Slough Grass Fire (MT)

Active · 10% contained · 6,467 acres · started 2026-08-06 · updated 2026-08-07

True color Fire (SWIR)

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True color (left): as the eye sees it.
Infrared / SWIR (right): sees through smoke.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 red/brown = burned
🟠 orange = active fire

Imagery: Sentinel-2 (Copernicus). Drag to compare smoke vs. infrared.

Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).

Burning through timber with grass and understory, the active Slough Grass Fire has grown to 6,467 acres since it started on August 6, 2026, in Rosebud County, Montana. Located eight miles northwest of Colstrip, the blaze is exhibiting moderate fire behavior with uphill runs and spotting, while 69 personnel operating under a Type 3 Incident Command manage the state-owned land overseen by the DNRC. Satellites have registered 34 heat detections in the past 48 hours, illustrating the current spread of the fire across the landscape.

The incident carries a cost of $150,000 and has reached 10 percent containment. Across the country, the broader fire landscape shows 2,664,784 hectares burned so far in 2026, a figure that sits 51 percent below the two-decade average. This activity occurs within the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October, as crews continue suppression efforts on the natural-cause fire.

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