Sand Creek Fire

Perimeter mapped September 13, 2026 at 8:24 PM MDT, 35,520 acres (mixed methods). Point of origin 45.555, -113.326.

Live radar at the fire Forecast for Salmon

Size

35,520 acres

Containment

71%

Discovered

August 1, 2026 at 1:31 PM MDT

Cause

Undetermined

Location

5 Miles E from Wisdom, MT

County

Beaverhead County

State

Montana

Nearest city reported

Wisdom, MT

Protecting agency

USFS

Jurisdiction

USFS

Land ownership at origin

USFS

Personnel assigned

154

Incident management

Type 3 IC, Type 3 Incident

Primary fuel

Timber (Litter and Understory)

Estimated cost to date

$36,300,000

Incident type

Wildfire

Unique fire identifier

2026-MTBDF-266319

IRWIN identifier

84FD3D7E-6B04-49CD-A729-ED3178A49C42

Mapped area at the last perimeter of each day, from August 2, 2026 (1,004 acres) to September 14, 2026 (35,520 acres). The largest one-day growth was 34,666 acres, mapped September 2, 2026.

• Wind up to 6 mph from the southeast
• Relative humidity as low as 37%
• High of 58°F

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

Full forecast for Salmon, ID

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.

Smoke and fire layers on the radar

Posted on InciWeb, updated September 21, 2026.

The Sand Creek Fire was first discovered 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in rugged remote terrain. The cause of the Sand Creek Fire is lightning. A full suppression strategy is being utilized with direct and indirect tactics strategies to minimize impacts to values at risk and firefighter exposure. Firefighters remain engaged in places where the fire perimeter isn’t yet contained. Suppression repair continues along contingency lines in already-contained areas. To protect firefighter and public safety, closures persist while suppression and suppression repair operations are ongoing. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway remains closed. Area closures surrounding the Bobcat Lakes and Sand Creek Fires remain in effect to safeguard public welfare, provide access for emergency personnel and equipment, and facilitate safe fire suppression and repair operations. See Closures or more details.

Original at InciWeb

• Salmon, ID38 miles southwest of the fire’s origin
• Dillon, MT41 miles southeast of the fire’s origin
• Anaconda, MT44 miles northeast of the fire’s origin
• Butte, MT49 miles northeast of the fire’s origin
• Warm Springs, MT50 miles northeast of the fire’s origin
• Hamilton, MT62 miles northwest of the fire’s origin