Middle Coulee Fire (MT)
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
- 4 Miles N from Carter, MT
- Personnel
- 7
- Complexity
- Type 5 Incident
- Fuel
- Tall Grass (2.5 feet)
- Behavior
- Moderate, Backing, Uphill Runs
- Jurisdiction
- Private land
Burning through tall grass measuring 2.5 feet in height, the active Middle Coulee Fire has expanded to 1,200 acres located four miles north of Carter, Montana, within Chouteau County. Satellites have detected eight heat signatures over the last 48 hours, highlighting the ongoing spread of the incident across private land. With zero percent containment achieved so far, the fire exhibits moderate behavior characterized by backing and uphill runs.
A small team of seven personnel, operating under a Type 5 Incident management structure with a Type 5 Incident Commander, is currently assigned to suppress the blaze, which has accumulated costs of $10,000 since it started on August 2, 2026. This incident occurs during the region's typical fire season, which spans from June to October. Nationally, the broader context shows 2,528,284 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure 54% below the two-decade average.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in Montana for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 1,200 acres — about 4.9 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.
The bigger picture in United States
Across United States, roughly 2,528,284 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 54% 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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