Single Publication

Incident Commander: Richard Griffin (Type 3 IC) and Kyle Errecart (Type 3 IC Trainee)

Location: 15 miles northeast of Wisdom, MT in the Sawlog Creek drainage

Start Date: 05/01/2025

Cause: Undetermined – under investigation

Size: 2,020 acres 

Resources Assigned: 4 crews; 5 engines; 2 helicopters; 1 water tender; 3 skidgens

Total Personnel: 185

Containment: 65%

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS:

Fire lines were tested yesterday with warm, dry conditions accompanied by gusty winds over the fire area. All containment lines held.  Containment means more than just constructing control line around a fire. Firefighters remove fuel available to burn and/or extinguish sources of heat by mopping up. These actions are taken to secure control lines and prevent the fire from escaping under the current and expected weather forecast.   Once secure, that area of the fires is considered contained. Fire lines will be tested again this afternoon with potential thunderstorms and gusty southwest winds. 

Firefighters completed strategic firing operations yesterday in the “donut hole” or interior pocket, on both sides of Sawlog Creek. The increase in acres represents those acres burned on both sides of Sawlog Creek. Crews will continue to work containment lines as they patrol the fire and mop up any hot spots. They will also continue to reinforce constructed fire lines that are yet not fully contained. 

WEATHER, FUELS, AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:

Another warm and dry day is expected with periods of showers and potentially thunderstorms today through Monday. Gusty southwest winds will develop during the late morning/early afternoon. Storms will once again cause gusty and erratic winds. Temperatures cool by Monday, but the winds will remain gusty.  Interior pockets of unburned fuel may continue to burn due to gusty winds.    

The fire is burning mainly in sagebrush and Lodgepole pine timber. The north-facing slopes in the area consist of a high “dead and downed” fuel component in a mixed conifer forest, and numerous “snags” or hazard trees are present. This fuel combination poses additional hazards for firefighters and affects on-the-ground progress. Fuel conditions, during this time of year (pre-green up), are extremely dry.

Ensuring firefighter safety and protecting life and property are of the utmost importance during any incident.

The fire footprint from the 2021 Alder Fire is located to the east, and the fire footprint from the 2021 Christensen Fire lies to the south.

CLOSURES:

The Montana Fish, Wildfire and Parks has issued an emergency site closure for the Fishtrap Creek Fishing Access Site on the Big Hole River due to fire activity from the Sawlog Fire. The site is closed to public use from Mudd Creek Bridge to Sportsman’s Park. 

For public safety reasons, the Bureau of Land Management has issued a temporary closure for the Sawlog dispersed camping area, located at the Big Hole River ford site. Specific closure language can be viewed on the Sawlog Fire Inciweb page, Closures tab.