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Horse Gulch Fire Map of the Evacuation Warning Area as determined by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office.
***The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office has issued evacuations due to this fire. Please visit their website for the latest information: Home - Lewis & Clark County (lccountymt.gov) ***
The American Red Cross has opened and Emergency Support Center at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church, 3580 N. Benton St. in Helena, for those impacted by the Horse Gulch Fire. They can provide water, snacks, a bed, and information. All Red Cross services are free.
UPDATED fire acreage is 12,797 acres on 7/14/24.
The Horse Gulch Fire was first reported the afternoon of July 9, 2024. It grew rapidly on both July 10 and 11. The fire is located about 5 miles south of York, and 2 miles north of Canyon Ferry. Fire behavior has been very active and is in dense timber with heavy dead and down fuels. Northern Rockies Team 2 is currently in command of the fire. The Helena Lewis and Clark National Forest has issued a Closure Order for National Forest System lands around the fire area.
| Current as of | Mon, 07/15/2024 - 18:00 |
|---|---|
| Incident Time Zone | America/Denver |
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Human-caused |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | 5 miles south of York |
| Incident Commander | Northern Rockies Team 2, Complex Incident Management Team led by Incident Commander Scott Schuster assumed command of the Horse Gulch Fire on July 13, 2024 at 6:00am. |
| Coordinates |
46° 41' 16.8'' Latitude
-111° 41' 47.8
'' Longitude
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| Total Personnel: | 465 |
|---|---|
| Size | 12,797 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 0% |
| Estimated Containment Date | 09/30/2024 |
| Fuels Involved | Fuel moisture in 100 and 10 hour fuels is very low. This fuel component combined with near cured grasses, is the primary carrier of the fire. There is also a significant dead and down component which is carrying fire on north slopes. The 1000 hour fuels also hold heat and smolder. Herbaceous fuels within timber stands are beginning to cure in mid and upper elevations. |
| Significant Events | Single tree and group tree torching present and can spot up to .5 miles. Fire whirl driven rollout and subsequent slope reversals have been observed. Active Single tree torching Group Torching Spotting |
| Planned Actions |
Aviation resources will continue to work to minimize fire spread. There has been some suppression success on the south and west flanks. Crews will continue to hold and improve these lines, and patrol for spot fires and rollout. Resources will continue to look out for opportunities to go direct in Div Z. |
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| Projected Incident Activity |
12 hours: Fire spread in grass continues to be resistant to control with aviation assets. Live fuel moistures in mid elevation and north slopes continue to slow fire growth. Expect fire growth to increase in the mid elevations and higher expected winds. Short range spotting with single tree and group tree torching expected. 24 hours: Fire will continue to burn actively in the fine flashy fuels and in timbe stands with heavy needle understory. Higher ridgetop winds will increase fire spread in the areas that have a higher live fuel moisture component. Single tree and group tree torching expecting with short range spotting up to .5 miles. Interior green islands continue to burn out. Rock outcrops on the south flank present a potential barrier to fire spread, but also could create conditions for rollout. 48 hours: Thunderstorms forecasted. Outflow could impact all areas of the fire. Expect fire spread to the north and east in unstaffed areas. Heavy fuels and stumps continue to burn out and produce smoke impacting Helena airshed. Short range spotting up to .5 miles is possible. Northwest winds will likely push fire into steep and rocky terrain on south flank, creating conditions for rollout and presenting a challenge to suppression. 72 hours: Thunderstorms forecasted. Outflow could impact all areas of the fire. Expect fire spread to the north and east in unstaffed areas. Heavy fuels and stumps continue to burn out and produce smoke impacting Helena airshed. Short range spotting up to .5 miles is possible. Northwest winds will likely push fire into steep and rocky terrain on south flank, creating conditions for rollout and presenting a challenge to suppression. Anticipated after 72 hours: There is a chance of thunderstorms throughout the weekend. Outflow could impact all areas of the fire. Expect fire spread to the north and east in unstaffed areas. Heavy fuels and stumps continue to burn out and produce smoke impacting Helena airshed. Short range spotting up to .5 miles is possible. Northwest winds will likely push fire into steep and rocky terrain on south flank, creating conditions for rollout and presenting a challenge to suppression. |
| Remarks |
A temporary flight restriction is in effect - please do not fly drones around wildfires. Firefighting aircraft have to land if an unauthorized drone or aircraft enter the temporary flight restriction area thereby delaying fire suppression efforts. |
| Weather Concerns | Today some high cloud cover helped to shade the fire and delayed the start of the afternoon winds. Humidity still got down into the lower teens on the fire and temperatures into the low 90's with ridge top winds gusting 15-20 mph. Tomorrow, temperatures will trend a few degrees cooler ranging from the upper 80's to the mid 90's on the fire with humidity still trending drier by about 2 percent. Winds will also trend slightly lighter with afternoon wind gusts around 15 mph. |
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