North America Wildfire Brief – July 29, 2026
2026-07-29 · Canada & United States · Updated Jul 29, 2026, 8:56 PM UTC
Earth Signals is currently tracking 1,414 active wildfires across Canada and the United States. During the past 24 hours, 12 new incidents were reported while 15 fires experienced significant growth. The largest increases occurred in Oregon, South Dakota, and Saskatchewan. Notable movers include Bald Mountain, FOX, and 0445 CROSSWHITE. Smoke remains widespread across portions of western Canada and the northwestern United States.
Notable size increases (≈24h)
Largest acreage gains versus the last archived size sample from about a day ago (or the earliest sample for younger fires).
| Fire | Place | Size | 24h Δ | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bald Mountain | Oregon, United States | 76,099 ac | +43,962 (+137%) | Active |
| FOX | Oregon, United States | 59,093 ac | +11,298 (+24%) | Active |
| 0445 CROSSWHITE | Oregon, United States | 174,969 ac | +9,086 (+5%) | Active |
| Potato Creek | South Dakota, United States | 8,958 ac | +8,758 (+4,379%) | Uncontained |
| SK 26BN-DIGBEE | Saskatchewan, Canada | 13,393 ac | +6,526 (+95%) | Out of Control |
| Coleman Creek | Oregon, United States | 146,293 ac | +6,293 (+4%) | Extreme |
| Second Flat | Oregon, United States | 92,443 ac | +5,939 (+7%) | Active |
| Widemouth 2 | Utah, United States | 5,913 ac | +5,413 (+1,083%) | Active |
| 0567 LITTLE BUCK | Oregon, United States | 36,025 ac | +5,346 (+17%) | Active |
| Jackass Butte | Oregon, United States | 23,643 ac | +5,104 (+28%) | Active |
| Bench | Oregon, United States | 45,119 ac | +4,823 (+12%) | Active |
| Silvertip | Montana, United States | 4,126 ac | +3,732 (+947%) | Active |
| PTARMIGAN | Washington, United States | 14,000 ac | +3,213 (+30%) | Active |
| 0587 SHINGLE | Oregon, United States | 63,253 ac | +2,476 (+4%) | Active |
| QUAIL SPRINGS | Nevada, United States | 13,500 ac | +2,407 (+22%) | Active |
Newly reported (last 24h)
Incidents with a discovery/start time in the last day.
| Fire | Place | Size | 24h Δ | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAC-266670 | California, United States | less than 1 acre | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| ESTRELLA | California, United States | less than 1 acre | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Ulmhurst - Custer | Montana, United States | 2 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Union 148 | Arkansas, United States | 1 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| SANDY | Washington, United States | less than 1 acre | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Banjo | North Dakota, United States | 6 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| CDF | Montana, United States | less than 1 acre | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Bonneville County Assist 5 | Idaho, United States | 1 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Clark 130 | Arkansas, United States | 1 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Lumpjaw - Custer | Montana, United States | 2 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| 4th | California, United States | less than 1 acre | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
| Crow Rock - Custer | Montana, United States | 150 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Uncontained |
Largest active fires
Top incidents by reported acres among currently tracked fires.
| Fire | Place | Size | 24h Δ | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ON THU_FIRE_036 | Ontario, Canada | 775,737 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
| NT ZF018-26 | Northwest Territories, Canada | 450,621 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
| NT ZF015-26 | Northwest Territories, Canada | 366,961 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
| BIG GRASS | Oregon, United States | 280,000 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Active |
| NT ZF017-26 | Northwest Territories, Canada | 274,287 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
| QC 284 | Quebec, Canada | 267,727 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Under Control |
| NT FS027-26 | Northwest Territories, Canada | 219,078 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
| NT ZF012-26 | Northwest Territories, Canada | 194,276 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
| 0445 CROSSWHITE | Oregon, United States | 174,969 ac | +9,086 (+5%) | Active |
| BC Pear Lake | British Columbia, Canada | 165,242 ac | ≈0 (0%) | Out of Control |
Notable decreases
Fires whose reported size fell by roughly 50+ acres versus the 24h baseline (mapping/revision artifacts can appear here too).
| Fire | Place | Size | 24h Δ | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAT | Oregon, United States | 42,000 ac | -500 (-1%) | Active |
| Island | Arizona, United States | 3,145 ac | -73 (-2%) | Minimal |
Previous briefs
Yesterday’s Brief · July 28, 2026