South Connell Fire, Washington — Map & Containment

South Connell Fire, Washington — Sentinel-2 true color

South Connell Fire, 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

Location4 miles northeast of Connell, WA

What's burningTall Grass (2.5 feet)

How it's behavingModerate, Uphill RunsFlanking — Grows along the sides, not head-on.

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

JurisdictionPrivate land

Cost so far$250,000

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 South Connell Fire, which burned in Franklin County, Washington, about 4 miles northeast of Connell, has ended after an 83-day duration. Over the course of its activity, the fire grew at an approximate rate of 9 acres per day, ultimately reaching a size of 750 acres.

Burning through tall grass measuring 2.5 feet on private land, the incident displayed moderate fire behavior characterized by uphill runs and flanking. Response efforts involved 24 personnel managing the Type 5 Incident until full containment was reached at 100 percent. The total cost of the operation reached about $250,000.

The fire occurred during the region's typical fire season, which spans from June to October. Nationally, the broader context shows that 3,450,653 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 37% below the two-decade average.