Middle Coulee Fire, Fort Benton, Montana

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

Key facts

Source: NIFC

Location4 miles north of Carter, MT

What's burningTall Grass (2.5 feet)

How it's behavingModerate, Uphill RunsBacking — Moves against the wind or downhill, which makes it slower.

ComplexityType 5 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.

JurisdictionPrivate land

Cost so far$10,000

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

The Middle Coulee Fire, which burned in Chouteau County, Montana, four miles north of Carter and near Fort Benton, has ended after an unusual 86-day burning period that averaged 14 acres per day of approx growth. Sparked on August 2, 2026, the Type 5 incident consumed 1,200 acres of private land featuring 2.5-foot tall grass. During its progression, the fire exhibited moderate, backing, and uphill runs.

A modest contingent of 7 personnel responded to the incident, which ultimately accumulated a cost of about $10,000 before reaching zero percent containment and concluding. The typical fire season in the region runs from June to October. Across the country, the broader fire context shows that 3,450,833 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 37% below the two-decade average.