GREAT FALLS — Here is an update on the three largest wildfires currently burning in Montana; there have been no serious injuries reported in any of the incidents.
The Robertson Draw Fire has burned an estimated 29,601 acres south of Red Lodge since it was reported on June 13. The fire is now 53% percent contained, with an estimated 378 personnel assigned. There will be community meeting to address this fire and the Crooked Creek Fire on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Roosevelt Center in Red Lodge; you can watch it on the Custer Gallatin National Forest Facebook page. Evacuation Warnings remain in effect for the areas located south of Red Lodge and east of US Highway 212. John Lightburn of Bridger has been charged in connection with the fire (click here for details).
The Deep Creek Canyon Fire has burned an estimated 4,648 acres between Townsend and White Sulphur Springs since it was reported on June 13. The cause of the fire is still being investigated. The fire is now 95% percent contained, with an estimated 259 personnel assigned. Yesterday, fire crews meticulously patrolled the perimeter of the fire looking for areas of heat. No areas of heat were noted, outside of the 5% uncontained area on the northwest edge. Firefighters will concentrate their efforts over the next several days to extinguish these pockets of heat. Smoke from smoldering stumps and logs could be visible within the interior of the fire’s perimeter for the next several weeks.
The Crooked Creek Fire is about 25 miles east of Bridger in the Pryor Mountains. It has burned an estimated 5,400 acres since it was reported on June 15; it is now at 25% containment. The cause has not yet been determined. There are 237 personnel assigned to the fire. There will be community meeting to address this fire and the Robertson Draw Fire on June 24 at 7 p.m. at the Roosevelt Center on 17th and Broadway in Red Lodge; you can watch it on the Custer Gallatin National Forest Facebook page.
For more information about these and other wildfires, visit the Inciweb site.
