Major Fire Growth across the Pacific Northwest – 8/2/2026

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Pacific Northwest Morning Report: Fire-By-Fire Breakdown

Recorded August 2, 2026

This morning’s Lookout briefing walks through an intense and rapidly evolving fire situation across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Watch the full livestream, below, or scroll down for a written version, with static maps, organized fire-by-fire.

 

Washington Fires

Spokane Area Fires: Autumn Lane, Old Trails, and Market Fires

Three major fires have caused heavy structure loss in and near Spokane:

3 fires burning into communities around Spokane. Mapping as of about 2am, 8/2/2026.

Old Trails Fire

  • Ran about five miles.
  • Overnight mapping showed no huge new perimeter growth, but:
    • Continued activity within neighborhoods.
    • Quite a few structures are inside the existing footprint.

Autumn Lane Fire

  • Detailed mapping not yet available; heat satellites now show:
    • The fire jumped the river.
    • It burned at least as much ground on the far side as on the original side.
  • Impacts
    • A lot of structure loss along the river, and significant loss overall.
    • On the far (Lookout Mountain) side, terrain is sparser with fewer structures, reducing structural impact there.

Market Fire

  • Burned about three miles.
  • Impacts
    • Did burn structures, but, given proximity to the city, it ran through one of the least populated corridors available.
    • In that sense, Spokane dodged a worst-case scenario for this particular ignition.

Overall Spokane Picture

  • At least three significant fires in Spokane proper or very close to it.
  • Confirmed: there has been substantial structure loss.
  • Unknown: total damage—precise numbers and assessments are not yet available.

Sinlahaken Fire (near Tonasket, WA)

Sinlahekin Fire- heat as of 2am, 8/2/2026

The Sinlahaken Fire has had another explosive run:

  • Growth & Spread
    • Burned down to Tonasket and along the river.
    • Significant expansion between 8 p.m. and about 3 a.m., especially on the south and southeast flanks.
    • The area shown in yellow on prior maps represents growth from yesterday; red areas burned last night.
  • Current Concerns
    • Some heat signatures appear right up into town, and may indicate fire either in or very close to Tonasket.
    • With north to northwest winds expected, the fire is likely to continue running toward Riverside if it hasn’t already.
  • Context
    • This is light fuels/grass country, which lets fire move very quickly when wind and weather line up.
    • Sinlahaken still has plenty of room to run; nothing major in the recent fire history is going to stop it quickly.
    • Slightly higher humidity overnight and in the morning helps inhibit fire spread in dead grass, but these fuels dry quickly once the sun is out.

Little Giant Fire (Chelan / Manson area)

The Little Giant Fire also had a major run:

Little Giant Fire – heat as of 2am, 8/2/2026
  • Recent Behavior
    • Jumped Lake Chelan yesterday evening.
    • Ran at least 10 miles toward Manson with no new official perimeter mapping yet from the National Fire Center—current intel is based on infrared satellite.
  • Landscape & Limits
    • This is classic “large fire country” in eastern Washington, with a long history of big burns (Tripod and others since the 1990s).
    • The fire will fill in unburned areas between older burn scars. Older (1990s) burns will slow, but not stop, the fire.
  • Outlook
    • Little Giant still has room to run given fuels and history.
    • Expect continued spread until it bumps into more recent burns or weather shifts substantially.

Kaiser Canyon Fire

The Kaiser Canyon Fire is comparatively quiet:

  • Recent Activity
    • Minimal spread overnight.
    • Much of the available fuel in its immediate footprint has already been burned.
  • Outlook
    • While still active, it is not the main driver of regional concern compared to Sinlahaken, Little Giant, and Mod Wright.

Modrite, Miter Rock, and Hudspeth Fires (Near Spokane Reservation)

  • Growth & Location
    • Substantial growth to the NW, with some spots over the Columbia River.
    • Burning on Colville tribal lands that are part of forest carbon investment projects.
    • The fire is a double-whammy. The tribe stands to lose future forest harvest volumes, and also, the ability to sell carbon storage. Carbon banking has become a major part of the financial model for these forests.
  • Priorities
    • The area is less dense in structures, which makes it a relatively lower suppression priority compared to fires directly threatening towns.
    • Terrain is tough to access, further complicating firefighting operations.
  • Outlook
    • Modrite has room to run, particularly backing into the wind on the northwest side.
    • Expect continued growth unless weather or large-scale tactics change the picture.

Two new fires — Miter Rock and Hudspeth — are emerging concerns:

  • Location & Spread
    • Both are burning near the Spokane Reservation, possibly partially on it.
    • Miter Rock appears to be on both sides of the Columbia River, with west winds driving it.
    • Hudspeth similarly has room to spread southeast.
  • Constraints
    • Both are in a landscape partially surrounded by the 11‑year‑old Carpenter Road burn, which may slow their spread but is unlikely to stop them outright.
  • Threats
    • Significant growth potential toward the Spokane Reservation and toward Spokane proper, though they are still a long way from Spokane at this time.
Modrite and new fires on Columbia River

Ptarmigan Fire (Northern Washington, near the border)

  • Recent Behavior
    • Little movement compared to the more active fires.
    • Continued to burn but did not exhibit the kind of extreme runs seen at Sinlahekin or Little Giant.
  • Outlook
    • Remains on the radar, but not currently among the highest‑impact incidents.

Oregon Fires

Grasshopper Fire (between Mount Hood, Pine Hollow, and Tygh Valley)

Grasshopper – mapping in red line is from evening of 8/1/2026

The Grasshopper Fire remains a major player:

  • Behavior
    • Put up a very impressive column yesterday.
    • Grew steadily back into the wind—fuel is primarily on the north side.
    • The southern side is described as “pretty much cold” for now.
  • Spread Potential
    • The fire has continuous fuels to the north, so it will likely continue to “gobble” what it wants in that direction.
  • Outlook
    • Expect ongoing growth toward communities like Friend and Kingsley, where it has already spotted.

Round Butte Fire (near Butte, OR)

The Round Butte Fire appears to be nearing the end of its run:

  • Recent Behavior
    • It ran into rangelands/“Eglands” and looked largely “done” by last night’s review.
  • Operational Context
    • With resources stretched thin, incident commanders must balance:
      • Initial attack on new starts (often higher priority).
      • Extended attack on large existing fires.
  • Outlook
    • Ground Butte is unlikely to become a major long-term factor if current trends hold.

Brewer/Box Springs/Rowe Creek West Zone

The fire had a big run of about 10,000 acres on the SE side, but is still within an operational “box”:

Fire ran to the SE, but has not crossed the mixed line (–M–M–) on map which is the potential indirect control line.
  • Behavior
    • Made a substantial run in a “crotch” of the existing fire.
    • Grew on the order of 9,000–10,000 acres yesterday.
  • Containment Strategy
    • Crews are working an indirect containment box from Highway 26 back to Mill Creek.
    • As of the last mapping, it had not jumped that box.
    • Problems on the south end, where line had previously failed, did not worsen—no new spread visible there overnight.
  • Outlook
    • If they can hold the box for a couple more days, there’s a realistic shot at keeping this fire mostly within planned lines, even with yesterday’s large growth.

Second Flat Fire

Second Flat Fire, near Burns had no major spread.
  • Status
    • Held its perimeter yesterday.
    • Did not threaten Burns as feared.
  • Outlook
    • Still monitored, but currently behaving within expectations and not a leading concern.

Coleman Creek Fire

The Coleman Creek Fire is running into natural barriers on the SE flank, and spread less than we expected.

Coleman Creek Fire, mapping from night of 8/1-8/2/2026
  • Behavior
    • Ran a mile or two yesterday, adding several thousand acres (roughly 6,000).
    • Pushed out toward Lake Owyhee.
  • Terrain Influence
    • Burning in broken, rocky canyon country—“hoodoo, rocky canyon” terrain.
    • Geography is helping to constrain its spread.
  • Outlook
    • While still adding acreage, the terrain is working in firefighters’ favor compared to the big grass and shrubland runs elsewhere.

Big Grass Fire

The Big Grass Fire is a classic fast‑moving desert grass fire, and pushing out into SW Idaho. Now over 300,000 acres (about 500 square miles).

Big Grass Fire, growth as of morning of 8/2/2026
  • Behavior
    • Put out big “fingers” of fire—described as “claws of a grizzly bear”.
    • Rough estimate is that it added 20,000+ acres.
  • Outlook
    • With large, continuous grass fuels, it can continue to make long, rapid runs when winds and humidity line up.

Fox Fire – east of Baker City, on Snake River

  • Recent Activity
    • Not much new growth reported.
  • Outlook
    • Important as a landscape reference point, but not among the fastest-moving incidents right now.

Hagen Fire

The Hagen Fire continues to grow steadily:

Hagen Fire, east of Pendleton, Oregon.
  • Behavior
    • Keeps adding a little bit of growth every day, in multiple directions.
    • Shows “no willingness to work with firefighters”—meaning it resists containment efforts piece by piece.
  • Threats
    • Starting to come over the top of the ridge, and may now pose more of a threat to Somerville and Imbler.
  • Priority
    • With more populated areas threatened elsewhere, Hagen is a lower priority for scarce resources.

Paradise Fire (near Walla Walla, WA/OR border area)

The Paradise Fire is a quiet but persistent threat:

  • Behavior
    • Continues to creep and grow, bit by bit.
  • Terrain Challenges
    • The landscape—broken drainages and complex topography—is notoriously hard for building continuous line.
    • This area has a history of “befuddling” firefighters.
  • Outlook
    • A “sleeper” fire that remains very much awake, and likely to continue its slow expansion.

Shingle Fire – West of John Day, Oregon

The Shingle Fire is working its way south toward a narrow gap between two recent burns:

Shingle Fire and recent 20204 fires in blue
  • Behavior
    • Trying to “thread the needle” between two two‑year‑old burn scars to move south.
    • Growth is slowed by those scars, but the fire is still advancing.
  • Operations
    • Evidence suggests firefighters may be firing along a road system to strengthen control lines:
      • A concentration of heat dots along the road could indicate a firing operation.
      • Some heat is showing beyond the road, meaning the fire is established past that line.
    • Latest infrared mapping may not have fully imaged the fire, but existing heat dots confirm ongoing progression.
  • Outlook
    • Most of Shingle is effectively contained or boxed in, aside from the bottom corner, which remains the main area of spread.

Idaho / Oregon Border: Tartar Fire (threatening Weiser/Weezer)

The Tartar Fire is one of the most alarming recent developments:

Tartar Fire ran 20 miles yesterday evening toward Weiser, Idaho, where it impacted structures along US Route 95.
  • Recent Behavior
    • After a relatively quiet period, it made a “screaming run”—about 20 miles in a day down toward Weiser.
    • That run is unusually long for a fire burning mainly in rangeland.
  • Impacts
    • Now threatening Weiser, a well‑populated town.
    • The fire has crossed Highway 95, moving into flats north of town.
    • Many residents live on irrigated alfalfa and agricultural lands, which:
      • May help protect the core of the town itself.
      • But still leaves many parcels inside the larger perimeter vulnerable to loss.
  • Operational Reality
    • When many cities (e.g., Spokane) are under threat, resources flow to where lives and structures are at greatest risk.
    • Large stretches of remote grass and shrub far from towns will likely not get heavy suppression resources.
  • Outlook
    • It’s not unlikely that Tartar will burn much of the rangeland out to the Fox Fire and Snake River (see map above), especially in areas with few or no residents.
    • Near Weiser, expect intense firefighting activity in the coming days, driven by:
      • Very dry conditions.
      • Low relative humidity (dropping into the teens).
      • Continued northwest winds.

Weather, Fire Behavior, and What Comes Next

Across the Pacific Northwest, we’re dealing with a complex fire weather pattern:

  • Cold Front Effects
    • Temperatures have dropped significantly:
      • Spokane: from 90s yesterday to around 54°F in the morning, with a forecast high of 78°F.
    • Despite cooler temps, relative humidity remains critically low (around 24%).
  • Winds
    • From noon to sunset, expect strong westerly winds again.
    • This is bad news for fire growth, especially on open flanks of large incidents.
  • Eastern Oregon & Weiser Region
    • Eastern Oregon is heading into triple‑digit temperatures (around 101°F) with RH as low as 7% later in the week.
    • Winds will be less extreme than yesterday but still a problem.
    • Around Weiser, humidity will dip into the teens, with continued northwest winds—conditions that favor continued spread of the Tartar Fire.

Fire Literacy and Home Preparedness

A common thread on all of these large fires is that firefighters become overwhelmed when major fire outbreaks are ongoing:

  • When multiple cities and towns are under threat, no agency can defend every structure.
  • Your home may need to be able to stand alone when fire comes through.

Key preparedness themes from The Lookout:

  • Architecture & Defensible Design
    • Build and retrofit so your house is less “appetizing” to fire:
      • Non‑combustible roofs and siding.
      • Clean gutters, ember‑resistant vents, and hardened windows.
  • DIY Wildfire Sprinkler Systems
    • Having your own pump, water source, and sprinkler setup can make a real difference, especially when:
      • Firefighters are stretched thin.
      • You’re in an area likely to be triaged or left to burn through.
  • Ongoing Education
    • The Lookout’s mission is to improve fire literacy, helping people become proficient in:
      • Understanding fire behavior and weather.
      • Reading maps, infrared, and satellite heat signatures.
      • Making informed decisions about risk and preparation.

If you’re affected by these fires, we’re thinking of you. Much of the West has already been through similar events, and sadly, this is something we’re all having to learn to live with and prepare for. If you want to learn more about wildfire, dig into the resources on the-lookout.org.