Potato Creek Fire (South Dakota)

Burning for 14 days and averaging 782 acres per day, the 10,944-acre Potato Creek Fire near Kyle, South Dakota, is now 100 percent contained. Located 13 miles northeast of Kyle in Jackson County, the natural-cause fire burned across federal land managed by the BIA, consuming short grass fuels one foot tall. Although satellites recently detected heat signatures, current fire behavior on the ground is minimal, characterized by smoldering and occasional single tree torching.

A Type 3 Incident management team with 32 personnel brought the fire to containment, accumulating total suppression costs of $500,000. This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Across the country, 2,799,726 hectares have burned so far in 2026, tracking 49 percent below the two-decade average.