Montana · incident record
Windmill Fire, Montana
4,253
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 24, 2026, 16:01 UTC, the Windmill Fire is no longer listed in the federal active-fire feed at 4,253 acres, 100% contained, in Stillwater County, Montana.
No change in reported size or containment since Sep 23, 2026, 16:00 UTC.
The most recent mapped perimeter (Aug 23, 2026, 00:56 UTC) covers 4,253 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 Aug 22, 2026, 09:16 UTC).
It was last present in the feed Sep 24, 2026, 16:01 UTC; the largest size reported was 4,253 acres. This page stays up as a record of the incident.
Windmill 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
- 4,253 acres
- Containment
- 100%
- Status
- Not in feed (last seen Sep 24, 2026)
- Discovered
- Aug 19, 2026
- Location
- Stillwater County, Montana
- Origin point
- 45.8358, -109.5235
- Perimeter mapped
- Aug 23, 2026 (42 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).
- Columbus, MT
- Big Timber, MT
- Absarokee, MT
- Laurel, MT
- Billings, MT
Other fires nearby
- Sunlight Creek Fire
- Abandoned Campfire 1493 Fire
Windmill 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 19, 2026, 22:15 UTC).
| Day (UTC) | Reported size | Change | Contained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 23, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 22, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 21, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 19, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 18, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 17, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 16, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 15, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 14, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 13, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 12, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 10, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Sep 3, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Aug 25, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Aug 24, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 100% |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 4,253 acres | 0 | 72% |
| Aug 22, 2026 | 4,253 acres | +953 | 57% |
| Aug 21, 2026 | 3,300 acres | +300 | 1% |
| Aug 20, 2026 | 3,000 acres | +2,000 | 1% |
| Aug 19, 2026 | 1,000 acres | — | 0% |
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Windmill Fire questions, answered from the data
How big is the Windmill Fire?
As of Sep 24, 2026, 16:01 UTC, the Windmill Fire is reported at 4,253 acres. No change in reported size or containment since Sep 23, 2026, 16:00 UTC.
Is the Windmill Fire contained?
Yes — the Windmill Fire was reported 100% contained as of Sep 24, 2026, 16:01 UTC. Containment means a control line surrounds the fire; interior areas can keep burning for days.
Where is the Windmill Fire?
The reported point of origin is at 45.8358, -109.5235 in Stillwater County, Montana. Nearest towns: Columbus (19 mi SE), Big Timber (21 mi W), Absarokee (22 mi S). The map on this page shows the most recent mapped perimeter.
Is the Windmill Fire still burning?
It is no longer in the federal active-fire feed; it was last listed Sep 24, 2026, 16:01 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 Windmill Fire?
The Windmill Fire was first listed in the federal feed Aug 19, 2026, 22:15 UTC (reported discovery date Aug 19, 2026). It was last listed Sep 24, 2026, 16:01 UTC, after peaking at 4,253 acres. The timeline table on this page shows the size and containment reported each UTC day across 28 days of archive.
Where do I find evacuation orders for the Windmill 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 Sep 24, 2026, 16:01 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 →