South Dakota · Active · 6,018 acres
Needles Fire, South Dakota
6,018
Acres reported
30%
Contained
+5,058
Acres since yesterday
Last updated · refreshed every 15 minutes from the NIFC WFIGS feed · awareness only — follow local authorities
Update ·
As of Sep 6, 2026, 08:45 UTC, the Needles Fire is listed as active at 6,018 acres, 30% contained, in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
Since Sep 5, 2026, 08:45 UTC: +5,058 acres, containment +30 pts.
The most recent mapped perimeter (Sep 6, 2026, 01:29 UTC) covers 1.0 acres; the mapped perimeter has been updated 2 times since the fire began.
Satellites (VIIRS/MODIS) registered 60 heat detections matched to this incident in the last 24 hours, the latest at Sep 5, 2026, 19:38 UTC.
Needles Fire map
The most recent mapped perimeter, with the reported point of origin.
Latest 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
- 6,018 acres
- Containment
- 30%
- Status
- Active
- Discovered
- Sep 4, 2026
- Location
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota
- Origin point
- 43.3042, -102.3111
- Perimeter mapped
- Sep 6, 2026 (7 hours ago)
- Satellite heat, 24 h
- 60 detections
Nearest towns
Distances are from the reported point of origin, not from the fire’s edge (see the perimeter map for the current extent).
- Porcupine, SD
- Pine Ridge, SD
- Oglala, SD
- Martin, SD
- Gordon, NE
Other fires nearby
- Candle Fire
- Event Fire
- Rancher Fire
- Redwood Fire
- Osni Fire
- XU Hill Fire
Needles 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 Sep 4, 2026, 18:00 UTC).
| Day (UTC) | Reported size | Change | Contained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2026 | 6,018 acres | +5,058 | 30% |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 960 acres | 0 | 0% |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 960 acres | — | 0% |
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Needles Fire questions, answered from the data
How big is the Needles Fire?
As of Sep 6, 2026, 08:45 UTC, the Needles Fire is reported at 6,018 acres. Since Sep 5, 2026, 08:45 UTC: +5,058 acres, containment +30 pts.
Is the Needles Fire contained?
Not fully. It was 30% contained as of Sep 6, 2026, 08:45 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 Needles Fire?
The reported point of origin is at 43.3042, -102.3111 in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. Nearest towns: Porcupine (4.5 mi S), Pine Ridge (23 mi SW), Oglala (23 mi W). The map on this page shows the most recent mapped perimeter.
Is the Needles Fire still burning?
The federal feed still lists it as active as of Sep 6, 2026, 08:45 UTC, and satellites registered 60 heat detections matched to it in the last 24 hours.
What is the timeline of the Needles Fire?
The Needles Fire was first listed in the federal feed Sep 4, 2026, 18:00 UTC (reported discovery date Sep 4, 2026). As of Sep 6, 2026, 08:45 UTC it is still listed at 6,018 acres, 30% contained. The timeline table on this page shows the size and containment reported each UTC day across 3 days of archive.
Where do I find evacuation orders for the Needles Fire?
From the county sheriff and local emergency management, not from this site. Check the official South Dakota sources on our South Dakota 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 6, 2026, 08:45 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 →