South Dakota · Active · 698 acres
Rancher Fire, South Dakota
698
Acres reported
75%
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 Rancher Fire is listed as active at 698 acres, 75% contained, in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota.
No change in reported size or containment since Aug 17, 2026, 09:00 UTC.
The most recent mapped perimeter (Aug 16, 2026, 16:13 UTC) covers 1,000 acres; the mapped perimeter has been updated 2 times since the fire began.
No satellite heat detections matched to this incident in the last 24 hours (last one Aug 12, 2026, 02:24 UTC).
Rancher 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
- 698 acres
- Containment
- 75%
- Status
- Active
- Discovered
- Aug 12, 2026
- Location
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota
- Origin point
- 43.3196, -102.3367
- Peak reported size
- 1,000 acres
- Perimeter mapped
- Aug 16, 2026 (41 hours 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).
- Porcupine, SD
- Oglala, SD
- Pine Ridge, SD
- Martin, SD
- Gordon, NE
Other fires nearby
- Candle Fire
- Phahin Fire
- Redwood Fire
- Deckert Fire
- Camel Back Fire
- Mato Zi Fire
- Potato Creek Fire
- XU Hill Fire
Rancher Fire daily history
The largest size and containment reported each UTC day, from our 15-minute archive of the federal feed (first seen Aug 12, 2026, 03:30 UTC).
| Day (UTC) | Reported size | Change | Contained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2026 | 698 acres | 0 | 75% |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 698 acres | 0 | 75% |
| Aug 16, 2026 | 698 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 | 698 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 14, 2026 | 698 acres | −302 | — |
| Aug 13, 2026 | 1,000 acres | 0 | — |
| Aug 12, 2026 | 1,000 acres | — | — |
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Rancher Fire questions, answered from the data
How big is the Rancher Fire?
As of Aug 18, 2026, 09:15 UTC, the Rancher Fire is reported at 698 acres (peak reported size 1,000 acres). No change in reported size or containment since Aug 17, 2026, 09:00 UTC.
Is the Rancher Fire contained?
Not fully. It was 75% 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 Rancher Fire?
The reported point of origin is at 43.3196, -102.3367 in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. Nearest towns: Porcupine (5.5 mi S), Oglala (22 mi SW), Pine Ridge (23 mi SW). The map on this page shows the most recent mapped perimeter.
Is the Rancher 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 Rancher 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 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 →