West Fork Fire
The West Fork Fire was reported on August 28, 2026 in Sutton County, Texas and burned 961 acres. It was fully contained on September 2, 2026. The cause is listed as natural.
- Size
- 961 acres
- Contained
- 100%
- Discovered
- August 28, 2026
- Personnel
- 21
Map
Perimeter mapped August 29, 2026 at 10:38 AM CDT, 960 acres (mixed methods). Point of origin 30.369, -100.152.
The incident
- Size
- 961 acres
- Containment
- 100%
- Discovered
- August 28, 2026 at 3:54 PM CDT
- Contained
- September 2, 2026 at 3:19 PM CDT
- Controlled
- September 4, 2026 at 8:00 PM CDT
- Cause
- Natural, Natural, Lightning
- Location
- 25 Miles SW from Junction, TX
- County
- Sutton County
- State
- Texas
- Protecting agency
- SFS
- Jurisdiction
- SFS
- Land ownership at origin
- Private
- Personnel assigned
- 21
- Incident management
- Type 5 IC, Type 5 Incident
- Primary fuel
- Tall Grass (2.5 feet)
- Incident type
- Wildfire
- Unique fire identifier
- 2026-TXTXS-267801
- IRWIN identifier
- 6C1ED651-366D-44B4-9BA3-06A9ACB36158
Growth
Mapped area at the last perimeter of each day, from August 30, 2026 (613 acres) to September 2, 2026 (960 acres). The largest one-day growth was 347 acres, mapped September 2, 2026.
| Day | Acres | Change |
|---|---|---|
| August 30, 2026 | 613 | |
| September 2, 2026 | 960 | +347 |
Weather in the area
This fire is no longer listed as current. The forecast for Junction, TX covers the area today.
From the incident team
Posted on InciWeb, updated September 21, 2026.
The West Fork Fire in McLennan County started in the midafternoon on Monday, September 21, under elevated fire conditions. Texas A&M Forest Service was requested to provide assistance in the form of additional firefighters and heavy equipment at 3:10 pm and responded quickly. Texas A&M Forest Service is currently in unified command with local departments. Firefighters continue to fight the West Fork Fire with three bullodozers, numerous engines and several aircraft. Eight know structures are threatened and have been evacuated. There are five 1,500-foot-tall radio towers near the fire. Fire behavior was extreme with rapid growth due to wind conditions and showed low crowning in vegetation. Extremely high winds initially kept several firefighting aircraft grounded. Nearby thunderstorm cells produced strong outflow winds and lightning. Air tankers and a helicopter were eventually used to fight the fire. The County EOC evacuated Tower Drive to Spring Valley Drive in Moody. Officials urge the public to avoid the area, do not travel near the incident, and do not interfere with responding emergency vehicles and apparatus. Acreage is an estimate and will not be accurate until mapping is done at a later time. Smoke conditions make an acreage estimate difficult. Update, Monday, September 21, 6:50 pm: Forward progression has been stopped, Single Engine Air Tankers boxed off the head of the fire. The fire stopped at a plowed field on the left flank at the head. Helicopters made effective water drops. A Strike Team is engaged on the right flank. Evacuations are being lifted.
Nearby
Texas wildfires today Wildfires of 2026 All current fires
Incident record from the National Interagency Fire Center’s Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Services (WFIGS), as the incident’s managers report it; last updated September 15, 2026 at 4:46 AM CDT. Identifier 2026-TXTXS-267801.