Single Publication

Located 20 miles north/northwest of Whitehall, MT, the Ratio Mountain Fire is currently estimated at 40 acres. Gusty outflow winds associated with passing thunderstorms helped push the fire to the north, towards Pony Creek.  The area did receive light precipitation this afternoon, but coverage was spotty and not enough to impact fire behavior.

An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) will fly over the fire location this evening to obtain a more accurate acreage and perimeter.
The fire, between Ratio Mountain and Whitetail Reservoir, is burning in heavy dead and downed trees and in an area with a large amount of standing dead trees or "snags." These conditions pose challenges to ensuring firefighter safety and in responding to potential medical emergencies.

This area has experienced large fires recently. Fire footprints (or previously burned areas) lie to the north (State Creek Fire of 2020), the south (McCluskey Fire of 2019), and the west (Placer Fire of 2021) of the fire location. There are several control features from these previous incidents in the vicinity of the fire.

Firefighters are urging the public to stay clear of the area for safety reasons. An area closure around the fire area is likely in the near future.