EndedUpdated · Source: NIFC

Lightning Creek Fire, Coleman, Texas

Started

Burned
300 acres
121 hectares
ContainedCrews stopped it spreading on 98% of the perimeter. Not the same as out, and not 98% burned.
98%
of the perimeter
Lasted
2 days
from Sep 22, 2026
Growth per day
150 acres
on average
Complexity
Type 5
1 is the most complex
Lightning Creek Fire, Coleman, Texas — NASA satellite

Yesterday's image: fire shows in orange and red. NASA MODIS

Key facts

Source: NIFC
LocationColeman County
CauseNatural
What's burningShort Grass (1 foot)
How it's behavingModerate
ComplexityType 5 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.
JurisdictionSFS · Private 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.

The story so far

Summary written on Sep 23, while the fire was still active. It has since ended — the figures above are current.

Burning in Coleman, Texas, the active Lightning Creek Fire has reached 300 acres while achieving 80 percent containment under a Type 5 Incident management by SFS. Sparked naturally on September 22, 2026, the fire is fueled by one-foot short grass and currently exhibits moderate fire behavior.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October, amid a broader national landscape where 3,270,726 hectares have burned so far in 2026, tracking 40 percent below the two-decade average.

The fire burns entirely on private land, where suppression efforts continue to secure the remaining uncontained perimeters of the blaze.

In context

This wildfire burned in Texas for 1 day. In total it burned about 300 acres — around 1.2 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 3,498,440 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 36% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

Alerts near Coleman

This fire is over. We'll email you if satellites detect new fire in this area. Free, no account.

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United States todayLive
19Active410Hotspots 48h286 kHectares
Last 7 days · fallingHow many named wildfires were burning on each of the last 7 days. It rises when there are more than on the earlier days.
All United States wildfires

Community reports

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