WILDFIRE6,018 ACRES

Needles Fire, South Dakota

Latest size
Map: Needles Fire, South Dakota

The Needles Fire burned in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, about 2 miles (3 km) east of Evergreen Community, South Dakota. NASA began tracking it on September 4, 2026. Its latest size is 6,018 acres (2,435 hectares, 24 km²), about 41 percent the size of Manhattan, or about 4,559 American football fields. NASA stopped tracking it after September 4.

Size6,018 acres
Hectares2,435 ha
Area24.4 km² · 9.4 mi²
Contained100%
Personnel14
CauseNatural
DiscoveredSep 4, 2026
Main fuelGrass
Tracked sinceSep 4, 2026
Tracked for1 day
Location43.33°N 102.32°W
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Containment and crews

According to the national interagency fire record, it is 100 percent contained, fully under control, with 14 firefighters and support staff assigned.

Its cause is listed as natural.

Fire behavior reported: minimal.

It was fully contained on September 17, 2026.

The orange outline on the map is the fire’s mapped perimeter.

Seen from space

Satellite picture, When tracking began · September 4, 2026
When tracking began · September 4, 2026
Satellite picture, Latest · September 17, 2026
Latest · September 17, 2026

True color from the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-20 satellite. Red dots are fires detected by their heat; smoke shows as gray-brown haze. The ring marks where the event was reported. Pictures: NASA Worldview (GIBS) from the daily satellite passes; clouds can hide the ground on some days.

Did you know?

The red slurry. Fire retardant dropped from planes is mostly water and fertilizer salts, dyed red so pilots can see where it landed.

Fire size and location from NASA EONET and the National Interagency Fire Center’s incident records (IRWIN, WFIGS). For evacuations and closures, follow local officials and InciWeb.

More: every wildfire page · all events

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