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Ruftler Fire (Texas)

Ended · 25% containedCrews stopped it spreading on 25% of the perimeter. Not the same as out, and not 25% burned. · 1,300 acres (526 hectares) · Started · Updated

This fire in numbers2 days
526Hectares1,300Acres2Days it lasted
Containment25%

Started on Aug 22, 2026.

United States todayLive
105Active335Hotspots 48h1.4 MHectares
Last 7 days · steadyHow many named wildfires were burning on each of the last 7 days. It rises when there are more than on the earlier days.
All United States wildfires
Ruftler Fire (Texas) — Sentinel-2 true color Ruftler Fire (Texas) — 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

Red dots: heat detected by satellite in the last 48h. NASA FIRMS

Quick facts

Location
Motley County
Complexity
Type 5 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.
Jurisdiction
SFS · Private land

Burning across private land in Motley County, Texas, the active Ruftler Fire has grown to encompass 1,000 acres since igniting on August 22, 2026. Currently managed as a Type 5 Incident with zero containment, the wildfire continues to generate activity that is being monitored from orbit.

In the last 48 hours, satellite observation has detected a single heat signature near the incident, highlighting the ongoing spread of the front. This blaze develops against the backdrop of the region's typical fire season, which spans from June to October.

On a national scale, this fire occurs during a year where 2,982,133 hectares have burned so far in 2026, tracking 46% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire burned in Texas for 1 day. In total it burned about 1,300 acres — around 5.3 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 3,243,965 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 41% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

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