Montana Wildfire News

The governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee almost cancelled its monthly meeting Thursday because there isn’t really a drought issue in Montana right now. Rachel Cramer with Yellowstone Public Radio News reports that committee members say moisture conditions look good for most of the state, and fire activity is expected to remain moderate.

Fires across Montana received a fair helping of rain over the weekend, giving firefighters a hand. Evacuations were lifted for the Horsefly Fire 13 miles east of Lincoln over the weekend. That fire was estimated at 50 percent contained and spanning 1,350 acres on Sunday.

Updated 7:46 p.m., August 9 Evacuations for the Horsefly Fire will be lifted at 8pm, tonight. A crowd of around 50 people gathered in the Canyon Creek Volunteer Fire Department Friday evening cheered when Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton delivered the news.

Wet thunderstorms expected to sweep western Montana through the weekend could provide wildland firefighters their best reprieve of the season yet. That includes those attacking the Horsefly Fire east of Lincoln, the Beeskove Fire east of Missoula, and the Snow Creek Fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Updated 4:30 p.m., August 7, 2019 Winds have pushed the Horsefly Fire east-southeast and across the Continental Divide since it was first reported Monday afternoon. The fire is now nearly 1,300 acres and 0% contained. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton says the evacuation order for the Flesher Acres subdivision is still in effect, and that his office has drawn up plans for a second evacuation area from Flesher Acres to Stemple pass in case it’s needed.

Updated 3:50 p.m., August 6, 2019 The Snow Creek Fire is about 20 miles northeast of Condon in the Bob Marshall Wilderness area with spotting across the South Fork of the Flathead River. The lightning-caused fire was called in August 2 at 10 p.m. and is burning 475 acres.

As fire season starts to heat up in Montana, the threat of electrical power lines igniting dry forests is raising concerns. Power lines started the deadliest and most expensive fire in California history last November, the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85 people. The threat of vegetation falling on Montana power lines has increased in recent years due to the rising number of beetle-killed trees.

Updated 6:05 p.m., August 5, 2019 The Snow Creek Fire was started by lightning on August 2. The fire is burning mid to upper slope on the south facing side of the ridge that separates the Snow and Hungry Creek drainages, approximately 1.5 miles up drainage from the South Fork of the Flathead River. Fire activity increased significantly Monday afternoon.

Seventy years ago today, an 18-man smokejumper crew jumped out of a plane into the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness northeast of Helena. Within hours of the jump the crew was overrun by the fire they were sent to stop, and most of the men died. MTPR's Corin Cates-Carney looks back at the Mann Gulch tragedy, which lead the U.S. Forest Service — for the first time — to approach wildfire as a science.

Updated 8:14 p.m., August 2, 2019 Mandatory evacuation notices are in place in the Eagle Canyon and Stickney Creek areas north of Craig because of the Eagle Canyon Fire , which is burning between 20 and 25 acres. The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office is giving evacuation notices to the following roads: Eagle Canyon Road, July Road, Lil’ Valley Road, Werner Drive, North Fork of Beaver Slide Road, Spring Drive, Cold Water Drive.