South Fork Fire

Sioux County, Nebraska · Wildfire

Contained Official numbers updated Aug 29, 2026 (about 3 hours ago)
First reported about 3 months ago
Metric Now
Size
39,696 acres
Aug 29, 8:00 PM
Containment
100%
Aug 29, 8:00 PM
Crew size
61
Aug 29, 8:00 PM
Money spent
$12.5M
Aug 29, 8:00 PM

South Fork Fire and other nearby fires

🔥 Where this fire started Mostly contained Partly contained Containment not reported

Drag or zoom the map to see more fires in the area.

South Fork Fire summary

The South Fork Fire is a wildfire near Sioux County, Nebraska. It has burned about 39,696 acres (about 30,000 football fields). Crews have it fully contained, with a line all the way around it. It was first reported about 3 months ago. About 61 people are on it, run by a Type 3 IC. We're also tracking 1 other active fire within about 75 miles.

Size
39,696 acres
Containment
100%
Discovered
June 9, 2026 (first reported about 3 months ago)
Cause
Not reported

The size and containment above are current as of Saturday, August 29th at 8:00 p.m. CDT.

Weather & fire-spread conditions

No Red Flag Warning. The National Weather Service hasn't flagged this area for dangerous fire-spread conditions right now.

Hot, dry, and windy weather can help a fire grow; cool, calm, or wet weather helps crews. The tags below rate each day for fire spread — green is calm, red can push a fire.

A general fire-weather guide (wind matters most, then how dry it is, then heat), not a prediction of what this fire will do.

Tonight

61°F · Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Mostly Cloudy

Wind 10 to 15 mph SW · 65% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Rain likely

Sunday

89°F · Mostly Sunny

Wind 10 to 20 mph WSW · 4% chance of rain

Wind: Windy Heat: Warm Dry

Sunday Night

56°F · Partly Cloudy

Wind 5 to 15 mph SW · 3% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Dry

Monday

89°F · Mostly Sunny

Wind 5 to 10 mph SSW · 5% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Warm Dry

Monday Night

60°F · Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind 5 to 10 mph SSW · 46% chance of rain

Wind: Breezy Heat: Cool Some rain

Forecast from the National Weather Service (weather.gov), pulled Saturday, August 29th at 7:08 p.m. CDT.

Who's on it

About 61 people are assigned to this fire, run by a Type 3 IC. The government rates it a Type 2 Incident. About $12 million has been spent on it so far.

The official feed reports the total headcount, not a breakdown by crew type.

Where to get live updates

We show the daily official picture. For minute-by-minute updates, evacuation orders, and maps, these do it best:

Nearby fires to South Fork Fire

Within about 75 miles we're tracking 1 other active fire, closest first:

See all active fires in Nebraska →

A wildland firefighter in a white helmet and yellow shirt sits on a grassy slope above a forested mountain valley

The guy who wrote this site, on a break. Summer 2026.

Wildland firefighting is a great job for the right person.

No college. No experience needed. You learn on the job.

Who fits:

Jobs in all 50 states, most of them out West. Most crews hire in fall and winter for the next summer. Nebraska has 2 open right now, 1 for beginners. See them.

Know someone who fits?

Send them a link to woodlandfirefighter.com. It explains the job and how to get hired.

Want to talk to a real wildland firefighter?

I spent summer 2026 on a Forest Service crew in Montana. Happy to answer any questions. 30-minute call, $37.

Book a 30-minute call

Drop your email. Get the free guide.

Inside: the pay breakdown, a resume template, a training plan for the fitness (pack) test, and the hiring timeline.

100% free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.