Kathul Fire (AK)
True color
Fire (SWIR)
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
- 55 Miles NW from Eagle, AK
- Cause
- Natural
- Complexity
- Type 5 Incident
- Fuel
- Timber (Litter and Understory)
- Behavior
- Moderate, Backing, Isolated Torching
- Jurisdiction
- NPS · Federal land
Burning across 3,185 acres of federal timber within Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska, the active Kathul Fire has been sustained for 50 days since its natural ignition on June 21, 2026, averaging approximately 64 acres of daily growth. Located 55 miles northwest of Eagle, the zero-percent contained Type 5 incident currently exhibits moderate, backing, and isolated torching behavior in litter and understory fuels.
Nationwide, the broader seasonal context shows 2,761,076 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 50% below the two-decade average for a typical fire season that spans from June to October.
Management of the Kathul Fire is currently under a Type 5 Incident Command led by the National Park Service.
In context
This wildfire burned in Alaska for 52 days. In total it burned about 3,185 acres — around 13 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 3,021,962 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 45% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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Community reports
Reports from people near the fire · unverified
Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.
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