"The fire’s rapid growth to 444 acres within 24 hours and the deployment of up to 170 personnel highlight the significant resources required for containment, underscoring the importance of effective wildfire management in the region."
The Lookout wildfire, located in Lawrence County, South Dakota, was first discovered on September 7, 2026, and is caused by human activity. The fire rapidly expanded from 40 acres to 444 acres by September 8, and remained at that size through September 13. Containment progressed from 0% on September 8 to 29% on September 9, 71% on September 10, and finally 100% on September 13, with personnel ranging from 157 to 35 across the timeline. The fire behavior shifted from moderate, backing, and creeping to minimal, smoldering, backing, and creeping as containment increased. The incident was fully contained by September 13, with an estimated cost of $1,152,361.
Official source description: 1 Miles N from Spearfish, SD
Minimal; Smoldering; Backing; Creeping
Current air quality readings are unavailable for this incident. Older readings are not shown as current conditions.
Check current air quality on AirNow.gov →The fire is now fully contained and exhibiting minimal behavior; standard wildfire safety precautions remain advised for the surrounding area.
IRWIN ID: {8A700997-CF9B-40C9-923B-D824F9C07320}
Discovered: Sep 7, 2026
Cause: Human
Est. Cost to Date: $1,152,361
Coordinates: 44.5134, -103.8591
Other wildfires no longer present in our filtered incident feed in SD.
The Lookout Fire has burned 444 acres as of September 13, 2026.
Yes, the Lookout Fire is fully contained (100%).
The official cause has been listed as: Human.
The Lookout Fire is burning in Lawrence, SD.
The Lookout Fire is no longer in our filtered incident feed. This alone does not confirm extinguishment.
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