Hat Fire (Oregon)

Burning through short grass standing about a foot tall on federal land managed by the BLM, the Hat Fire in Malheur County, Oregon, has spent twenty days actively shaping the landscape 40 miles east of Burns. Averaging an expansive growth rate of approximately 2,106 acres per day, the natural-cause blaze ultimately consumed 42,122 acres before reaching full containment. Despite the substantial footprint of this Type 3 incident, current fire behavior on the ground is minimal, characterized by smoldering, creeping, and flanking activity.

Operations to secure the perimeter involved eight personnel under a Type 3 IC management structure, accumulating a total cost of $2,800,000. With the incident now fully contained, the local effort concludes within a broader national landscape that has seen 2,893,377 hectares burn so far in 2026—marking a figure 47% below the two-decade average for the country, where the typical fire season spans from June to October.