Foster Fire (CA)

Active · 65% contained · 252 acres · started 2026-08-09 · updated 2026-08-14

Foster Fire (CA) — 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: 2 Miles NW from Winterhaven, CA
Cause: Human
Personnel: 11
Complexity: Type 4 Incident
Fuel: Brush (2 feet)
Behavior: Minimal, Smoldering
Jurisdiction: BIA · Federal land

Burning near Winterhaven, California, in Imperial County, the active Foster Fire has consumed 252 acres of federal brush since it started on August 9, 2026. Growing at an average rate of approximately 50 acres per day over its five days of burning, the fire is currently showing minimal, smoldering behavior in two-foot brush along Foster Road north of Indian Rock Road, reaching 65 percent containment.

Led by a Type 4 Incident management team with 11 personnel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the human-caused fire has accumulated suppression costs totaling $68,000. This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. On a national scale, the broader context shows that 2,902,022 hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 47 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in California for 5 days. So far it has affected roughly 252 acres — about 1.0 km². About 65% of the perimeter is contained — over half is secured, though hotspots remain.

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