King Fire (Washington)

Active · 0% contained · 3,146 acres · started 2026-08-19 · updated 2026-09-06

King Fire (Washington) — 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: 7 Miles NE from Snoqualmie Pass, WA
Complexity: Type 3 Incident
Fuel: Timber (Litter and Understory)
Behavior: Minimal, Creeping, Smoldering, Isolated Torching
Jurisdiction: USFS · Federal land

Burning actively in Kittitas County, Washington, the King Fire is located seven miles northeast of Snoqualmie Pass and has consumed 3,146 acres since it started on August 19, 2026. Managed by a Complex Incident Management Team with a Type 3 Incident designation under USFS federal authority, the blaze has been burning for 18 days with an approximate average daily growth of 175 acres per day.

Fire behavior on the incident is currently characterized as minimal, creeping, smoldering, and showing isolated torching in timber, specifically involving litter and understory fuels. Despite zero percent containment, the cost to manage the operation has reached 7,000 USD.

This event unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. On a broader scale, a total of 3,178,795 hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, marking a figure that sits 42 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Washington for 19 days. So far it has affected roughly 3,146 acres — about 13 km². Crews report no containment yet, so the fire can still spread.

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