South Dakota wildfires today: fire map & active fires
Every active wildfire in South Dakota from official fire reports — size, containment and last update — plus red flag warnings and this year's fire season numbers.
Active fires in South Dakota
Fire weather alerts in South Dakota
South Dakota fire season 2026 so far
Wildfires per month, 2026
Busiest month so far: July. Current month is still in progress.
Counties with the most wildfires
| Oglala Lakota | 123 fires |
| Todd | 89 fires |
| Pennington | 65 fires |
| Dewey | 61 fires |
| Custer | 61 fires |
| Buffalo | 50 fires |
| Lawrence | 47 fires |
Wildfires only, prescribed burns excluded · NIFC WFIGS · data updated 2026-10-01
Largest South Dakota wildfires in 2026
| Fire | Acres | Contained | County | Discovered | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato Creek | 10,944 | 100% | Jackson | 2026-07-27 | Natural |
| Qury | 9,168 | 100% | Custer | 2026-03-12 | Human |
| Needles | 6,018 | 100% | Oglala Lakota | 2026-09-04 | Natural |
| 79 | 5,408 | 100% | Custer | 2026-04-11 | Undetermined |
| Taber Rec | 4,000 | 100% | Bon Homme | 2026-04-22 | Undetermined |
| Bauman | 3,178 | 100% | Jackson | 2026-04-23 | Natural |
| Thomas Ranch Fire | 1,800 | 100% | Sully | 2026-04-22 | Undetermined |
| Xu Hill | 1,297 | 100% | Oglala Lakota | 2026-08-11 | Natural |
Size is the latest reported size. Cause as recorded by the reporting agency; many causes stay "undetermined" until an investigation closes.
How to follow a fire in South Dakota
The map above shows every wildfire in South Dakota that is still in the national incident system — new starts often appear within hours, large fires are updated at least daily. Red dots are fires under 50% contained; grey ones are fully contained but not yet declared out.
For evacuation orders, follow your county sheriff or emergency management office and sign up for your county's emergency alerts: fire agencies report the fire, counties order evacuations. Red flag warnings from the National Weather Service mean the weather — wind, low humidity, dry fuel — can make any new fire spread fast.
See also: fires near me · smoke and air quality · evacuation checklist · national wildfire map.
Questions
How many wildfires are burning in South Dakota right now?
The live list at the top of this page counts every wildfire in South Dakota that is currently in the national incident system, and how many are still under 50% contained. It updates each time you load the page.
How many acres have burned in South Dakota in 2026?
59,411 acres from 690 wildfires reported between January 1 and October 1, 2026, compared with 56,306 acres over the same period of 2025.
What was the largest wildfire in South Dakota this year?
The Potato Creek Fire in Jackson County, at 10,944 acres by its latest reported size.
What causes most wildfires in South Dakota?
Of this year's reported wildfires in South Dakota, 59% are recorded as human-caused and 17% as natural (mostly lightning); the rest are undetermined or still under investigation.
Track South Dakota fires on your iPhone
Save your home and family's addresses, see how far the nearest active fire is and which way the wind is pushing it, and get alerts only for fires that are actually active.