Grotto Fire, Idaho (2026) — Map & Containment

This fire in numbersDay 53

1,560Hectares3,856Acres53Days burning

Containment20%

Started on Jul 29, 2026. 80% of the perimeter still to contain.

United States todayLive

86Active817Hotspots 48h1.3 MHectares

Last 7 days · falling

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Grotto Fire (Idaho) — Sentinel-2 true color

Grotto Fire (Idaho) — 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

Red dots: heat detected by satellite in the last 48h. NASA FIRMS

Active fires nearby4 · 100 km

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Within 100 kmSee on map →

Quick facts

Location: 20 miles east of Lowell, ID
People working on it: 1 people
Complexity: Type 4 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.
What's burning: Timber (Litter and Understory)
How it's behaving: MinimalCreeping — Moves slowly, hugging the ground.Wind Driven Runs — The wind pushes it in long runs in one direction.
Jurisdiction: USFS · Federal land

Glossary: what each term means

Minimal

Barely moving. Low, thin smoke.

Smoldering

Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.

Creeping

Moves slowly, hugging the ground.

Moderate

Spreads with low, steady flames.

Active

Spreading evenly and steadily, with visible flame.

Extreme

Fast and unpredictable.

Running

Runs along the ground much faster than a person walks.

Flanking

Grows along the sides, not head-on.

Backing

Moves against the wind or downhill, which makes it slower.

Crowning

Climbs into the treetops and jumps crown to crown. It can't be attacked from the ground.

Short Crown Runs

Climbs into the crowns in bursts and drops back down.

Torching

Whole trees flaring up like torches.

Isolated Torching

Single scattered trees flaring up whole, like torches.

Group Torching

Whole clumps of trees flaring at once.

Spotting

Wind carries embers through the air and starts new fires ahead of the front: that is how a fire jumps a road or a firebreak.

Wind Driven Runs

The wind pushes it in long runs in one direction.

The ones marked ● are the behaviors that make a fire harder to stop. They are not a warning or an instruction: they are the description written by the agency in charge. For decisions, always follow your emergency services.

Burning for 49 days across Idaho, the active Grotto Fire has charred 3,856 acres in Idaho County, located 20 miles east of Lowell, Idaho, with containment currently at 20 percent. Driven by minimal, creeping, and wind-driven runs, the fire burns through timber, specifically litter and understory, on federal land managed by the USFS. Despite its long duration, the fire has grown at an approximate rate of 79 acres per day.

Operations for this Type 4 Incident are overseen by a Type 4 IC, utilizing a minimal response of just one personnel as it incurs an accumulated cost of $6,000 USD. This event unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Nationally, the broader context shows 3,226,886 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 41 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Idaho for 52 days. So far it has affected roughly 3,856 acres — about 16 km². Crews have contained 20% of the perimeter, but most of the fire line is still open.

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