Update: Pilot Fire in Butte County – July 1 status

Published Jul 1, 2026 #Pilot fire

Updated: 1:47 p.m. July 1

First discovered: 12:34 p.m. July 1

Initial location: Butte County, Calif.

Fire type: Wildfire, Type 4

Fire name: Pilot

Pilot Fire initially started today at 12:34 p.m. in Butte County, California.

It has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service. At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

NIFC Fire Complexity Analysis

This wildfire is considered to be a Type 4 incident. What it means:

• Command staff and general staff functions are not activated.

• Resources are local and vary from a single module to several resources.

• The incident is usually limited to one operational period in the control phase.

• No written incident action plan (IAP) is required. However, a documented operational briefing will be completed for all incoming resources.

Source: National Interagency Fire Center