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Thunder Creek Fire (Washington)

Active · 430 acres · started 2026-08-22 · updated 2026-08-27

Thunder Creek Fire (Washington) — Sentinel-2 true color Thunder Creek Fire (Washington) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego) True color Fire (SWIR)
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).

Quick facts

Location
Skagit County
Jurisdiction
NPS · Federal land

Burning across federal land within Skagit County, Washington, the active Thunder Creek Fire has maintained a steady trajectory over its five days on the landscape, averaging approximately 86 acres of growth each day since it started on August 22, 2026. Managed by the National Park Service, the blaze has expanded to cover 430 acres. Satellites are currently picking up 19 heat detections in the surrounding area over the past 48 hours, highlighting the extent of the spread near the incident.

This incident unfolds during the region's typical fire season, which generally runs from June to October. Nationally, the broader context shows that 3,068,903 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 44% below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in Washington for 5 days. So far it has affected roughly 430 acres — about 1.7 km².

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 3,102,331 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 43% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.

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