California · Contained · 13,930 acres

Elephant Fire, California

13,930

Acres reported

100%

Contained

0

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 Elephant Fire is listed as contained at 13,930 acres, 100% contained, in Plumas County, California.

No change in reported size or containment since Aug 17, 2026, 09:00 UTC.

The most recent mapped perimeter (Jul 23, 2026, 07:19 UTC) covers 13,930 acres; the mapped perimeter has been updated 16 times since the fire began.

No satellite heat detections matched to this incident in the last 24 hours (last one Aug 1, 2026, 10:07 UTC).

Elephant 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
13,930 acres
Containment
100%
Status
Contained
Discovered
Jul 11, 2026
Location
Plumas County, California
Origin point
39.7108, -120.1932
Peak reported size
15,526 acres
Perimeter mapped
Jul 23, 2026 (26 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).

  • Cold Springs, NV12 mi E of the origin · pop. 8,544
  • Portola, CA16 mi NW of the origin · pop. 1,903
  • Verdi, NV17 mi SE of the origin · pop. 1,415
  • Lemmon Valley, NV19 mi E of the origin · pop. 5,040
  • Reno, NV24 mi SE of the origin · pop. 264,165

Other fires nearby

  • Bug Fire8.3 mi away · 93,733 acres · 87% contained
  • Fred Mt Fire19 mi away · 3,482 acres · 100% contained
  • Stallion Fire36 mi away · 40,691 acres · 85% contained
  • Talbot Fire38 mi away · 93 acres · 87% contained

All California wildfires →

Elephant Fire daily history

The largest size and containment reported each UTC day, from our 15-minute archive of the federal feed (first seen Jul 11, 2026, 20:45 UTC).

Day (UTC)Reported sizeChangeContained
Aug 18, 202613,930 acres0100%
Aug 17, 202613,930 acres0100%
Aug 16, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 15, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 14, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 13, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 12, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 11, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 10, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 9, 202613,930 acres0
Aug 8, 202613,930 acres+13,930
Aug 1, 20260.1 acres0
Jul 31, 20260.1 acres0
Jul 30, 20260.1 acres−13,930
Jul 29, 202613,930 acres0
Jul 28, 202613,930 acres0
Jul 27, 202613,930 acres0
Jul 26, 202613,930 acres0
Jul 25, 202613,930 acres0
Jul 24, 202613,930 acres0
Jul 23, 202613,930 acres+4
Jul 22, 202613,926 acres0
Jul 21, 202613,926 acres0
Jul 20, 202613,926 acres+11
Jul 19, 202613,915 acres+220
Jul 18, 202613,695 acres+219
Jul 17, 202613,476 acres−2,050
Jul 16, 202615,526 acres0
Jul 15, 202615,526 acres+3,223
Jul 14, 202612,303 acres+5,867
Jul 13, 20266,436 acres+2,036
Jul 12, 20264,400 acres+4,400
Jul 11, 20260.1 acres

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Elephant Fire questions, answered from the data

How big is the Elephant Fire?

As of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC, the Elephant Fire is reported at 13,930 acres (peak reported size 15,526 acres). No change in reported size or containment since Aug 17, 2026, 09:00 UTC.

Is the Elephant Fire contained?

Yes — the Elephant Fire was reported 100% contained as of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC. Containment means a control line surrounds the fire; interior areas can keep burning for days.

Where is the Elephant Fire?

The reported point of origin is at 39.7108, -120.1932 in Plumas County, California. Nearest towns: Cold Springs (12 mi E), Portola (16 mi NW), Verdi (17 mi SE). The map on this page shows the most recent mapped perimeter.

Is the Elephant Fire still burning?

The federal feed still lists it as contained 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 Elephant Fire?

From the county sheriff and local emergency management, not from this site. Check the official California sources on our California 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 →