Single Publication

BLACKTAIL CANYON FIRE - EVENING UPDATE

Incident Commander J. Willoughby
Location:  southeast of Butte, MT between Interstate 90 and Highway 2
Start Date: 7/19/2024 
Cause: Undetermined
Size: estimated at 68 acres 
Resources on Site:  3 engines, 3 type 1 “hotshot” hand crews, 4 type 2 hand crews
Total Personnel Assigned:  154

KEY MESSAGES:  
The Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Department has issued an evacuation warning for Blacktail Canyon Road southeast of Homestake Road, Homestake Road east of Blacktail Canyon Road and Passmore Canyon. This warning means residents should be prepared to evacuate but are not yet under an evacuation order.

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS: 
Aircraft, including a Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), helicopters with water bucket drops, and water “scooper” airplanes, kept the fire within its current footprint today.

Three “hotshot” crews will begin constructing direct fireline (immediately adjacent to the fire’s edge) by removing fuels and mitigating “snag” hazards, tying into existing control features in the Beaver Pond Meadows area. Fire leadership will conduct aerial observation through a reconnaissance flight prior to implementing fireline construction. Several other crews will continue to assess critical values at risk in the Blacktail Canyon, Passmore Canyon, and Toll Mountain areas.

The fire is burning in large amounts of dead and down lodgepole pine trees, posing additional hazards and affecting on-the-ground progress. Ensuring firefighter safety and protecting life and property are of the utmost importance during any incident.

Working in cooperation with the Butte-Silver Bow officials, fire managers have identified and prioritized critical values at risk, focusing available resources and current efforts on the protection of the private structures in the Blacktail Canyon, Homestake Road and Passmore Canyon areas. (Local Fire Department engines provided structure assessments in these areas. As additional resources arrive, fire managers and agency officials will collaborate to utilize resources to protect the prioritized values.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Fire behavior was moderate, with torching, backing and creeping observed. Hot, dry conditions will persist over the weekend and into much of next week. Relative humidity recovery overnight will be poor, especially at upper elevations. Winds will be from the northeast at 5-15 mph. There is a slight chance for afternoon thunderstorms over the weekend.