Feed checks and source-record updates do not necessarily mean fire conditions changed. Figures below reflect the last recorded incident report.
The last recorded incident change is more than 14 days old or undated. Historical fire behavior and summaries below are not confirmation of current conditions.
Automated summary generated: Sep 18, 2026 03:38 UTC. It may lag behind the report and is not an official alert.
The Needles wildfire, located in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, was first discovered on September 4, 2026, and is caused by natural factors under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The fire rapidly expanded from 960 acres to 6,017.81 acres by September 6, with extreme behavior and 30% containment, supported by 130 personnel. Over the following week, containment improved steadily—reaching 45% on September 7, 60% on September 8, 70% on September 9, and 90% on September 10—while personnel numbers decreased to 30 and fire behavior shifted to moderate and then minimal. By September 17, the fire was fully contained at 100% with only 14 personnel remaining on the scene.
Official source description: 2 Miles E from Evergreen Community, SD
Minimal
Historical observations from incident reports, not a live forecast. Acreage and containment can decrease when agencies correct their estimates.
9
960 acres
6,018 acres
Latest available source report: Sep 17, 2026 20:40 UTC. This is the report date, not confirmation of current fire conditions.
Reported acreage increased by 5,058 acres between the first and last available acreage measurements. Recorded containment rose by 100.0 percentage points, from 0.0% (Sep 4, 2026) to 100.0% (Sep 17, 2026), using the first and last reports with a known containment value.
| Report date (UTC) | Acres | Containment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 22:20 | 960 | Not reported | NIFC |
| Sep 4, 2026 23:40 | 960 | 0.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 6, 2026 00:40 | 4,000 | 30.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 6, 2026 02:20 | 6,018 | 30.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 7, 2026 22:00 | 6,018 | 45.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 8, 2026 21:40 | 6,018 | 60.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 9, 2026 22:40 | 6,018 | 70.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 10, 2026 22:40 | 6,018 | 90.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 17, 2026 20:40 | 6,018 | 100.0% | NIFC |
| Report date (UTC) | Acres | Containment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 22:20 | 960 | Not reported | NIFC |
| Sep 4, 2026 23:40 | 960 | 0.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 6, 2026 00:40 | 4,000 | 30.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 6, 2026 02:20 | 6,018 | 30.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 7, 2026 22:00 | 6,018 | 45.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 8, 2026 21:40 | 6,018 | 60.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 9, 2026 22:40 | 6,018 | 70.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 10, 2026 22:40 | 6,018 | 90.0% | NIFC |
| Sep 17, 2026 20:40 | 6,018 | 100.0% | NIFC |
Current air quality readings are unavailable for this incident. Older readings are not shown as current conditions.
Check current air quality on AirNow.gov →Any automated community or travel summary below may be outdated. It is not a live evacuation or road-closure notice.
Verify evacuation orders, closures and access with the responsible fire agency, county emergency management or sheriff. A containment percentage, feed status or AQI reading does not establish that an area is safe to enter.
NIFC fire information and official resources →IRWIN ID: {314675BC-6F21-45C8-AA0F-CC6BC86F744C}
Discovered: Sep 4, 2026
Cause: Natural
Managing Agency: BIA
Est. Cost to Date: $500,000
Coordinates: 43.3042, -102.3111
Other wildfires no longer present in our filtered incident feed in SD.
The Needles Fire has burned 6,018 acres as of September 17, 2026.
Yes, the Needles Fire is fully contained (100%).
The official cause has been listed as: Natural.
The Needles Fire is burning in Oglala Lakota, SD.
The Needles Fire is no longer in our filtered incident feed. This alone does not confirm extinguishment.
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