Montana Wildfire News
Wildfire, fire management and air quality news for western Montana and the northern Rockies.
It can be hard know where to find reliable, up-to-date wildfire information. Here's a rundown of the kind of sources, tools and verification we use when covering wildfires — and you can use them too.
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At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Beaverhead County Sheriff, in coordination with fire officials and local cooperators, ordered evacuations to begin for Elkhorn Hot Springs and Maverick Mountain, including all communities south to Shale Creek and Clark Creek on the north end of Grasshopper Valley. -
The Bitterroot National Forest Friday raised its fire danger level to "Extreme," the highest level. Under these conditions fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely. -
Montana fire officials are bracing for another round of critical fire weather this weekend. Any fires that develop over the next several days will spread rapidly and be very difficult to control. -
The Granite County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order at 11 a.m. Thursday for residents within the Frogpond Basin due to the nearby Moose Fire. Residents are directed to evacuate immediately. Deputies are conducting door-to-door notifications to inform residents of this status change. -
The Flathead County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation order at 3 p.m. Saturday for areas near Olney due to the nearby Skillet fire. -
Officials say residents near a wildfire burning in Flathead County should prepare to evacuate on a moment’s notice. The warning comes ahead of what has the potential to be a very active wildfire weekend in western Montana. -
As fire season heats up across Montana, officials say people living in areas prone to wildfires should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. -
As much of the nation broils under a scorching heat wave, Montana is emerging from days of heavy precipitation and unseasonably cool temperatures. Experts say that could lower the fire potential in the state this summer. -
The U.S. Forest Service has faced budget and staffing cuts under the Trump administration, and a new analysis shows those cuts are impacting how much land the agency is able to treat to prevent wildfires. -
It’s tempting to assume Montana’s summer wildfire season is going to be severe following our windy, dry and warmer-than-average winter. The official outlook released last week, however, paints a more nuanced picture.
