Shale Butte Fire (ID)
Imagery: Sentinel-2 SWIR (Copernicus) — infrared, sees through smoke. 🟢 vegetation · 🟤 burned · 🟠 active fire.
Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).
Quick facts
- Location
- 10 Miles NW from Kimama, ID
- Cause
- Natural
- Personnel
- 28
- Complexity
- Type 4 Incident
- Fuel
- Tall Grass (2.5 feet)
- Behavior
- Active
- Jurisdiction
- BLM · Federal land
Burning across federal land in Lincoln County, Idaho, the active Shale Butte Fire has grown to 1,000 acres since it was sparked by natural causes on August 22, 2026. Positioned ten miles northwest of Kimama, the Type 4 incident is currently burning through tall grass measuring 2.5 feet, exhibiting active fire behavior driven by the region's typical fire season conditions, which span from June to October.
Suppression efforts for the blaze are being managed by a Type 4 Incident Commander with the Bureau of Land Management, utilizing a dedicated response team of 28 personnel. Operations to contain the fire have accumulated an estimated cost of $50,000, though containment currently remains at zero percent.
This incident unfolds during a broader national fire year that has seen 2,982,133 hectares burn so far in 2026, tracking 46 percent below the two-decade average for the country.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in Idaho for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 1,000 acres — about 4.0 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.
The bigger picture in United States
Across United States, roughly 2,982,133 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 46% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
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Community reports
Reports from people near the fire · unverified
Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.
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