2024 Montana wildfires

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2024 Montana wildfires
20240823 SunsetPlume RemingtonFire.jpg
Smoke from the Remington Fire during sunset on August 23
Statistics
Total fires2,131
Total area157,845 acres (63,878 ha) [1]
Impacts
Deaths1 firefighter [2]
Season
2025  →

The 2024 Montana wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Montana during 2024.

Contents

Background

While "fire season" in Montana varies every year based on weather conditions, most wildfires occur in between May and October. Wildfires are influenced by above average temperatures and dry conditions that influence drought. When vegetation dries out earlier in the season, wildfires are more likely to start and spread. The leading cause of wildfires in Montana is burning debris. [3] The spread rate of wildfires is affected by the buildup of fuels. [4]

Summary

Wildfire season had a slow, quiet start, most likely from some precipitation in May, but June was drier than average. In July, temperatures had increased as high as the triple digits and there was little precipitation. Subsequently, wildfires were now starting all around the state. Dry thunderstorms ignited the Deadman, McGhee, Prairie, and Four Mile fires. In August, a weather pattern change resulted in cooler temperatures and above-average precipitation. Firefighters were able to control the fires that began in July and new wildfires were easily kept from getting out of control. [5] [6] In Eastern Montana, drought lasted into early November, with some areas of Yellowstone County in moderate to extreme droughts. However, in Western Montana, cold temperatures and snow had essentially brought an end to wildfire season. A cold front had moved into the area. Once snowfall had ended fire season in all of the state, prescribed burns and pile burns began to remove future fuels. [7] Approximately 700 wildfires were sparked by lightning, while about 1,300 were human-caused. [8]

While fighting the Horse Gulch Fire, 45-year-old pilot Juliana Turchetti's water scooper crashed into a mountain, and she was killed upon impact. [2] Wildfires contributed to poor air quality across the states along with wildfires in Idaho. [9]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment date [a] NotesRef
Horse Gulch Lewis and Clark, Broadwater 15,167July 9July 26Human-caused. Burned about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of Canyon Ferry Dam. Water scooper pilot killed while fighting the fire after plane crashed into a mountain. [11] [12] [2]
Deadman Rosebud, Big Horn 19,982July 12July 23Lightning-caused. Part of the Deadman Complex. [13]
McGhee Rosebud 19,223July 12July 24Lightning-caused. Part of the Deadman Complex. [14]
Prairie Rosebud 6,540July 12July 23Lightning-caused. Part of the Deadman Complex. [14] [15]
Four Mile Big Horn 2,082July 12July 23Lightning-caused. Part of the Deadman Complex. [14] [16]
Line Creek Powder River 2,496July 12August 14Lightning-caused.
Miller Peak Missoula 2,724July 14August 20Caused by lightning. [17]
Railroad Ravalli 1,583July 25November 6Lightning-caused. Burned about 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Hamilton. [18] [19]
Johnson Ravalli 8,438July 25November 5Lightning-caused. Burned near Sula. [20] [21]
Grouse Beaverhead 6,228July 26October 28Lightning-caused. Burned about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Wise River. [22] [23]
Hopkin Carter 1,129August 4August 5 [24]
Shirley Powder River 1,230August 5August 9Lightning-caused. Burned in Gallatin National Forest. [25] [26]
Stewart Powder River 1,150August 5August 7 [27]
Daly Ravalli 11,386August 18November 6 [28]
Ratio Mountain Jefferson 1,966August 18October 31Caused by lightning. Burned about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Whitehall. [29] [30]
Barber Draw Big Horn 6,739August 21August 27Lightning-caused. Burned north of the Tongue River Reservoir and prompted evacuations in the area. [31] [32]
Big Hollow Beaverhead 3,435August 23September 5Likely cause by lightning and burned about 13 miles (21 km) west of Grant. [33] [34]
Chalky Point Big Horn, Rosebud 1,200August 22August 25Naturally caused. Burned about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Lame Deer. [35] [36]
Sharrott Creek Ravalli 3,204August 232024Lightning-caused. [37]
Homestead Sheridan 1,000September 14September 25 [38]
Meridian Madison 3,900October 82024Undetermined cause. Burned about 40 miles (64 km) south of Ennis. [39] [40]
2024 Montana wildfires
Perimeters of 2024 Montana wildfires (map data)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Current Fire Info". Montana Fire Info. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 O'Brien, Edward F. (November 25, 2024). "2024 wildfire season: Long, intense, tragic". Montana Public Radio . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Montana Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. Western Fire Chiefs Association. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  4. ↑ "A New Approach to Montana Wildfires". wildmontana.org. Wild Montana. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  5. ↑ Grevenitz, Curtis (August 13, 2024). "Weather Wise: 2024 Wildfire Season so far". KTVH-DT . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  6. ↑ Weiss, Caroline (January 1, 2025). "Recapping Montana's 2024 fire season". KPAX-TV . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ Lloyd, Zeke (October 30, 2024). "Montana's prolonged fire season slugs along towards conclusion". Montana Free Press . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  8. ↑ Grevenitz, Curtis (October 28, 2024). "A recap of Montana's 2024 fire season". KRTV . Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  9. ↑ Hauter, Alina (September 10, 2024). "Longer fire season in Montana means more days with low air quality". KTVQ . Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  10. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Horse Gulch Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Horse Gulch Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Deadman Fire in SE Montana grows to nearly 19000 acres". KTVQ. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 "Two of four fires in Deadman Fire complex reach 100% containment". KULR 8. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Prairie Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Four Mile Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Miller Peak Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Railroad Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Railroad Fire Update Sept 1, 2024". InciWeb. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Johnson Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Johnson Fire Update". bitterrootstar.com. Bitterroot Star. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Grouse Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Grouse Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Hopkin Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Shirley Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Custer Gallatin National Forest firefighters respond to fires covering over 1,400 acres". NBC Montana . August 8, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Stewart - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.jconline.com. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Daly Creek Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Ratio Mountain Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Ratio Mountain Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Barber Draw Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  32. ↑ Spartz, Isabel; Carmack, Mack (August 24, 2024). "Dual wildfires causing chaos on Montana-Wyoming border". KTVQ . Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Big Hollow Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Big Hollow Fire Final Update 09-09-2024". InciWeb. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Chalky Point Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Chalky Point - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.oakridger.com. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Sharrott Creek Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Current Fire Info". Montana Fire Info. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Meridian Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Meridian Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
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