Modrite Fire in Washington Burns Roughly 57,000 Acres After Lightning Ignition
The Modrite Fire in Washington was caused by lightning miles away and has burned roughly 57,000 acres since its discovery on July 17, 2026.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 13, 2026, 6:04 a.m. ET
Fire size and containment change through the day and the earliest figures are the least certain. Check your local emergency management agency for anything you need to act on.
We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 17, 2026, 12:10 a.m. ET — checked 33h ago.
Earlier reports
Aug 13, 2026, 6:04 a.m. ETFirst report
Modrite Fire in Washington Has Burned Roughly 57,000 Acres
A wildfire in Washington state known as the Modrite Fire has burned roughly 57,000 acres, according to Military.com. The fire was discovered on July 17, 2026.
Military.com reported the fire was still active, and that it had backed, flanked and torched through timber, with homes and infrastructure in its path. The outlet reported the fire was caused by lightning.
The situation is developing. Military.com's report does not state how much of the fire has been contained, whether evacuation orders are in place, or whether anyone has been hurt or any structures lost, and none of those things should be assumed either way. How far the fire has advanced since it was discovered is not described in the available reporting.
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Revision history
- Version 217 Aug 2026, 15:24current
Updated to include conflicting fire behavior descriptions from adn.com and military.com, and added attribution to adn.com for the cause.
- Version 113 Aug 2026, 10:07
First published.
- Version 113 Aug 2026, 10:04current
First published.
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