WeatherWildfire Watch

Actions

Two fires in Beaverhead County have burnt more than 2,000 total acres

trail creek 071221.jpg
Posted at 1:30 PM, Jul 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-12 15:30:24-04

The Trail Creek and Alder Creek fires in Beaverhead County have burnt around 2,182 acres as of Monday afternoon.

According to Inciweb, the Trail Creek Fire has now grown to 1,900 acres since it was first detected last Thursday. The fire is located 20 miles west of Wisdom and north of Highway 43 near Shoofly Creek.

The Alder Creek Fire was also first detected on Thursday and stands at 282 acres. The fire is currently around 2.2 air miles from residences in Wise River, according to fire officials with the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest.

Both fires will be moving to a Type 1 incident command team on Tuesday.

Full suppression methods are being used for the Alder Creek Fire, and defensible space is being constructed around residences. Helicopters will continue to be used for bucket drops as winds permit.

Structure protection is also being conducted to protect the May Creek and Hogan recreation cabins from the Trail Creek Fire.

The Trail Creek Fire was caused by lightning, according to Inciweb, while the cause of the Alder Creek Fire remains unknown.