ASHLAND — Fire crews continue to attack four large wildfires burning in Southeast Montana.
Firefighters working the Deadman and McGhee fires conducted burnout operations on Tuesday even as helicopters and airtankers were used to drop retardant on the McGhee Fire, fire officials said in an update on Wednesday.
A smokejumper team conducted burnout operations on the Deadman Fire to bring the fire down into the Tongue River corridor where it can be secured. A drone was used overnight to continue with small burnout operations.
The Deadman Fire, the largest of the four fires in the area and the largest wildfire in the state, was estimated at 19,088 acres with 20% contained.
The McGhee Fire is estimated at 8,379 acres and is 10% contained, while the Prairie Fire is estimated at 6,540 acres with 50% containment. The Four Mile Fire is 2,082 acres and is 1% contained.
The wildfires — burning south of Birney and north of Tongue River Reservoir in Rosebud and Big Horn counties — were started by lightning when a storm moved through the region on July 12 and 13.
A Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 took command of the complex of wildfires on Monday.
"Crews will hold and secure the eastern McGhee fire lines today and continue with burnouts on the south and east as weather conditions allow," fire officials said in the update. "Fire managers will also determine how to tie lines together from the west side down into the south portion, avoiding the Battle Butte Area of Critical Environmental Concern as fire will be less detrimental to this area than suppression efforts. On Deadman, crews will continue to conduct small burnouts on the west side to bring the fire down to the river. On the Four Mile Fire, firefighters are cooling the remaining hot spots and patrolling the edges. The Prairie Fire is showing little heat and is being monitored."
In Big Horn County, an evacuation warning is in place for residents from the intersection of Dale Creek Road and East Fork Canyon Road, east to the county line; from the intersection of Dale Creek Road and East Fork Canyon Road south to the intersection of Birney Road and Highway 314; from the intersection of Highway 314 and Birney Road east to the county line.
Winds are predicted to have a north-easterly component on Wednesday, which could help reduce fire spread to the east, fire officials said. Weather remains hot and dry with a slight chance of precipitation on Thursday. Active fire behavior and group torching is expected, especially as fire reaches stringers of timber and heavy pockets of older juniper trees.
In Rosebud County, an evacuation warning is in place for residents along the Tongue River Road from the Tongue River Bridge at Wall Creek to the southern Rosebud County line.
An evacuation warning means people should be aware of and monitor the situation closely, being prepared to evacuate if needed as the status could change quickly.
