Paddy Creek Fire (Arizona)
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
- Apache County
- Cause
- Natural
- Jurisdiction
- BIA · Federal land
Burning across Apache County, Arizona, the active Paddy Creek Fire has now persisted for nine days since its natural ignition on August 17, 2026. Managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on federal land, the incident has expanded at an approximate average rate of 29 acres per day, reaching a total footprint of 260 acres.
Orbiting satellite sensors have detected four heat signatures near the perimeter over the past 48 hours, highlighting the ongoing spread of the front. This localized activity unfolds within a broader national context where 3,021,962 hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, marking a figure that sits 45 percent below the two-decade average.
The fire continues to evolve amidst the region's typical fire season, which spans from June to October.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in Arizona for 9 days. So far it has affected roughly 260 acres — about 1.1 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 3,021,962 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 45% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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