Mp18 Fire, Hoopa, California — Map & Containment

Mp18 Fire, Hoopa, California — Sentinel-2 true color

Mp18 Fire, Hoopa, California — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

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

Location2 miles north of Hoopa, CA

CauseHuman

What's burningTimber (Grass and Understory)

How it's behavingMinimalSmoldering — Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.Isolated Torching — Single scattered trees flaring up whole, like torches.

ComplexityType 3 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.

JurisdictionBIA · Federal land

Cost so far$61.2 million

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

Burning across Humboldt County, California, near the city of Hoopa, the human-caused Mp18 Fire burned for 78 days before finally ending. The fire consumed timber, grass, and understory on federal land managed by the BIA, averaging roughly 97 acres per day of growth over its course. By the time the incident concluded, the blaze had reached a total size of 7,599 acres.

A Type 3 Incident drawing 299 personnel, the fire ultimately achieved 100 percent containment. At the time of its conclusion, fire behavior was reported as minimal, smoldering, and involving isolated torching. Suppression efforts and operations for the Mp18 Fire accumulated a total cost of about $61.2 million.

This fire occurred during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Nationally, the broader wildfire context for 2026 shows that 3,453,410 hectares have burned so far, tracking 37 percent below the two-decade average.