2026 Idaho wildfires

2026 Idaho wildfires
The Median Fire on June 17
← 2025

The 2026 Idaho wildfires are a series of wildfires burning throughout the U.S. state of Idaho.

Background

While the "fire season" in Idaho varies every year based on fire weather conditions, most wildfires occur from June to September.[1] Fire activities normally increase in July and August because of drier conditions, hotter temperatures, and more lightning strikes from thunderstorms. However, wildfire severity can vary every year based on preseason conditions such as snowpack and the overcrowded growth of vegetation and dying trees.[2]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref
Pasadena Valley Elmore 1,729 May 13May 14 Burned east of Glenns Ferry.[4]
Sailor Cap Owyhee 8,292 May 18May 19 Burned 15 miles (24 km) south of Hammett.[5]
Moore Ada 1,399 May 23May 23 Burned 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Melba.[6]
Kinyon Springs Owyhee 1,573 May 25May 26 Burned 15 miles (24 km) south of Glenns Ferry.[7]
Dewoff Blaine 2,078 May 25May 26 Burned east of Lake Walcott.[8]
Black Ridge Lincoln 3,298 May 25May 26 Burned south of the Sand Butte Wilderness Study Area.[9][10]
Summit Creek Cassia 1,877 May 25June 15 Caused by lightning. Burned in the Albion Mountains.[11][10]
Blue Ridge Owyhee 14,317 June 5 June 6 Undetermined cause. Burned 16 miles (26 km) west of Buhl. [12][13]
Michaud Creek Power 1,560 June 5 June 7 Burned near Pocatello Regional Airport. [14]
Chalk Elmore 1,500 June 15 June 16 Cause under investigation. Burned 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northwest of Hammett. [15][16]
Median Gooding 4,060 June 17 June 18 Cause under investigation. Burned 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Wendell. Threatened structures and closed State Highway 46. [17][18]
Mary Owyhee 1,200 June 20 June 21 Burned 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Owyhee, Nevada. [19]
Mora Ada 2,426 July 5 July 6 Cause under investigation. Burned in Kuna. Prompted evacuations and threatened structures. [20][21]
Maze Madison 1,579 July 6 July 8 Burned west of Rexburg. [22]
Claremont Ada, Boise 6,627 July 6 August 4 Burning in Boise and prompting evacuations. [23]
Gulch Gem 1,798 July 6 July 7 Burned east of Emmett. [24]
Upper Smith Boundary 4,552 July 8
36%
 Lightning-caused. Burning 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Bonners Ferry. [25][26]
Martin Blaine 1,065 July 9 July 10 Burned in Bellevue. [27]
Cow Canyon Oneida 3,998 July 12 July 13 Unknown cause. Burned along Interstate 84 in Snowville. [28][29]
Black Ridge 2 Lincoln 15,000 July 16 July 17 Burned east of Owinza. [30]
Cascade Idaho 4,571 July 17
50%
 Lightning-caused. Burning 22 miles (35 km) east of Lowell. [31][32]
Ohio Blaine 2,035 July 18 July 21 Burned northeast of Hailey and prompting evacuation warnings in the Heather Ohio Valley. [33][34]
Grassy Hills Owyhee 2,231 July 18 July 18 [35]
Grandold Elmore 1,011 July 23 July 24 [36]
Duncan Owyhee 16,812 July 23 July 26 Lightning-caused. Burned in Big Jacks Wilderness Area. [37][38]
Hopper Owyhee 2,521 July 24 July 26 [39]
Beck Elmore 1,500 July 24 July 25 Burned east of Interstate 84. [40]
Tartar Washington 158,027 July 24
98%
 Burning just east of the Snake River and prompted evacuations. [41]
Peer Owyhee 1,324 July 24 July 27 Closing North Fork Campground with the Big Grass Fire in Oregon. [42][43]
Double Springs Custer 1,779 July 24
18%
 Burning 9.5 miles (15.3 km) east of U.S. 93. [44]
Scorp Owyhee 4,764 July 25 July 26 Burning west of Murphy and threatened structures. [45]
Gaston Power 1,636 July 25 July 26 Burned 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Aberdeen. [46]
Lake Channel Power 2,516 July 29 August 2 Lightning-caused. Burned in American Falls. [47][48]
Moose Mountain Clearwater 4,207 July 30
8%
 Lightning-caused. Burning 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Kelly Forks Campground. [49][50]
Big Rock Jefferson, Madison 2,204 July 31 August 13 Lightning-caused. Burned in Heise and closing recreational areas. Mudslides occurred after rainfall in burn scar. [51][52][53]
MM115 Hwy 20 Elmore 5,070 August 7 August 13 Cause under investigation. Closed U.S. Route 20. [54][55]
Bigfoot Ada, Elmore 1,135 August 15 August 16 Burned northeast of the Snake River. [56]
Crooked Boise, Elmore 3,164 August 18
0%
 Closing part of Boise National Forest. [57][58]
North Heglar Cassia, Power 1,844 August 19
87%
 Burning in Malta. [59]
Fraser Elmore 3,981 August 22 August 23 Burned north of Mountain Home Air Force Base. [60]
Shale Butte Lincoln 1,691 August 22 August 24 Burned 9 miles (14 km) north of Kimama. [61]
Tuana Gulch Elmore 2,700 August 24
0%
 [62]
Wildhorse Lincoln 3,000 August 24
0%
 Burning 10 miles (16 km) north of Kimama. [63]
Flint Owyhee 6,000 August 24
0%
 Burning south of Silver City and prompting evacuations. [64]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Idaho Wildfire Emissions Estimates". www2.deq.idaho.gov. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Idaho Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Pasadena Valley Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Sailor Cap Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Moore Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Kinyon Springs Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Dewoff Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Black Ridge Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Crews battle the Summit Creek and Black Ridge fires". May 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Summit Creek Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ Gaeteau, Kiliane (June 6, 2026). "Blue Ridge Fire in Owyhee County now contained". KMVT. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Blue Ridge Fire grows to about 14,317 acres; forward spread stopped overnight". KBOI-TV. June 6, 2026. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Michaud Creek Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Chalk Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  16. ↑ Rodriguez, Richard (June 15, 2026). "Fire crews stop spread of Chalk Fire burning 1,500 acres in Elmore County". KTVB. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Median Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Median Fire grows to more than 8,600 acres near Wendell, closes Highway 46". KIVI-TV. June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mary Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Mora Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  21. ↑ Flynn, Danny (July 6, 2026). "Mora Fire grows to 2,400+ acres near Kuna Butte". KIVI-TV. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Maze Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Claremont Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Gulch Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Upper Smith Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Upper Smith Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Martin Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Cow Canyon Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  29. ↑ Jackson, Curtis (July 13, 2026). "Fire in remote southern Idaho burns 2,000 acres". KIFI-TV. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Black Ridge 2 Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Cascade Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Cascade Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Ohio Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Ohio fire grows to 1000 acres, prompts evacuations near Hailey". KBOI-TV. July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Grassy Hills Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Grandold Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Duncan Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  38. ↑ Rodriguez, Richard (July 24, 2026). "Lightning-caused fires burn nearly 18,000 acres in southern Idaho". KTVB. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Hopper Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Beck Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Tartar Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Peer Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Big Grass Fire leads to Level 3 evacuations near Idaho-Oregon border". KMVT. July 26, 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Double Springs Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Scorp Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 26, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Gaston Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Lake Channel Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  48. ↑ Ratliff, Seth (July 30, 2026). "Lightning-caused Lake Channel fire grows to 1,500 acres near Massacre Rocks". KIFI-TV. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Moose Mountain Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Moose Mountain Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  51. ↑ "Big Rock Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  52. ↑ Stout, Monica (August 13, 2026). "Local team resumes control of Big Rock Fire; rain on burn scar causes slides". Buckrail. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  53. ↑ Hart, Kaitlyn (August 6, 2026). "Day 7: Big Rock Fire's official cause released as it continues to burn near Heise". East Idaho News. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  54. ↑ "MM115 Hwy 20 Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  55. ↑ "Firefighters gain ground overnight on 2,000-acre MM115 Highway 20 fire in Idaho". KBOI-TV. August 8, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
  56. ↑ "Bigfoot Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Crooked Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Crooked Fire expands to nearly 2,000 acres as crews work to limit spread". KIVI-TV. August 24, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  59. ↑ "North Heglar Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  60. ↑ "Fraser Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  61. ↑ "Shale Butte Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  62. ↑ "Tuana Gulch Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  63. ↑ "Wildhorse Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  64. ↑ "Flint Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
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