Fire officials say Deer Creek Fire nearly contained

The Deer Creek Fire has reached near 100% containment and with the possibility of a healthy amount of rain, state fire crews have taken control.

According to state officials, with 96% containment and secure control lines, management of the Deer Creek Fire has transitioned from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 9 back to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation as of 7 a.m. Monday.

This is the final update for the Deer Creek Fire unless significant changes occur. 

The fire is listed at just a shade under 1,100 acres.

Sunday, crews continued to mop-up around the entire perimeter, working progressively deeper into the interior to extinguish any remaining hot spots. Firefighters will continue to mop up and patrol the fire ensuring the security of the entire fire. 

Monday’s priority remains to aggressively mop up hot spots to increase containment. Thorough mop-up is essential to fully secure the control lines before transitioning the fire into patrol status. 

A brief warming and drying trend begins Tuesday, but by the evening, shower and isolated  thunderstorm chances gradually increase. Wetting rain chances increase to 60-70% on Wednesday with widespread showers and thunderstorms, along with cooler temperatures. 

There are no evacuations or closure orders at this time. Members of the public are asked to avoid the Pleasant Valley Area to allow emergency access by responders and ensure firefighter and public safety.