Firefighters have made successful progress on the six lightning caused fires that started on August 5, 2024 on the Ashland Ranger District of the Custer Gallatin National Forest in Powder River County, Montana. All fires have been staffed and forward progress was stopped on the fires. All fires except the Willard Fire received some moisture last night. This will be the final update for Dugan Draw fire, the Daily Fire, the Three Mile Fire, the Houghlan Fire, and North Fork Fires as these fires are now contained with fireline around the edges of the fires.
Firefighters stopped the advancement of the Shirley Fire which grew together with the Stewart Fire, with using dozer line and burnout operations.
Current information on these fires is listed below:
Daily Fire
Start Date: 08/05/2024
Location: USFS; near the confluence of Daily and Prairie Dog Creek on the northeast side of the Ashland District. 9 miles NE of Ashland, MT.
Cause: Lightning
Size: 160 acres
Fuel: grass, timber, pine understory.
Completion/Containment: 100% Contained
Shirley Fire
Start Date: 08/05/2024
Location: Custer Gallatin National Forest, Ashland Ranger District
Cause: Lightning
Size: 1230 acres
Resources: 4 engines, a dozer and a type 1 crew and a type 2 IA crew.
Current Situation: The Stewart Fire and the Shirley Fire grew together and the lead name for these fires that combined is the Shirley fire. Both fires are burning within the 2012 Taylor Creek Fire.
Three Mile Fire
Start Date: 08/05/2024
Location: USFS; located in the 3 Mile Buttes area on the eastern boundary of the District, 18 miles ESE of Ashland, MT.
Cause: Lightning
Size: 32 acres
Resources: 3 engines, Type 2 IA crew
Fuel: grass, timber, pine understory.
Completion/Containment: 100% Contained
Dugan Draw Fire
Start Date: 08/05/2024
Location: USFS, Sioux Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest.
1.5 acres burning south of Ekalaka, MT and west of Camp Needmore on the northwest corner of the Ranger District
Cause: Lightning
Size: 1.5 acres
Completion/Containment: 100% Controlled
Resources: all resources have left the fire
Fuel type: grass and pine understory.
Completion/Containment: 100% Contained and Controlled
Houghlan Fire
Start Date: 08/05/2024
Location: USFS; 16 miles E of Ashland, MT, Ashland Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest
Cause: Lightning
Size: 5.5 acres
Resources: resources expect to depart the fire by noon today
Current Situation: Federal resources on scene. Currently have a dozer line, interior burning. Lots of smoke, visible from road.
Completion/Containment: 100% Contained
North Fork Fire
Start Date: 08/05/2024
Location: Custer Gallatin National Forest, Ashland Ranger District, in Powder River County.
Cause: Lightning
Size: 0.1 acres
Completion/Containment: 100% Controlled
Willard Fire
Start Date: 08/04/2024
Location: Slim Buttes, Sioux Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest, in Harding County, 22 miles SE of Buffalo, SD.
Cause: Unknown
Size: 10 acres
Resources: 11 firefighters
Completion/Containment: 75%
Update/summary: fireline is around it, working on mopping up hotspots.
For other news, events and information about the Custer Gallatin National Forest, visit the forest website and follow the Custer Gallatin National Forest Facebook page.
