2025 Montana wildfires

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2025 Montana wildfires
Smoke from the Sawlog Fire May 3.jpg
Smoke from the Sawlog Fire on May 3
Season
←  2024

There is an ongoing series of wildfires burning throughout the U.S. state of Montana.

Contents

Background

Montana Drought Monitor at its peak on July 1, 2025 2025 Montana Drought Monitor.png
Montana Drought Monitor at its peak on July 1, 2025

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. [1] The spread rate of wildfires is affected by the buildup of fuels. [2]

Summary

Despite a worsening drought, the number of acres burned in Montana by July 24 was significantly less than land managers expected. While there had been a similar number of starts compared to last year, (1,116 on July 21, 2025 with 1,069 one year prior), there had been significantly less area burned (92,000 acres (37,000 ha) on July 21, 2024 compared to just 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) the same time in 2025). This was mostly due to heavy-precipitation storms coming from Northwest United States. It moistened terrain, making it less favorable to fire spread. Storms hit areas that needed moisture. [3] However, officials remained the most concerned for Bitterroot Valley from forest fuels and inaccessible terrain, Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson counties due to population growth, the Central Montana grasslands due to grass fuels, and the Eastern plains due to heavy grass growth. [4] Main fire concerns are hot temperatures. [3]

Lightning caused several wildfires throughout Southwestern Montana, although several wildfires were human-caused, as well. Thunderstorms moved through areas under red flag warnings and heat advisories, starting several large wildfires (including the Horn, Bivens Creek, Cloudrest, Windy Rock, and McAllister fires). Temperatures were in excess of 90 °F, and strong thunderstorms posed threats The fires in Madison County were the most severe in terms of smoke and spread. [5] [6] [7] The Horn Fire prompted an evacuation order and closed several residential roads and a campground, [8] while the McAllister Fire prompted an evacuation warning near U.S. Route 87. [5]

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
Sawlog Beaverhead 2,030May 1May 19Undetermined cause. Burned 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Wisdom. Cost $2.5 million in suppression. [10] [11]
Wilder Fergus 3,450July 2July 22Lightning-caused. Burned 27 miles (43 km) northeast of Roy. [12] [13]
Tullock Big Horn 1,469August 4August 8Unknown cause. Burned 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Hardin. [14]
Mission Butte Big Horn 6,149August 12
90%
Unknown cause. Burning 3 miles (4.8 km) east of St. Xavier. [15]
Summer Springs Treasure 2,568August 13August 23Lightning-caused. Burned 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Custer. [16] [17]
Pony Creek Rosebud 1,062August 13August 15Lightning-caused. Burned 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Colstrip. [18] [19]
Horn Madison 2,800August 13August 22Lightning-caused. Burned 17 miles (27 km) northwest of West Yellowstone and prompting pre-evacuations near Madison River Ranch. [20] [21] [22]
Bivens Creek Madison 2,126August 13September 8Unknown cause. Burned 10 miles (16 km) east of Sheridan. [23] [24]
Cloudrest Madison 3,174August 14
54%
Lightning-caused. Burning 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Virginia City and prompted an evacuation warning. [23] [25] [26]
Windy Rock Powell 6,026August 14
48%
Lightning-caused. Burning 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Drummond. [27]
McAllister Madison 3,560August 16August 27Lightning-caused. Burned 4 miles (6.4 km) north of McAllister. Prompted evacuations. [28] [29]
Knowles Sanders 3,816August 17
60%
Human-caused. Burning 11 miles (18 km) east of Plains. [30]
Timber Butte Beaverhead 2,245September 3
85%
Unknown cause. Burning 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Dell. [31]
2025 Montana wildfires
Perimeters of 2025 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. [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Montana Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. Western Fire Chiefs Association. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  2. ↑ "A New Approach to Montana Wildfires". wildmontana.org. Wild Montana. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Walden, Leigh (July 24, 2025). "This year's wildfire season has been chill so far. Why?". montanafreepress.org. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  4. ↑ Clements, Bobby (August 5, 2025). "It's wildfire season: Awareness, preparedness, and prevention". www.montanarightnow.com. KTMF . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Hansen, Jordan (August 18, 2025). "Warm, dry weather ahead as crews continue work on Montana fires". Daily Montanan. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  6. ↑ Bragg, Dennis (August 18, 2025). "Montana News Roundup: State hit by lightning fires". KGVO . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  7. ↑ Greventiz, Curtis (August 19, 2025). "Weather Wise: Fires flare up in Montana". KTVH . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Horn Fire burns 2,800 acres, reaches 50% containment". NBC Montana . August 16, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  9. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Sawlog Fire Information". InciWeb . Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Sawlog - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.gosanangelo.com. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Wilder - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.pnj.com. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Wilder Fire in Fergus County grows to 3,400 acres". KRTV . July 5, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Tullock - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.dispatch.com. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Mission Butte - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Summer Springs - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Summer Springs Fire Information". InciWeb . Archived from the original on August 25, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Pony Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Pony Creek Fire near Colstrip, 1,000 acres big, is 100% contained". KULR . August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  20. ↑ "LG25 6395 - Horn - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Horn Fire burning south of Cliff Lake". KBZK . August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  22. ↑ Bridge, Thom (August 14, 2025). "Horn Fire in Madison County quickly grows to over 2,000 acres". Bozeman Daily Chronicle . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  23. 1 2 "Madison Co. Fires: Cloudrest and Bivens Creek fires top 1K acres". KBZK . August 16, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Bivens Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Cloudrest - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.columbiadialyherald.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Wildfires prompt an evacuation warning in Madison Co". NBC Montana . August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Windy Rock - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.the-leader.com. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  28. ↑ "McAllister - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.statesmanjournal.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  29. ↑ Rattner, Mark (August 21, 2025). "McAllister Fire burning 3,500 acres near Ennis Lake at 50% containment, some evacuations lifted". KTMF . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Knowles - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Timber Butte - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
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