Colwash Fire (WA)
Satellite image: NASA MODIS (infrared — active fire in orange/red, from yesterday).
Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).
Quick facts
- Location
- 5 Miles W from Mabton, WA
- Cause
- Natural
- Personnel
- 59
- Complexity
- Type 3 Incident
- Fuel
- Short Grass (1 foot)
- Behavior
- Extreme, Running, Flanking
- Jurisdiction
- BIA · Federal land
Burning across 4,000 acres of federal land in Yakima County, Washington, the active Colwash Fire has forced a zero percent containment level following its start on August 22, 2026. Situated five miles west of Mabton near Satus, the wildfire is driven by natural causes through short grass fuels standing one foot tall. Satellites are picking up eighteen heat detections over the past forty-eight hours, illustrating the localized spread of the blaze as it exhibits extreme, running, and flanking fire behavior.
A Type 3 Incident management team consisting of fifty-nine personnel under the Bureau of Indian Affairs is responding to the incident, with suppression costs reaching $150,000. This event unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Nationally, the broader context shows 2,982,133 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is forty-six percent below the two-decade average.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in Washington for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 4,000 acres — about 16 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 2,982,133 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 46% 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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