Seven Fire, Ballinger, Texas — Map & Containment

Seven Fire, Ballinger, Texas — NASA satellite

Yesterday's image: fire shows in orange and red. NASA MODIS

Key facts

Source: NIFC

Location3 miles southwest of Talpa, TX

What's burningTall Grass (2.5 feet)

How it's behavingModerateRunning — Runs along the ground much faster than a person walks.Smoldering — Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.

ComplexityType 4 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.

JurisdictionSFS · Private land

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

The Seven Fire in Runnels County, Texas, burned a total of 480 acres over a thirty-day period before coming to an end. Located three miles southwest of Talpa, near Ballinger, the incident burned through private land featuring tall grass standing 2.5 feet high. During its progression, the fire maintained an average daily growth of approximately 16 acres per day while exhibiting moderate, running, and smoldering fire behavior.

Suppression efforts for this Type 4 incident involved 60 personnel operating under the SFS agency. Crews successfully brought the incident to a 95 percent containment level before the fire ultimately ended, having started on September 22, 2026. The local fire activity unfolded against a broader regional backdrop, as the typical fire season for the area runs from June to October. Nationally, 2026 has seen a total of 3,442,406 hectares burned so far, tracking 37 percent below the two-decade average.