Single Publication

Incident Commander: Richard Griffin (Type 3 IC) and Kyle Errecart (Type 3 IC Trainee)
Location: 15 miles northeast of Wisdom, MT in the Sawlog Creek drainage
Start Date: 05/01/2025
Cause: Undetermined – under investigation
Size: 2,030 acres  
Resources Assigned: 3 crews; 2 engines; 1 helicopter; 1 water tender
Total Personnel: 132
Containment: 94%

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS:
Firefighters progressed with patrol and mop-up of the fire perimeter, reaching 94% containment. A helicopter relocated to the Wise River Helibase for the day, shortening the response time to provide any necessary medical support. The UAS module completed additional infrared (IR) heat-seeking missions to locate hot spots; zero areas of heat were found along the fire’s edge. Resource advisors from BLM and FS continue development of a repair plan based on their assessment of natural resource impacts due to suppression operations.

Firefighters have assessed an area northeast of the fire in the Walker Creek drainage that ties into a previously used fireline for the Alder Fire of 2021; the analysis will include the extent and type of suppression work necessary if the line were to be used in the future. The helicopters, housed in Butte for safe cover, are expected to remain there given the weather forecast. Excess resources no longer needed will demobilize and return to home units over the next few days. The Incident Command Post (ICP) at the Wisdom Airport will likely be dismantled by the end of Wednesday.

WEATHER, FUELS, AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
Yesterday was another day of scattered rain showers, with only isolated pockets of wetting rain reaching the fire. Gusty winds up to 35 mph materialized in the afternoon hours. ICP and the fire area received significant precipitation during the overnight hours. Today’s weather calls for cloudy conditions, with the likelihood of a morning snow shower followed by widespread precipitation and wetting rains. Winds will be from the north to northwest, up to 10 mph.

Fire behavior was limited to mostly creeping; interior pockets of unburned fuel may continue to smolder. The fire is burning mainly in sagebrush and Lodgepole pine timber. The north-facing slopes in the area consist of a high “dead and downed” fuel component in a mixed conifer forest, and numerous “snags” or hazard trees are present. This fuel combination poses additional hazards for firefighters, affecting on-the-ground progress. Fuel conditions, during this time of year (pre-green up), are extremely dry.

The fire footprint from the 2021 Alder Fire is located to the east, and the fire footprint from the 2021 Christensen Fire lies to the south.

CLOSURES:
The Montana Fish, Wildfire and Parks has issued an emergency site closure for the Fishtrap Creek Fishing Access Site on the Big Hole River due to fire activity from the Sawlog Fire. The site is closed to public use from Mudd Creek Bridge to Sportsman’s Park.

For public safety reasons, the Bureau of Land Management has issued a temporary closure for the Sawlog dispersed camping area, located at the Big Hole River ford site. Specific closure language can be viewed on the Sawlog Fire Inciweb page, Closures tab.