Dry River Fire

Perimeter mapped September 16, 2026 at 2:02 AM CDT, 8,704 acres (mixed methods). Point of origin 30.541, -100.745.

Live radar at the fire Forecast for Sonora

Size

8,939 acres

Containment

95%

Discovered

September 15, 2026 at 1:52 PM CDT

Cause

Human, Equipment and vehicle use

Location

5 Miles SE from Sonora, TX

County

Sutton County

State

Texas

Protecting agency

SFS

Jurisdiction

SFS

Land ownership at origin

Private

Personnel assigned

68

Incident management

Type 4 IC, Type 4 Incident

Primary fuel

Tall Grass (2.5 feet)

Incident type

Wildfire

Unique fire identifier

2026-TXTXS-268594

IRWIN identifier

F5FAD4B1-44AA-4FB5-940A-B16C30619A2B

Mapped area at the last perimeter of each day, from September 16, 2026 (5,137 acres) to September 19, 2026 (8,704 acres). The largest one-day growth was 3,803 acres, mapped September 17, 2026.

• Wind up to 10 mph from the east
• Relative humidity as low as 37%
• High of 91°F

National Weather Service hourly forecast for the fire’s point of origin, next 24 hours.

Full forecast for Sonora, TX

Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches covering the fire's point of origin.

No Red Flag Warning or Fire Weather Watch is in force at the fire.

NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System analysts have not drawn smoke over the fire’s origin today.

NOAA’s smoke model forecasts near-surface smoke at the origin peaking at 0.5 µg/m³ around Wed, 2:00 AM CDT over the next 48 hours.

Smoke and fire layers on the radar

Posted on InciWeb, updated September 21, 2026.

The Dry River Fire in Sutton County started on the afternoon of September 15, 2026 under elevated fire conditions. Texas A&M Forest Service was requested to provide assistance in the form of additional firefighters and heavy equipment at 1:52 pm and responded quickly. Texas A&M Forest Service is currently in unified command with local departments. Update, Monday, September 21, 10 am: yesterday, fire activity across the incident remained minimal on Sunday. No significant concerns were identified and all suppression objectives were successfully achieved. Suppression efforts continued to focus on mop-up operations, fireline rehabilitation and mitigation. Logistics support will remain in place until noon Monday, while all other Incident Management Team (IMT) functions have demobilized from the incident. Today, incident personnel will continue to patrol firelines and mopup hotspots found. Update, Sunday, September 20, 9:20 am: Yesterday, firefighters focused on fireline mitigation, mopup operations and extinguishing hotspots. A Structure Group mitigated problem areas near structures and extinguished hotspots. Heavy equipment continued to work on fireline mitigation and assisted with mopup operations. Fire activity was minimal throughout the operational period, with no concerns regarding control of the incident. The fire was monitored overnight by local fire departments. Sunday's priorities will focus on continued mopup and fireline rehabilitation. Planning is underway for the transition of incident management responsibilities back to local regional resources. Demobilization efforts have begun while maintaining adequate oversight for continued monitoring and final containment efforts. Update, Saturday, September 19, 10 am: Yesterday, firefighters improved and held containment lines, mitigated areas of concern, moppedup hotspots, and patrolled. An increase in fire behavior was observed in the afternoon when interior pockets of unburned fuel began to burn. This activity did not cause concern or threaten the firelines. Contingency firelines were constructed around structures to ensure protection. Personnel working the night shift continued to mopup hotspots, patrol and mapped areas of concern. Today, operations will be focused on fireline mitigation, mopup operations and extinguishing hotspots. A Structure Group will focus on mitigating any problem areas near structures and extinguishing hotspots discovered. Heavy equipment will continue to work on fireline mitigation and assist with mopup operations. Some personnel and equipment will be available to respond to new fires, if they occur today. Update, Friday, September 18: Operations Thursday night were successful. No issues on containment or line holding were present throughout the nightshift. On Friday, firefighters will focus on holding containment lines, working on improvements, mitigation of areas of concern, and continued mopup of hotspots. Update, Thursday, September 17: Bulldozers will continue to be used to construct fireline around the fire as firefighters work to secure containment lines. Firing operations are planned for today supported by a hand crew and engine strike teams. Firefighters will also patrol the fire and mop up areas holding heat. As of 5:00 pm, Sept 15, Per the US National Weather Service Abilene/San Angelo Texas: At the request of the Sutton County Emergency Management, we have issued a Fire Warning for the area near the Dry River Fire southwest of Sonora. Residents west of Sonora are encouraged to keep up with the Sutton County Emergency Management page for the latest information. Smoke from the fire may impact Interstate 10 west of Sonora as well. Travelers on I-10 should be alert for both emergency vehicles near the fire and reduced visibility.

Original at InciWeb

• Sonora, TX6 miles east of the fire’s origin
• Eldorado, TX24 miles north of the fire’s origin
• Ozona, TX30 miles northwest of the fire’s origin
• Rocksprings, TX49 miles southeast of the fire’s origin
• Junction, TX58 miles east of the fire’s origin
• Big Lake, TX62 miles northwest of the fire’s origin