Sand Creek Fire nears 30,000 acres in Pioneer Mountains

In the face of tragedy, and with a growing number of wildfires spreading across Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte found a few bright spots. 

Calling it a “big victory,” Gianforte said on Wednesday morning that the state’s largest wildfire — the Sand Creek Fire burning near Polaris — had not destroyed any structures while making a 10,000-acre run and jumping a fire line at Maverick Mountain on Tuesday.

“It blew through Maverick Mountain Ski Area and through a subdivision, but as of this morning, they haven’t lost a single structure,” Gianforte said at an event in Alberton on Wednesday. “Frankly, I haven’t said this very often, but the Forest Service is doing a good job. They’re throwing everything after it.”

The fire, which started Aug. 1, was estimated Wednesday at more than 27,000 acres burning throughout the Pioneer Mountains. 

Structure protection was done on the Maverick Mountain lodge and nearby Elkhorn Hot Springs, and fire officials said Wednesday morning that initial reconnaissance of the hot springs revealed “damage was minimal after the fire moved through.”

Posts on social media showed an outpouring of support for the owners of the two beloved properties, as well as property owners in the Grasshopper Valley, which is under evacuation orders. 

The evacuation status includes Mountain View, Highway Drive, the subdivision where Ma Barnes Country Store is located, Sawtooth Road and Clark Creek Road, according to the Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office. 

At Maverick Mountain, The Montana Standard reported that while the lodge is still standing, a ski patrol shack and the chairlift have burned.

Just a few miles to the north, the Bobcat Lakes fire has grown to more than 9,000 acres, and firefighters are working on structure protection along the Pioneer Mountains Scenic By-Way. 

Between the two blazes, 527 personnel are committed, including 27 engines, 10 crews and seven pieces of heavy equipment.  

Gianforte added that seven helicopters have been on the fire over the last week. 

Community meetings will be held on Wednesday at the Jackson School at 6 p.m. and on Thursday at the Wise River Community Building at 6 p.m. Meetings will be recorded and posted to the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest Facebook page. 

United Way of Beaverhead County said on Wednesday that a fire relief fund has been set up with a $10,000 matching gift from Stockman Bank to help those impacted by the Sand Creek Fire. 

“Our community has always come together to support one another in times of need, and I know that spirit will continue through this crisis,” said Ashly Cottom, executive director of the organization. “The United Way Board is honored to help connect resources with those who need them the most. 

Around the rest of Montana, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reports that 12 new fires sparked in the last 24 hours — nine classified as “large” — with nearly 100,000 acres burned in the state this fire season. 

After the two fires in the Pioneers, the next largest is the Moose Fire, burning more than 5,000 acres east of Hamilton, with 151 personnel on it, and the Skillet Fire, which was estimated at 3,383 acres on Thursday morning. 

The Skillet Fire has 566 personnel working on the blaze, which was 39% contained, according to the latest incident report. 

While closure orders are still in place for sections of the Flathead and Kootenai national forests, evacuation orders have been downgraded for areas close to the burn. 

Fire officials said containment efforts are progressing on all portions of the fire, with a focus along the southern and eastern edge. 

An additional large fire, the Silvertip Fire, is burning more than 6,500 acres in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.