Officials have evacuated 17 homes near Alder Creek ahead of hot, windy conditions expected Wednesday that could push the Alder Creek Fire west of Wise River toward structures there and in Bryant Creek.
Warnings sent Tuesday evening implored those living along Highway 43 near the junction of Mill Creek Road to be on the lookout for spot-fires jumping the highway with the high winds. Beaverhead County warned travelers to be aware of potentially dangerous driving conditions between Wise River and Wisdom Wednesday, including a strong potential for poor visibility due to smoke.
A dry, warm and windy Labor Day weekend already spurred the Alder Creek Fire and the Trail Creek Fire west of Wisdom to grow by a few thousand acres each in just a few days. The Alder Creek Fire now incorporates the Christensen Fire after the two recently joined together.
On Monday, great plumes of smoke billowed from the Alder Creek Fire as a helicopter flew around and into the smoke to gain a better perspective on the fire.
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“The wind was pretty substantial yesterday for the fires,” said La Dawn Saxton, a public information officer, speaking Tuesday.
Saxton is with the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 6, which is supervising fire suppression on the Trail Creek, Alder Creek and Sand Lake fires.
The Sand Lake Fire, discovered Sept. 1, was recently mapped at 145 acres. “Growth is minimal” for the Sand Lake Fire, reported an update Tuesday from the incident management team, though it was expected to grow Wednesday. Because of the dangerous inaccessible terrain, the fire is being monitored, but remains unstaffed.
The Trail Creek Fire “made a push” Monday toward the area of Gibbonsville, Idaho.
The Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 6 has ordered additional resources to help fight both the Trail Creek and Alder Creek fires. Firefighting resources have been stretched thin this summer.
Saxton said resources become available when firefighting efforts on other fires nationwide are considered complete.
Bryant Creek is a tributary of the Big Hole River and the Bryant Creek Road joins Highway 43 at the Dickie Bridge Campground.
Multiple forest closures are in effect for the area, which can be viewed online at inciweb.nwcg.gov. Highway 43 and the Pioneer Mountain Scenic Byway remain open.
Since the beginning of the year, Montana has experienced 2,208 wildland fires that have burned nearly 850,000 acres. Missoula County has had 113 wildland fires in 2021 so far; 65% of which have been human-caused. Illegal debris burning is the leading cause.