Montana · Active · 2,126 acres

Black Bear Fire, Montana

2,126

Acres reported

20%

Contained

−19

Acres since yesterday

Last updated · refreshed every 15 minutes from the NIFC WFIGS feed · awareness only — follow local authorities

Update ·

As of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC, the Black Bear Fire is listed as active at 2,126 acres, 20% contained, in Ravalli County, Montana.

Since Aug 17, 2026, 09:00 UTC: −19 acres.

The most recent mapped perimeter (Aug 13, 2026, 12:31 UTC) covers 2,126 acres; the mapped perimeter has been updated 13 times since the fire began.

No satellite heat detections matched to this incident in the last 24 hours (last one Aug 12, 2026, 21:25 UTC).

Black Bear Fire map

The most recent mapped perimeter (solid) and the previous day's perimeter (dashed), with the reported point of origin.

Latest perimeter   Previous perimeter   ·   Perimeters come from the WFIGS interagency perimeter service and are usually mapped once a day; the mapped area can differ from the reported acreage.

Key facts

Size
2,126 acres
Containment
20%
Status
Active
Discovered
Aug 2, 2026
Location
Ravalli County, Montana
Origin point
46.1680, -113.8895
Peak reported size
2,145 acres
Perimeter mapped
Aug 13, 2026 (5 days ago)
Satellite heat, 24 h
none matched

Nearest towns

Distances are from the reported point of origin, not from the fire’s edge (see the perimeter map for the current extent).

  • Hamilton, MT14 mi NW of the origin · pop. 4,602
  • Stevensville, MT26 mi N of the origin · pop. 1,922
  • Lolo, MT42 mi N of the origin · pop. 3,892
  • Clinton, MT42 mi N of the origin · pop. 1,052
  • Missoula, MT49 mi N of the origin · pop. 71,022

Other fires nearby

  • Butterfly Fire6.3 mi away · 67 acres · 100% contained
  • Moose Fire12 mi away · 5,892 acres · 0% contained
  • LG13 Appaloosa Fire18 mi away · 0.1 acres
  • North Fork Lost Horse Fire21 mi away · 118 acres · 70% contained
  • Sandstone Ridge Fire25 mi away · 0.1 acres
  • Indian Hill Fire41 mi away · 0.1 acres
  • Bobcat Lakes Fire49 mi away · 9,791 acres · 10% contained

All Montana wildfires →

Black Bear Fire daily history

The largest size and containment reported each UTC day, from our 15-minute archive of the federal feed (first seen Aug 2, 2026, 01:15 UTC).

Day (UTC)Reported sizeChangeContained
Aug 18, 20262,126 acres−1920%
Aug 17, 20262,145 acres020%
Aug 16, 20262,145 acres0
Aug 15, 20262,145 acres0
Aug 14, 20262,145 acres0
Aug 13, 20262,145 acres+175
Aug 12, 20261,970 acres0
Aug 11, 20261,970 acres+163
Aug 10, 20261,807 acres+1,582
Aug 9, 2026225 acres0
Aug 8, 2026225 acres+85
Aug 7, 2026140 acres+107
Aug 6, 202633 acres0
Aug 5, 202633 acres0
Aug 4, 202633 acres+13
Aug 3, 202620 acres+10
Aug 2, 202610 acres

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Black Bear Fire questions, answered from the data

How big is the Black Bear Fire?

As of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC, the Black Bear Fire is reported at 2,126 acres (peak reported size 2,145 acres). Since Aug 17, 2026, 09:00 UTC: −19 acres.

Is the Black Bear Fire contained?

Not fully. It was 20% contained as of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC. Containment is the share of the fire's edge that has a control line; it is reported by the incident team and can lag the ground situation.

Where is the Black Bear Fire?

The reported point of origin is at 46.1680, -113.8895 in Ravalli County, Montana. Nearest towns: Hamilton (14 mi NW), Stevensville (26 mi N), Lolo (42 mi N). The map on this page shows the most recent mapped perimeter.

Is the Black Bear Fire still burning?

The federal feed still lists it as active as of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC; no satellite heat detections were matched to it in the last 24 hours.

Where do I find evacuation orders for the Black Bear Fire?

From the county sheriff and local emergency management, not from this site. Check the official Montana sources on our Montana page and your county’s alert system. FireRiskHere is for awareness only.

How current is this page?

The numbers come from the National Interagency Fire Center's WFIGS incident feed and the WFIGS perimeter service, refreshed every 15 minutes, plus NASA FIRMS satellite detections hourly. This page was last updated Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC. Acreage and containment are what the incident team reports and can lag by hours.

About this page

This page is generated automatically for every wildfire whose reported size reaches 1,000 acres, from FireRiskHere’s archive of the National Interagency Fire Center’s WFIGS incident feed (captured every 15 minutes), the WFIGS interagency perimeter service, and NASA FIRMS satellite detections. It stays online after the fire is contained as a record of the incident. Nothing here is an official notice — for evacuation orders and road closures follow your county sheriff and local emergency management. How the site works →