EndedUpdated · Source: NIFC

Gilbert Fire, Buffalo, South Dakota

Started

Burned
211 acres
85 hectares
Lasted
21 days
from Sep 13, 2026
Growth per day
10 acres
on average
Gilbert Fire, Buffalo, South Dakota — Sentinel-2 true color Gilbert Fire, Buffalo, South Dakota — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego) True view Fire view
⟷
True view (left): as the eye sees it.
Fire view (right): infrared (SWIR), sees through smoke and brings out the heat.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 brown = already burned
🟠 orange = fire right now

Drag to compare: normal photo on the left, heat brought out on the right.

Green: vegetationBrown: already burnedOrange: fire right nowSentinel-2 · Copernicus

Key facts

Source: NIFC
LocationHarding County
CauseHuman
JurisdictionPrivate land

The story so far

Summary written on Sep 14, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning across private land in Harding, South Dakota, the active Gilbert Fire has consumed 211 acres since it began on September 13, 2026. Sparked by human activity, this Harding County blaze unfolds within a regional fire season that typically spans from June to October.

Across the broader national landscape, the context for this year's fire activity remains significant, with 3,216,670 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a total that is 41% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in South Dakota for 20 days. In total it burned about 211 acres — around 0.9 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 3,459,197 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 37% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

Alerts near Buffalo

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United States todayLive
28Active1,071Hotspots 48h422 kHectares
Last 7 days · steadyHow many named wildfires were burning on each of the last 7 days. It rises when there are more than on the earlier days.
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