Sand Creek Fire Reaches 1,004 Acres; Forest Road Closed
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
WISDOM, Mont. — The Sand Creek Fire has grown to 1,004 acres approximately 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom.
A reconnaissance flight Monday showed minimal fire growth because of a cool front and winds of approximately 5 mph.
The fire started July 26, and its cause remains undetermined. Ian Quist is serving as incident commander, with Brian Gorwitz as a trainee.
A hotshot crew continues to establish and expand access points along Steel Fox Road, Forest Service Road 2420, west of the fire.
Fire personnel are also scouting for additional containment opportunities and control features south and west of the fire. Additional resources and heavy equipment have been ordered.
The fire is burning through heavy dead and downed fuels in stands of lodgepole pine and subalpine fir. Steep, timbered terrain, fallen trees and limited escape routes are complicating suppression work.
Because of those hazards, fire managers are using an indirect confinement strategy. Under this approach, crews work from safer locations away from the active fire edge and use roads, prepared firelines or natural barriers to limit the fire’s spread.
A warming trend is expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Winds Tuesday morning are forecast to come from the north and northeast before shifting to the northwest during the afternoon. Gusts of 17 to 22 mph are expected from midafternoon into the evening.
Elevated fire weather is forecast Wednesday as relative humidity decreases. West and northwest wind gusts could reach 15 to 20 mph during the afternoon.
Forest Service Road 2433 to Stewart Meadows is closed to the public until further notice.
A Temporary Flight Restriction is also in effect over the Sand Creek and Bobcat Lakes fires. The restriction is intended to protect firefighting aircraft and crews from unauthorized aircraft, including drones.
Sand Creek Fire Information
Size: 1,004 acres
Location: Approximately 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom
Start date: July 26, 2026
Cause: Undetermined
Incident commander: Ian Quist
Incident commander trainee: Brian Gorwitz
Personnel: 23
Resources: One hotshot crew
Strategy: Indirect confinement
Road closure: Forest Service Road 2433 to Stewart Meadows
Airspace restriction: Temporary Flight Restriction over the Sand Creek and Bobcat Lakes fires