Single Publication

Grouse Fire Update

Incident Commander:  D. Hammack, C. Olander, (T)
Location:  10 miles southwest of Wise River, MT
Start Date: 7/25/2024 
Cause: Undetermined
Size: 800 acres 
Resources on Site:  4 type 2 IA crews; 2 hotshot crews; 7 engines; 1 skidgen; and 3 helicopters available to assist
Total Personnel:  138

KEY MESSAGES: 
Effective today an Area/Road/Trail Closure is in effect for the vicinity of the fire perimeter. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway has a large amount of firefighting equipment and crews; motorists in the area are urged to slow down, look for 35 MPH speed signs, be aware of the increased traffic, and yield to firefighting apparatus and vehicles.

Fire managers and agency officials are considering night operations, and ensuring public and firefighter safety and protecting life and property are of the utmost importance.
 

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS: 
On Wednesday, crews continued to improve Forest Road 186, (Pettengill Rd), in preparation to use it as a containment line. Yesterday a reconnaissance flight was requested to aid in assessing fire perimeter size, however due to heavy demand of aerial resources in the region, it was unavailable.
Firefighters are monitoring previous installed water-handling equipment (pumps, hoses, and sprinklers) around structures in the Pettengill Creek area. In the coming days, crews will plan on using existing and improved control features (such as prepped firelines) for burnout operations to lessen the fire’s impact to critical values at risk.

On Thursday, fire mitigation strategies, such as burnouts will be considered to help secure and maintain the fire line. These activities help reduce the risk to our fire crews while also minimizing the impact on the surrounding values at risk. The public should be aware that an increase in visible smoke is highly probably over the next few days. As conditions allow, fire personnel will be utilizing helicopters as needed to support operations. 
 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
The fire continues to move primarily up the Grouse Creek drainage and sub-drainages. As drier weather persists Friday through Sunday, temperatures could top out near 100 degrees. Light westerly winds in the afternoon on Wednesday will start to lower the relative humidity.

Tomorrow active fire movement on all flanks is expected, with fire backing downhill towards Pettengill Creek and to the north towards Grouse Creek and the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway. As hotter weather persists, fire managers will be monitoring increased fire behavior and potential for spotting.
Dead fuels along the ridges at the highest elevations are consuming completely. If winds align with terrain, in combination with the dry fuels, extreme fire behavior with active movement can be expected. These conditions pose additional hazards to firefighters, limiting access and affecting on-the-ground progress.
 

CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has issued an Area/Road/Trail Closure (Closure #01-02-03-24-05) effective July 31, 2024. This Order is for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts of the Grouse Fire. Closure information and maps are posted on the Forests’ website and the fire’s Inciweb page as they are in place. https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtbdf-grouse.

The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway remains open. Those recreating or traveling in the fire area are encouraged to be aware of the situation and to pay attention to increased fire traffic.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area.

The Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Campfires are allowed only in a permanent metal fire grate/ring provided by the Forest Service in a designated, developed recreation site. Smoking is restricted to vehicles, in buildings, or in an area clear of flammable materials. Devices with an on/off switch that use LPG fuels are allowed in an area clear of flammable materials within 3 feet of the device.