Balky Hill Fire (Washington)
True color
Fire (SWIR)
Infrared / SWIR (right): sees through smoke.
🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 red/brown = burned
🟠 orange = active fire
Imagery: Sentinel-2 (Copernicus). Drag to compare smoke vs. infrared.
Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).
Quick facts
- Location
- Okanogan County
- Cause
- Human
- Jurisdiction
- Private land
Burning across private land in Okanogan, Washington, the active Balky Hill Fire has reached 400 acres after starting on August 19, 2026. Satellites have detected four heat signatures over the last 48 hours, illustrating the current spread of the fire front across the local terrain.
This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Nationally, the wildfire activity occurs within a broader context where 2,943,064 hectares have burned so far in 2026, tracking 46% below the two-decade average.
In context
This wildfire burned in Washington for 1 day. In total it burned about 299 acres — around 1.2 km².
In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.
The bigger picture in United States
Across United States, roughly 3,177,542 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 42% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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