Montana · incident record
Black Bear Fire, Montana
2,126
Acres reported
80%
Contained
0
Acres since yesterday
Last updated · refreshed every 15 minutes from the NIFC WFIGS feed · awareness only — follow local authorities
Update ·
As of Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 UTC, the Black Bear Fire is no longer listed in the federal active-fire feed at 2,126 acres, 80% contained, in Ravalli County, Montana.
No change in reported size or containment since Sep 30, 2026, 21:46 UTC.
The most recent mapped perimeter (Aug 26, 2026, 11:04 UTC) covers 2,126 acres; the mapped perimeter has been updated 14 times since the fire began.
No satellite heat detections matched to this incident in the last 24 hours (last one Sep 1, 2026, 20:10 UTC).
It was last present in the feed Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 UTC; the largest size reported was 2,145 acres. This page stays up as a record of the incident.
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
- 80%
- Status
- Not in feed (last seen Oct 1, 2026)
- Discovered
- Aug 2, 2026
- Location
- Ravalli County, Montana
- Origin point
- 46.1680, -113.8895
- Peak reported size
- 2,145 acres
- Perimeter mapped
- Aug 26, 2026 (37 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, MT
- Stevensville, MT
- Lolo, MT
- Clinton, MT
- Missoula, MT
Other fires nearby
- Nature Grove Fire
- Moose Fire
- North Trapper Fire
- East Fork Fire
- Bobcat Lakes Fire
Black Bear Fire timeline
Day by day: 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 size | Change | Contained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 30, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 29, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 28, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 26, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 25, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 24, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 23, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 22, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 21, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 19, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 18, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 17, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 80% |
| Sep 16, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 15, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 14, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 13, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 12, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 10, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 30% |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Sep 3, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 25, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 24, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 20, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 22% |
| Aug 19, 2026 | 2,126 acres | 0 | 21% |
| Aug 18, 2026 | 2,126 acres | −19 | 20% |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 2,145 acres | 0 | 20% |
| Aug 16, 2026 | 2,145 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | 2,145 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 14, 2026 | 2,145 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 13, 2026 | 2,145 acres | +175 | — |
| Aug 12, 2026 | 1,970 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 11, 2026 | 1,970 acres | +163 | — |
| Aug 10, 2026 | 1,807 acres | +1,582 | — |
| Aug 9, 2026 | 225 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 8, 2026 | 225 acres | +85 | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 140 acres | +107 | — |
| Aug 6, 2026 | 33 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 5, 2026 | 33 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 4, 2026 | 33 acres | +13 | — |
| Aug 3, 2026 | 20 acres | +10 | — |
| Aug 2, 2026 | 10 acres | — | — |
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Black Bear Fire questions, answered from the data
How big is the Black Bear Fire?
As of Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 UTC, the Black Bear Fire is reported at 2,126 acres (peak reported size 2,145 acres). No change in reported size or containment since Sep 30, 2026, 21:46 UTC.
Is the Black Bear Fire contained?
Not fully. It was 80% contained as of Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 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?
It is no longer in the federal active-fire feed; it was last listed Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 UTC. Fires drop out of the feed when the incident is closed or handed to local management, not necessarily when every ember is out.
What is the timeline of the Black Bear Fire?
The Black Bear Fire was first listed in the federal feed Aug 2, 2026, 01:15 UTC (reported discovery date Aug 2, 2026). It was last listed Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 UTC, after peaking at 2,145 acres. The timeline table on this page shows the size and containment reported each UTC day across 52 days of archive.
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 Oct 1, 2026, 22:00 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 →