Black Bear Fire (MT)
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
- 15 Miles E from Hamilton, MT
- Cause
- Natural
- Personnel
- 30
- Complexity
- Type 3 Incident
- Fuel
- Timber (Litter and Understory)
- Behavior
- Moderate, Flanking, Backing, Isolated Torching
- Jurisdiction
- USFS · Federal land
Spreading at an average rate of approximately 184 acres per day over the past eight days, the Black Bear Fire has grown to 1,469 acres in Ravalli County, Montana, burning 15 miles east of Hamilton. Currently zero percent contained, the active wildfire is exhibiting moderate, flanking, backing, and isolated torching behavior in timber, litter, and understory fuels on federal land managed by the USFS. Satellites have registered 20 heat detections near the perimeter over the last 48 hours, highlighting the ongoing spread of the front.
A Type 3 Incident is currently underway to suppress the natural-cause fire, with 30 personnel operating under a Type 3 Incident Commander. Suppression efforts have accumulated a cost of $283,070 so far. The fire burns against the backdrop of a broader regional season that typically spans from June to October.
Nationwide, the wildfire activity occurs within a wider context where 2,761,076 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 50 percent below the two-decade average.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in Montana for 8 days. So far it has affected roughly 1,469 acres — about 5.9 km². Crews report no containment yet, so the fire can still spread.
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 2,761,076 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 50% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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Community reports
Reports from people near the fire · unverified
Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.
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