Deer Creek Fire (Montana)

Active · 96% contained · 1,099 acres · started 2026-08-20 · updated 2026-09-01

Deer Creek Fire (Montana) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

True color Fire (SWIR)

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True color (left): as the eye sees it.
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: 18 Miles W from Marion, MT
Cause: Human
Personnel: 53
Complexity: Type 4 Incident
Fuel: Heavy Logging Slash
Behavior: Minimal, Smoldering, Creeping, Single Tree Torching
Jurisdiction: Private land

Burning for 12 days through heavy logging slash on private land, the Deer Creek Fire near Marion, Montana, has maintained an average daily growth of approximately 92 acres per day, totaling 1,099 acres. Fire behavior is currently characterized as minimal, smoldering, creeping, and single tree torching, handled by a Type 4 Incident Command structure with 77 personnel.

Originating from a human cause on August 20, 2026, in Lincoln County, 18 miles west of Marion, the active fire has reached 96 percent containment with suppression costs totaling $4,200,000.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season which spans from June to October. On a broader scale, 3,161,746 hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, tracking 42 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Montana for 19 days. So far it has affected roughly 1,099 acres — about 4.4 km². At 96% containment, the fire is nearly under control.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.