Minnesota · incident record
Little Knife Fire, Minnesota
4,815
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 Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 UTC, the Little Knife Fire is no longer listed in the federal active-fire feed at 4,815 acres, 100% contained, in Lake County, Minnesota.
No change in reported size or containment since Sep 17, 2026, 21:00 UTC.
The most recent mapped perimeter (Aug 27, 2026, 21:59 UTC) covers 4,164 acres; the mapped perimeter has been updated 8 times since the fire began.
No satellite heat detections matched to this incident in the last 24 hours (last one Jul 17, 2026, 08:03 UTC).
It was last present in the feed Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 UTC; the largest size reported was 6,000 acres. This page stays up as a record of the incident.
Little Knife 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
- 4,815 acres
- Containment
- 100%
- Status
- Not in feed (last seen Sep 18, 2026)
- Discovered
- Jul 15, 2026
- Location
- Lake County, Minnesota
- Origin point
- 48.1611, -91.1048
- Peak reported size
- 6,000 acres
- Perimeter mapped
- Aug 27, 2026 (36 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).
- Ely, MN
- Grand Marais, MN
- Babbitt, MN
Other fires nearby
Little Knife 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 Jul 15, 2026, 15:00 UTC).
| Day (UTC) | Reported size | Change | Contained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 17, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 16, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 15, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 14, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 13, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 12, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 10, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 3, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 95% |
| Aug 25, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 24, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 20, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 19, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 18, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | 90% |
| Aug 16, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 14, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 13, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 12, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 11, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 10, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 9, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 8, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 6, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 5, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 4, 2026 | 4,815 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 3, 2026 | 4,815 acres | −143 | — |
| Aug 2, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 1, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 31, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 30, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 29, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 28, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 27, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 26, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 25, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 24, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 23, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 22, 2026 | 4,958 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 21, 2026 | 4,958 acres | −1,042 | — |
| Jul 20, 2026 | 6,000 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 19, 2026 | 6,000 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 6,000 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | 6,000 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | 6,000 acres | 0 | — |
| Jul 15, 2026 | 6,000 acres | — | — |
Get an email when a new fire starts near you
Free. One email per new fire within the distance you choose of the address you pick. Unsubscribe with one click. Not an emergency service — always follow local authorities.
Responsible for more than a few addresses?
FireRiskHere Watch monitors a whole portfolio — rentals, an HOA, a book of business — and alerts you by distance when a new fire is reported.
Little Knife Fire questions, answered from the data
How big is the Little Knife Fire?
As of Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 UTC, the Little Knife Fire is reported at 4,815 acres (peak reported size 6,000 acres). No change in reported size or containment since Sep 17, 2026, 21:00 UTC.
Is the Little Knife Fire contained?
Yes — the Little Knife Fire was reported 100% contained as of Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 UTC. Containment means a control line surrounds the fire; interior areas can keep burning for days.
Where is the Little Knife Fire?
The reported point of origin is at 48.1611, -91.1048 in Lake County, Minnesota. Nearest towns: Ely (39 mi SW), Grand Marais (46 mi SE), Babbitt (50 mi SW). The map on this page shows the most recent mapped perimeter.
Is the Little Knife Fire still burning?
It is no longer in the federal active-fire feed; it was last listed Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 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 Little Knife Fire?
The Little Knife Fire was first listed in the federal feed Jul 15, 2026, 15:00 UTC (reported discovery date Jul 15, 2026). It was last listed Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 UTC, after peaking at 6,000 acres. The timeline table on this page shows the size and containment reported each UTC day across 57 days of archive.
Where do I find evacuation orders for the Little Knife Fire?
From the county sheriff and local emergency management, not from this site. Check the official Minnesota sources on our Minnesota 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 Sep 18, 2026, 21:00 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 →