Single Publication

Incident Commander:  R. Griffin, C. Olander, (T)
Location:  10 miles southwest of Wise River, MT
Start Date: 7/25/2024 
Cause: Undetermined
Size: 3,700 acres 
Resources on Site: 3 hotshot crews; 5 type 2 hand crews; 10 engines; 2 skidgens; 1 dozer
Total Personnel:  290
 

KEY MESSAGES: 
Rocky Mountain Team 3, a Complex Incident Management Team, will be shadowing the current Type 3 Management Team today and taking command of the fire at 0600 Friday morning. Heavy equipment will be working along the Scenic Byway. Continue to slow down, drive 35 miles MPH and yield to firefighting equipment, engines and vehicles. Fire activity and smoke will be visible in the area. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway remains OPEN but there will be intermittent delays and one lane of traffic with heavy equipment and log trucks moving material on and near the Byway. 
 

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS:  
Active fire behavior was observed in the Grouse Lakes basin with short runs and group torching. Crews utilized aviation support in the form of Large Air Tankers and Type One Helicopters on the ridge to the south of Stine Creek, successfully keeping fire from progressing to the north into Stine Creek drainage. Heavy equipment continued fuels reduction work to protect infrastructure from the Harriet Lou Road to the south on the Scenic Byway.
Crews will continue to hold and secure established control lines in the Reservoir Creek drainage and around structures on the fire perimeter. Heavy equipment will continue to construct a fuel break from the Harriet Lou Road progressing to the south. Crews and air resources will look for opportunities to keep the fire along the ridge south of the main Stine Creek drainage.  
 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
On Wednesday, wind gusts and low relative humidities were present in the fire area. Thursday is calling for a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. Active fire behavior is expected with smoke visible in the fire area. 
 

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.
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.