Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana

Incident Command:

Size:      4,141 acres                            Containment: 84%                Personnel: 63

 

This will be the last fire update from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3.  Incident Commander Kevin Zimmer from the Billings District BLM field office will assume management of the fire at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. Please call the Beartooth Ranger District office at 406-446-2103 or visit InciWeb for current fire information.

 

Yesterday: Cleanup continued on the shaded fuel break along the southwestern edge of the fire.  Suppression repair was completed where needed.  One new lightning caused fire was discovered near the Big Ice Cave.  Nearby resources located and extinguished it.

 

Today:  Crews will continue patrolling the area looking for any new ignitions resulting from the heavy lightning on July 4.  The perimeter of the Crooked Creek fire is nearly all secured with just a small area in Punch Bowl Creek that is inaccessible to ground crews.  This area will continue to be monitored into the future and appropriate action will be taken if necessary.

 

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of the Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible. The Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed.

 

Weather and Fuel Conditions: Cooler weather has prevailed with overcast skies and thunderstorms.  More storms are predicted with the potential for precipitation and strong outflow winds.  These winds may cause increased fire activity and any undetected lightning caused fires.

 

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

 

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

  

  

Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana

Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 – Mike Almas, Incident Commander

Size:      4,141 acres                            Containment: 84%                           Personnel: 67

Community Meeting tonight! Fire managers from Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 will hold their final public meeting tonight at the Bridger Civic Center, 210 Main Street.  It will be held at 7:00 p.m. and the public is invited to attend in person.  For those that can’t attend, the meeting will be recorded and posted to the Custer-Gallatin National Forest Facebook page.

Yesterday: Crews worked with the Resource Advisor to identify and complete necessary suppression repair on the fire line.  On the southwest perimeter, heavy equipment cleaned up debris left from creating the shaded fuel break.  Two new starts were detected near the Crooked Creek fire, resources were able to respond to them quickly and extinguish them.

Today:  Cleanup of the shaded fuel break will continue.  Crews will continue to patrol the area and address any new starts that may be detected.  Resources are staged and ready to respond or assist local fire personnel.

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of the Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible. The Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed.

 

Weather and Fuel Conditions: Mostly cloudy with thunderstorms likely in the afternoon.  Winds southwest around 8 mph shifting west in the afternoon.  Thunderstorms bring a 50-60% chance of wetting rain along with additional lightning and strong outflow winds.

 

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

 

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

 

Remember – fireworks are not permitted on any public lands!  Hot and dry weather make for favorable fire conditions, so please be extra careful as you recreate this weekend.

There will be a Community Meeting on Monday, July 5, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the Crooked Creek and Robertson Draw Fires.  The meeting will be held at the Bridger Civic Center located at 210 S. Main Street, Bridger, Montana.  Fire managers will share with you the latest fire information.  The meeting will be recorded and shared on the Custer Gallatin National Forest's Facebook page.  Please plan on joining us in person or watch the recording afterwards.  We hope to see you there!

  

Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana        

Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 – Mike Almas, Incident Commander

Size: 4,141 acres                               Containment: 72%                              Personnel: 152

Happy 4th of July!  Remember, fireworks are not permitted on any public lands!  Hot and dry weather make for favorable fire conditions, so please be extra careful as you recreate today.

Overview: The Crooked Creek Fire is located near the southern border of the Crow Indian Reservation in the Pryor Mountains on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.  

Yesterday, crews patrolled and cleaned up existing fire line.  They scouted for hot spots or areas where heat was still evident and worked to secure them. The fire received 1” of afternoon precipitation in the form of rain and hail. Resource not needed for patrolling the fireline were staged for initial attack.

Today, the northern half of the fire has secure fireline with just a small area on the eastern side needing additional work. The southern fire perimeter is also secure except for a section of the southwest line where burnout operations did not consume all available fuel.  Crews are working to clean up that edge.

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of the Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible. The Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed.

 

Weather and Fuel Conditions: Temperatures were moderated by thunderstorm activity and rain.  Thunderstorms are predicted beginning around 3:00 p.m. today which could produce heavy rain and wind gusts.  Increased fire behavior could occur due to outflow winds as cells dissipate.

 

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

 

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

  

Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana

Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 – Mike Almas, Incident Commander

Size:      4,141 acres                            Containment: 72%                Personnel: 162

Overview: The Crooked Creek Fire is located near the southern border of the Crow Indian Reservation in the Pryor Mountains on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.  

Yesterday, fire crews primarily monitored and patrolled the fire line, cleaning up any areas that were still holding heat.  The two portions of the fire perimeter where burnout operations occurred are the only areas that still have hot spots.

Today, fewer personnel are needed to monitor the fire perimeter today due to the amount of secured line.  Resources not needed for the fire are staged nearby to assist local fire personnel with initial attack in the event that new fire starts were detected.  The area on the western side of the fire where burnout operations occurred still has some interior unburned fuels.  This part of the fire line will need to be monitored into the future until those fuels have been consumed.    

Pre-Evacuation Warning: The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office has removed the pre-evacuation warning notice for twenty-five primary residences in the Sage Creek area.

 

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of the Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible. The Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed.

 

Weather and Fuel Conditions: High pressure with hot, dry weather will continue.  Thunderstorms are predicted beginning around 3:00pm that could produce wind gusts.  Increased fire behavior could occur with the passing storm cells.

 

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

 

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

 

Remember – fireworks are not permitted on any public lands!  Hot and dry weather make for favorable fire conditions, so please be extra careful as you recreate this weekend.

 Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana

Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 – Mike Almas, Incident Commander

Size:      4,141 acres                            Containment: 72%                Personnel: 189

Overview: The Crooked Creek Fire is located near the southern border of the Crow Indian Reservation in the Pryor Mountains on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.  

Yesterday: Crews continued to patrol and mop up around most of the fire perimeter.  Where burnout operations occurred along the northeast and west fire perimeter, any fire activity interior to the fire line was mopped up to further secure those areas.  Firefighters cooled hot spots and heat as they were found.

Today: Most of the fire line will be in patrol and monitor status. On the west side of the fire, crews will continue to secure the fire line where burnout operations occurred. This afternoon, thunderstorms may cause increased interior fire activity and smoke as islands of unburned fuels interior to the fire line ignite.  Resources are staged on the south side of the fire area in preparation for possible initial attack to support local fire personnel.

Pre-Evacuation Warning: Carbon County Sheriff’s Office has lifted the pre-evacuation warning associated with the Crooked Creek fire effective today.

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of the Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible. The Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed.

Weather and Fuel Conditions: High pressure with hot, dry weather will continue.  Thunderstorms are predicted beginning around 3:00 p.m. that could produce wind gusts up to 45 mph.  Increased fire behavior could occur with the passing storm cells.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Remember – fireworks are not permitted on any public lands!  Hot and dry weather make for favorable fire conditions, so please be extra careful as you recreate this weekend.

 As of July 2, 2021 the Carbon County Sheriff's Office has removed the evacuation warning associated with the Crooked Creek Fire.

  

Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana

Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 – Mike Almas, Incident Commander

Size:      4,141 acres                            Containment: 72%                Personnel: 189

Overview: The Crooked Creek Fire is located near the southern border of the Crow Indian Reservation in the Pryor Mountains on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.  

Yesterday: Crews continued to patrol and mop up around most of the fire perimeter.  Where burnout operations occurred along the northeast and west fire perimeter, any fire activity interior to the fire line was mopped up to further secure those areas.  Firefighters cooled hot spots and heat as they were found.

Today: Most of the fire line will be in patrol and monitor status. On the west side of the fire, crews will continue to secure the fire line where burnout operations occurred. This afternoon, thunderstorms may cause increased interior fire activity and smoke as islands of unburned fuels interior to the fire line ignite.  Resources are staged on the south side of the fire area in preparation for possible initial attack to support local fire personnel.

Pre-Evacuation Warning: The pre-evacuation warning notice for twenty-five primary residences in the Sage Creek area.

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of the Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible. The Big Ice Cave picnic area is closed.

Weather and Fuel Conditions: High pressure with hot, dry weather will continue.  Thunderstorms are predicted beginning around 3:00 p.m. that could produce wind gusts up to 45 mph.  Increased fire behavior could occur with the passing storm cells.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Remember – fireworks are not permitted on any public lands!  Hot and dry weather make for favorable fire conditions, so please be extra careful as you recreate this weekend. 

Location: 25 miles east of Bridger, Montana

Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 – Mike Almas, Incident Commander

Size: 4,141 acres                            Containment: 72%                Personnel: 221

Overview: The Crooked Creek Fire is located near the southern border of the Crow Indian Reservation in the Pryor Mountains on the Custer Gallatin National Forest.  

Yesterday: Isolated areas of active fire developed inside the burnout area on the northeast fire edge, including some single tree torching and small runs. Firefighters continued to monitor and mop up the containment line on southern fire perimeter.  Heavy equipment crews completed a shaded fuel break on the southwestern corner of the fire. Crews continued to clean up the northwestern fire line where burnout operations were conducted.

Today: Firefighters will continue to patrol in most locations, mopping up hot spots or pockets of heat along the fire line as needed.  Increased interior fire activity and smoke is expected due to winds associated with thunderstorm cells moving through the area.  Resources are being staged on the south side of the fire area in preparation for possible initial attack following lightning that is predicted this afternoon.

Pre-Evacuation Warning: The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office has issued a pre-evacuation warning notice for twenty-five primary residences in the Sage Creek area.

 

Closures: All Custer Gallatin National Forest lands northeast of Forest Road 2308, and north of a line from Crooked Creek east to the Forest boundary, just north of, and including, the Big Ice Cave picnic area, are closed under the current Forest Closure Order and is inaccessible.  All BLM lands in the north Pryor Mountains within Township 8 South, Range 28 East and the entirety of Sykes Ridge Road in Carbon County, Montana included in the BLM Closure Order are now open.

 

Weather and Fuel Conditions: High pressure with hot, dry weather will continue.  Temperatures will be in the upper 90s in the valley and significantly above average at all elevations by Friday. As these hot and dry conditions continue to build, live fuels are beginning to contribute to fire spread.  Thunderstorms are possible beginning today through the next few days. Outflow winds could contribute to increased fire behavior.  Lightning is predicted to accompany the storms.

 

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place for air space over the Crooked Creek Fire (FDC 1/7699) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!

 

Primary and Cooperating Agencies: USFS, BLM, BIA-Crow Agency, Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, DES, Bighorn County Sheriff’s Office, NPS-Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area 

The Bureau of Land  Management Billings Office has rescinded Order No. MT-010-21-15.  The public land closures for all BLM lands in the Pryor Mountains within Township 8 South, Range 28 East and the entirety of Sykes Ridge Road in Carbon County, Montana, are rescinded at 12:00 p.m. MDT, June 30, 2021.  Be advised that Pryor Mountain Road and U.S. Forest Service lands between the PMWHR and Crooked Creek Road will remain closed at this time.  Access to the horse range will only be available by Burnt Timber and Sykes Ridge Roads from the south end of the range.