop on Wednesday afternoon, meeting with thirteen communities around the region in total.