Single Publication

Incident Commander: Alex Graham (Type 4 IC)
Location: 15 miles northeast of Wisdom, MT in the Sawlog Creek drainage
Start Date: 05/01/2025
Cause: Undetermined – under investigation
Size: 383 acres (overnight infrared flight on May 2nd)
Resources on Site: 1 crew; 1 engine; 1 light helicopter
Total Personnel: 51

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS: 
A 20-person crew will join the 31 firefighters on site today. Utilizing the helicopter for water bucket drops and strategic firing operations, today's efforts will concentrate on the area along Sawlog Creek Road extending north to the Big Hole River (eastern edge of the fire) and the area along Toomey Creek north to the Big Hole River (western edge of the fire).  

Strategic firing operations are utilized so crews can burn the fuels between the uncontrolled/active fire edge and the control line along the roads and natural barriers. This fire suppression tactic is an effective method of reducing the available fuels ahead of an active fire edge, while decreasing the potential for negative impacts to values and resource damage that result when high-severity fire occurs on timbered slopes.  

The fire footprint from the Christensen Fire of 2021 lies to the south.

There is a heavy dead and downed fuel component on the north-facing ridges in the fire area. Fire behavior yesterday consisted of up to 5-foot flame lengths in the sagebrush and crown runs in the timber.

Fire investigators will continue their search to determine the fire's cause.

The fire was mapped at approximately 475 acres late yesterday afternoon, burning both Forest Service and BLM lands. An overnight infrared flight mapped the fire area at 383 acres.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
The fire is burning mainly in sagebrush and Lodgepole pine timber. The north-facing slopes in the area consist of a high down and down fuel component. The fire exhibited moderate fire behavior, with 3 to 5-foot flame lengths in the sagebrush and isolated torching, group torching, and crown runs through the tops of the trees in the timbered areas.

Weather conditions will be similar to yesterday, with temperatures approaching the upper 70s and relative humidity in the mid-teens to 20%. Winds will be from the southwest, reaching 10 mph in the afternoon hours.