Video Update: https://fb.watch/tqkZQZ5xvc/ 

Deadman, McGhee, Prairie, and Four Mile Fires 

Bureau of Land Management Montana-Dakotas State Office 

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation 

Fire Information 406-924-3831  2024.Deadman@firenet.gov 

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtmts-deadman-fire www.facebook.com/RosebudCountyDisasterAndEmergencyServices 

Friday, July 19, 2024 

Northern Rockies Team 3, Incident Commander Mike Behrens  

Location:  South of Birney, Montana and north of Tongue River Reservoir in Rosebud and Big Horn Counties 

Start Date: 7/12 and 7/13/2024 

Cause: Lightning    

Size:   Deadman: 18,927   McGhee: 11,409   Prairie: 6,540   Four Mile: 2,082  

Completion/Containment:   Deadman: 20%   McGhee: 9%   Prairie: 50%   Four Mile: 39%   

KEY MESSAGE  

Thursday was a very productive day for burnout operations on both the McGhee and Deadman Fires. The Flathead Hotshot crew carried on with burnout operations begun by the Craig Hotshots on the west flank of McGhee (along the Tongue River Road) and tied into dozer line on the north tip of the fire perimeter near Birney. The Mesa Hotshot crew, assisted by the unmanned aerial system, fired off large pockets of unburned fuel to create a black line on the west side of Hanging Woman Road, making it less likely for fire to back down with enough energy to spot across the road. They did protective burnouts around several residences as well. On the west side of the Deadman Fire, the smokejumper module continued to bring the fire’s edge to the Tongue River, a natural barrier to fire spreading west. A suppression repair plan was created for fireline rehabilitation on the Prairie Fire. Overnight, firefighters patrolled, mopped up hot spots, and watched for spotting due to outflow winds from the thunderstorm. 

CURRENT STATUS 

The main objective for today is for firefighters to secure and hold the areas burned yesterday. Crews may conduct additional burnout operations on the northwest side of McGhee to tie firelines together if conditions allow. Unburned islands still exist in the interior of the McGhee Fire, with the potential for spotting up to ½ mile. Helicopters will support firefighters as needed throughout the day to cool areas with intense heat with water bucket drops. On the Four Mile Fire, firefighters are cooling the remaining hot spots and patrolling the edges. Suppression repair actions will begin on the Prairie Fire today. There is a temporary flight restriction (TFR) over the fire area and initial attack resources assigned to these fires will help with any new lightning starts within the TFR. 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR 

The fire area received little precipitation from the thunderstorms last night. Temperatures will be 8-10 degrees cooler today with relative humidity at 27 percent. Winds will generally be north-northeasterly, with gusts to 20 mph. Individual tree torching has the potential to create spot fires, which will readily sustain spread.    

CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES 

In Big Horn County, an evacuation warning is in place for residents from the intersection of Dale Creek Road and East Fork Canyon Road, east to the county line; from the intersection of Dale Creek Road and East Fork Canyon Road south to the intersection of Birney Road and Highway 314; from the intersection of Highway 314 and Birney Road east to the county line. In Rosebud County, an evacuation warning is in place for residents along the Tongue River Road from the Tongue River Bridge at Wall Creek to the southern Rosebud County line. Look for specific closure information and maps on the Rosebud and Big Horn County Sheriff Facebook pages. An evacuation warning means people should be aware of and monitor the situation closely, being prepared to evacuate if needed as the status could change quickly. 

Sierra National Forest                          

Basin Fire Update             

Friday July 19, 2024                          

Information: (559) 855-5355

Email: 2024.basin@firenet.gov

Facebook: @SierraNF

PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT:  132 personnel, 1 crew, 3 engines, 0 helicopters, 12 Heavy Equipment, and 7 water tenders 

CURRENT SITUATION: The Basin Fire is 14,023 acres.  Fire Containment 100% effective today. 

A gradual warming trend continues in the fire area the rest of this week and into next week.  An Excessive Heat Watch is in effect Monday morning through Thursday morning. Isolated mountain thunderstorms are possible over the next several days, with best chances east of the fire. Daytime relative humidity will be 20% to 30%, with poor to moderate overnight recoveries, and mostly terrain driven winds. Temperatures today are expected to reach the high nineties in lower elevations of the fire area and raise slightly over the following five days. Winds are forecast to remain low, from the southwest at 9 mph, with gusts to 17 mph over the next five days.

Suppression Repair:  Suppression repair efforts continue throughout the fire area. Firefighters are using heavy equipment and hand tools to return fire areas to as natural a state as practical.

The Basin Fire started on June 26, 2024, and the cause is currently under investigation.  The fire is at 2000-4500 feet elevation, northeast of Pine Flat Lake, west of the Spanish Mountain, south of Black Rock Rd (11S012) and north of the South Fork of the Kings River. 

Fire updates are posted on Inciweb:  https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/casnf-basin-fire.  With 100% fire containment and full firefighter focus on suppression repair within the fire area, the next Update and maps will be July 22, 2024.

 FOREST CLOSURE and FIRE RESTRICTIONS for the Basin Fire: To ensure the safety of the public and our firefighters, The Sierra National Forest has issued a Temporary Partial Forest Closure Orders No. 05-15-52-24-19 & 20 for the Basin Fire area. Effective July 10, 2024, the closure will remain in effect until July 31, 2024. We urge the public to respect all closure signs and barriers and to avoid the area to prevent any potential accidents or interference with suppression repair efforts. 

Check https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra for the Basin Fire closure area map. Roads & trails in this area on the Sierra National Forest are CLOSED.

The Sierra National Forest has implemented temporary fire restrictions prohibiting campfires except within designated recreation sites. Operating vehicles off roads or trails is prohibited, and welding is prohibited.  Smoking is only allowed in vehicles, buildings and designated recreation sites. 

Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/sierra for more information or call the Sierra National Forest (559) 855-5355 during business hours for questions.

Moist weather is helping firefighters to actively engage the Speirs Fire, but forecasted hot and dry conditions are expected next week. While the weather remains favorable, firefighters will take advantage and continue to aggressively suppress the fire.

In the past few days crews made substantial progress containing the Speirs Fire. The stage was set by positioning a complex incident management team, establishing spike camps, and local community support. The highest priorities include firefighter and public safety. Two new wildland fire crews joined the fire yesterday bringing the total personnel to 347. Crews are building additional helicopter landing areas along the containment line to improve access and add support and potential medical evacuation options. Today crews will continue to construct fire line, making fuel breaks to contain the fire.

Great Basin IMT 3 is investing significant effort to ensure Dutch John residents, local businesses, and visitors to Flaming Gorge can go about their normal day with minimal disruptions. Currently, 41 of the 43 campgrounds in the area remain open. Only Firefighters Memorial and Greendale Group campsites are closed. Roads and trails in the Green’s Draw area are closed, see closure map for details. All boat launches on the reservoir and river remain open. Please visit Ashley National Forest Facebook page or the Speirs Fire Inciweb site for details on the closure order.

For more information on existing closures, please visit the Ashley National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ashley/alerts-notices. The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area remains open to the public for recreational opportunities.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in effect over the Speirs Fire area. Using uncrewed aerial systems (UAS)/drones is illegal within the TFR.

Start date: July 13, 2024 
Location: Approximately three miles south of the town of Dutch
John, Utah and south of Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Fire size: 764 acres
Containment: 20%
Total personnel: 283
Cause: Naturally-Caused, Lightning

Speirs Fire Information Number: 435-709-8209 (6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.)

Fire
Successful management of The Horse Gulch Fire continues.Some limited burning continues in high wilderness areas
mainly on the north side. Isolated burns and smoldering within the interior will produce some additional smoke. Containment was up to 40 percent late Thursday.
 

Smoke
With light winds, MODERATE with periods of USG is forecast along the north side of Canyon Ferry Lake into the afternoon. Elsewhere MODERATE air quality is forecast from around Helena to East Helena and the southern portion of Canyon Ferry Lake into late afternoon. After dusk, smoke will settle into local drainages. MODERATE AQ continues across much of southern Montana due to ongoing regional fires.
 

Roadway Visibility
Reduced visibility along S-284 to the Canyon Ferry Lake south of the fire overnight and in the early mornings. Visibilities should remain one mile or greater however along S-284 and Canyon Ferry Road in the north portion of the Canyon Ferry Lake up to York. Outside this area no roadway visibility issues are expected.

Start Date: July 11, 2024

Cause: Under Investigation

Size: 2,037 acres

Percent Containment: 8%

Helicopters: 6

Scooper Planes: 2

Engines: 14

Crews: 9

Total Personnel: 346

The diligent efforts of fire crews have resulted in achieving 8% containment on the Bench Lake Fire. Structure protection efforts at Redfish Lake Lodge and adjacent facilities are proving successful. Pumps and hoses continue to spray water increasing the relative humidity, making it harder for any fire embers to ignite adjacent fuels. Crews near the upper Bench Lakes have made substantial progress building containment lines in the extremely rugged terrain. 

Yesterday, the national wildfire preparedness level reached its peak. During this time national resources such as hotshot crews and aviation resources are shared or assigned to incidents with the greatest need. Mapping regularity on the Bench Lake Fire may be impacted by competing priorities for infrared fire detection flights. However, specialized aviation resources dedicated to the fire including scoopers continue to support firefighting efforts on the ground. 

If you see firefighters driving on road systems near your home or property, don’t be alarmed. Crews are proactively assessing road systems and strategically identifying contingency plans well in advance of potential fire growth. 

Restrictions: The Sawtooth National Forest has initiated Stage 1 fire restrictions within the National Forest System lands boundaries on the Sawtooth and Cassia zones. Under these restrictions, campfires are allowed only in recreation sites within metal or concrete fire pits. Fires of any kind are not allowed in any dispersed camping areas.

Miller Peak Fire Community Meeting

Date: July 19, 2024 7-8PM

Location: Gymnasium at the Lolo Elementary School 

5305 Farm Ln, Lolo, MT

Falls Fire Community Meeting

Where: 106 Avenue A

Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Start Time: 6:30 PM

The public is invited to a meeting this Tuesday evening to hear a report on the Falls Fire that is located on the Malhuer National Forest northwest of Burns and Hines. Incident Commander Kevin Stock, and Complex Incident Management Team 8 staff, will be giving a fire operations briefing. Local, state, and federal officials will also be in attendance. There will be time for questions.

The meeting will be recorded and posted afterwards on the Falls Fire 2024 Facebook page.

For more information, please call the Fire Information phone at541-208-4370.

Evacuation Warning

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office has issued an evacuation warning for the area north of Canebrake Road, south of Sacatar Trail, west of Inyo County line, east of the South Fork and Kern Rivers.

An evacuation warning means you should prepare to evacuate the area should the fire approach your home or if ordered to do so. 

Please stay clear and out of the areas affected by the fire.

Zones under an evacuation warning:

E261-B

E274-B

Search for your address or zone in the interactive evacuation map.