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Alder Creek and Trail Creek Fires At 35,000 Acres Combined

Alder Creek

Current Size: 7,281 Acres

Current Containment: 10%

Location: 7 miles west of Wise River, MT

Start Date: July 8, 2021

Cause: Unknown

Resources Assigned:

Total personnel: 319

Engines: 15

Hand crews: 6


Alder Creek Fire: Fire activity picked up Saturday due to high winds and low

humidity. The fire crossed Alder Creek and is now established on the north side of

the drainage. A burn crew is planning strategic fire operations to tie the fire into

dozer line to the east. On the south, crews are prepared to fire off of

containment lines should the fire cross the Deno Creek drainage. Containment

lines to the east are holding while crews and engines continue to patrol and focus

on structure protection.



Trail Creek

Current Size: 27,797 Acres

Current Containment: 0%

Location: 20 miles west of Wisdom, MT

Start Date: July 8, 2021

Cause: Lightning

Resources Assigned:

Total personnel: 147

Engines: 4

Hand Crews: 4


Trail Creek Fire: North of Hwy 43 the battlefield and communications tower are

secure. South of Hwy 43, burning occurred yesterday along containment lines to

improve and widen them. Work continues along the Foothills Road to create a

“catchers mitt” to prevent fire growth to the east. On the Continental Divide,

crews completed five miles of shaded fuel brake on Anderson Rd. A hotshot crew

is using tactical firing to tie control lines near the divide into the main fire to keep

the fire on the Montana side of the border. Four crews are enhancing Lost Trail

Rd to hold the fire to the north.



Christensen

Current Size: 1,274 Acres

Current Containment: 0%

Location: 12 miles west of Wise River, MT

Start Date: July 16, 2021

Cause: Unknown

Resources Assigned:

Total personnel: 13

Engines: 2

Hand Crews:


Christensen Fire: The Christensen Fire was active yesterday and made a two mile

run to the east. The Branch Director continues to identify potential control lines

using old roads, creeks, and previous fire scars. Fire growth to the north remains

minimal and the fire is still several miles from the Hwy 43 corridor. To the south,

the Pattengail Creek fire scar is keeping fire growth in check.



Weather: High pressure will bring continued hot and dry conditions on Sunday.

Temperatures will reach mid 80’s with relative humidity dropping to near 10%.

West winds will be 10-15 MPH with gusts to 25 MPH. This will create near critical

fire weather conditions across the area. The forecast remains dry through

Monday before a chance for storms enters the picture midweek.


Temp: Max 86F; Humidity: Min 8-16%

Wind: West 5-15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.




Major Closures:

• Hwy 43 remains open. Motoroists are asked to slow down and be on the alert

for firefighters, heavy smoke and downed trees. Please check the Montana

DOT Road Report website: MDT.MT.gov/travinfomobile for current status.

• Continental Divide Trail: Closed from Lemhi Pass north to Schultz.

• Big Hole National Battlefield is closed until further notice. North and South Van

Houten, Miner Lakes, Twin Lakes and May Creek Campgrounds are closed.

• Forest Closure orders are in effect for all three fires. Visit the Closure Section

on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF and Salmon-Challis NF websites for specifics.


Stage 2 Fire Restrictions:

Interagency fire management officials in southwestern Montana enacted

Stage II fire restrictions at midnight, Friday, July 23, 2021. Up to date fire

restriction information and a web-based map can be found at:





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