Timber Fire (California)

Active · 27% contained · 25,357 acres · started 2026-08-09 · updated 2026-09-06

Timber Fire (California) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

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).

Quick facts

Location: 4 Miles SE from Big Sur, CA
Personnel: 1,227
Complexity: Type 1 Incident
Fuel: Short Grass (1 foot)
Behavior: Moderate, Flanking, Uphill Runs, Single Tree Torching
Jurisdiction: USFS · Federal land

Burning across 25,357 acres of federal land overseen by the USFS, the Timber Fire near Big Sur, California, has been active for 28 days since it started on August 9, 2026, averaging a growth of approximately 906 acres per day. Firefighters battling the blaze face moderate, flanking, and uphill runs, alongside single tree torching in short grass fuels.

Currently, the incident stands at 27 percent containment, with 1,227 personnel assigned to the Type 1 Incident managed by a Complex Incident Management Team. The cost to suppress the fire has reached $114,400,000.

This wildfire occurs within a broader regional context where the typical fire season runs from June to October. Nationally, 3,178,795 hectares have burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 42 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in California for 28 days. So far it has affected roughly 25,357 acres — about 103 km². Crews have contained 27% of the perimeter, but most of the fire line is still open.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.