Plaskett Fire (California)

Active · 0% contained · 5,417 acres · started 2026-08-26 · updated 2026-08-29

Plaskett Fire (California) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

True color Fire (SWIR)

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True color (left): as the eye sees it.
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: 34 Miles SW from Big Sur, CA
Personnel: 481
Complexity: Type 1 Incident
Fuel: Short Grass (1 foot)
Behavior: Moderate, Uphill Runs, Flanking, Single Tree Torching
Jurisdiction: USFS · Federal land

Burning across federal land in Monterey County, California, the active Plaskett Fire is located 34 miles southwest of Big Sur. Having burned for 3 days since its start on August 2026-08-26, the incident has expanded at an approximate rate of 1,806 acres per day to reach 5,417 acres, with zero containment reported thus far. Satellites are picking up 19 heat detections in the past 48 hours surrounding the perimeter, illustrating the current spread of the fire front. Amid a typical fire season running from June to October, national figures show 3,126,257 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a 43% decrease compared to the two-decade average.

Driven by short grass fuels standing one foot tall, fire behavior currently features moderate activity with uphill runs, flanking, and single tree torching. A Type 1 Incident managed by a Complex Incident Management Team has been established, directing 481 personnel assigned to the operation. The total cost to combat the blaze has reached $1,500,000 under the oversight of the USFS.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in California for 3 days. So far it has affected roughly 5,417 acres — about 22 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.