Sinlahekin Fire, Tonasket, Washington — Map & Containment: 166,007 Acres, 100% Contained

Sinlahekin Fire, Tonasket, Washington — Sentinel-2 true color

Sinlahekin Fire, Tonasket, Washington — 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

Key facts

Source: NIFC

Location1 mile west of Tonasket, WA

What's burningTimber (Litter and Understory)

How it's behavingMinimalSmoldering — Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.Creeping — Moves slowly, hugging the ground.

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

JurisdictionDNR · State land

Cost so far$152.0 million

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 166,007-acre Sinlahekin Fire near Tonasket, Washington, in Okanogan County, has ended after burning for 87 days since it started on July 26, 2026. Over the course of its run, the fire grew at an average rate of 1,908 acres per day.

Managed as a Type 5 Incident by the DNR on state land, the fire ultimately involved 122 personnel and cost about $152 million, specifically 151,952,757 USD. Fire behavior concluded as minimal, smoldering, and creeping in timber consisting of litter and understory, resulting in 100 percent containment.

This incident occurred during the region's typical fire season, which spans from June to October. Nationally, 3,430,104 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a total that is 37 percent below the two-decade average.