Single Publication

Incident Commander:  Bill Waln, Incident Commander  

Location:  10 miles southwest of Wise River, MT 

Start Date: 7/25/2024  

Cause: Undetermined 

Size: 4,157 acres  

Containment: 5% 

Resources on Site: 3 hotshot crews; 2 type 2 hand crews; 11 engines; 2 skidgens; 1 dozer 

Total Personnel:  328 

KEY MESSAGES:  

While yesterday’s rain and humidity helped slow fire activity, the Grouse Fire is expected to be a long duration fire. Firefighters and air support paused all activities during portions of yesterday’s storm activity due to lightning, and reengaged when it was safe to do so. A helicopter was able to drop a couple of bucket loads of water over a new start caused by lightning near the fire perimeter until thunderstorms moved into the area. An infrared flight will go over that area today to monitor for any heat. 

Today’s skies will be hazy due to smoke coming into the area from wildfires in Oregon and Idaho. Smoke may be visible today from this fire as the area starts to dry out and temperatures start to increase during the day. 

Removing trees and other flammable materials along roadsides to create a shaded fuel break is an effective firefighting tactic. It reduces the fire’s ability to spread rapidly while providing firefighters the opportunity to secure containment and prevent the fire from spreading beyond that point. Shaded fuel breaks also provide long-term benefits by creating a feature for firefighters to effectively protect the community and other values at risk. 

Current Status/PLANNED ACTIONS:   

The structure protection group will continue working along the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway to the Harriet Lou Creek Road. This includes completing structure assessments in collaboration with the local volunteer fire department, reinforce existing protective measures around homes, testing water pumps and sprinklers, and extinguishing any remaining hot spots.  

Crews will continue mopping up and strengthening handlines, while searching for hot spots along Pettengill Creek Road. Firefighters will continue line construction along the Pettengill Creek and Reservoir Creek trails. As fire managers develop a long-term strategy for the western side of the fire, they will work to keep the fire contained along the ridge south of the main Stine Creek drainage. In the Reservoir Creek drainage, crews will continue mopping up and reinforcing containment lines.  

Weather and Fire Behavior: 

Expect warmer temperatures from 60-72 degrees with lower humidities today, and a slight chance of thunderstorms after 12:00 p.m. Light winds from the west at 3-8 mph in the slopes and valleys, and southeast at 4-10 mph in the Wise River drainage, and west-southwest at 6-10 mph at the ridgetops. 

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS: 

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has issued an Area/Road/Trail Closure (Closure #01-02-03-24-05) effective July 31, 2024. This Order is for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts of the Grouse Fire. Closure information and maps are posted on the Forests’ website and the fire’s Inciweb page as they are in place. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtbdf-grouse. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. 

The Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Campfires are allowed only in a permanent metal fire grate/ring provided by the Forest Service in a designated, developed recreation site. Smoking is restricted to vehicles, in buildings, or in an area clear of flammable materials. Devices with an on/off switch that use LPG fuels are allowed in an area clear of flammable materials within three feet of the device.