Wildfire starts up near Clark

‘It’s hot, dry and windy. It will continue to burn.’

Posted 6/15/21

A wildfire north of Clark in the Beartooth Mountain Range blew up on Monday, rapidly growing from about 40 acres in the morning to roughly 230 acres by the late afternoon.

When it was first …

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Wildfire starts up near Clark

‘It’s hot, dry and windy. It will continue to burn.’

Posted

A wildfire north of Clark in the Beartooth Mountain Range blew up on Monday, rapidly growing from about 40 acres in the morning to roughly 230 acres by the late afternoon.

When it was first reported Sunday, the Robertson Draw Fire was burning mostly in sagebrush and grass. However, the fire moved into the timber in the Shoshone and Custer Gallatin National Forests Monday as Clark residents watched flames towering over mature trees and spreading quickly. Crews are worried high temperatures and strong winds could push the fire further into Wyoming. The fire was near Line Creek, about 2 miles from the nearest structures, as of Monday afternoon.

Resources at the scene include engines and firefighters from the Forest Service and Bridger, Belfry and Red Lodge fire departments, Billings Type II veterans and the Pilot Peak Wildland module out of Cody, said Custer Gallatin National Forest public relations officer Marna Daley. 

Don Tolman, a rancher with family property near Line Creek, sat watching the efforts of helicopters dropping water and from slurry planes. “[Pilots] have been dropping water on it to keep it from coming our way,” he said from less than a mile from the fire.

Tolman has seen many fires in the area over the years and is worried about storms approaching from the north, bring high winds. “It was almost out this morning, but then it just took off.”

A representative from the Forest Service was in the area, looking to stop traffic into the forest near the end of Park County Road 1AB.

The first report of the fire was made at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, the Forest Service said, although the smoke was visible from Clark earlier in the afternoon. Smoke was seen billowing near timber, as the day heated up well into the 90s in the Basin. The initial fire was fairly easy to access in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Daley said, but has moved into extremely steep terrain.

“It’s hot, dry and windy. It will continue to burn,” she said.

Two type 2 hand crews, helicopters and air tankers were ordered by the agency. Monday afternoon two helicopters took turn dropping water on the Wyoming side of the fire. No structures are threatened at this time, according to Daley, but the Ruby Creek and Gold Creek drainages have been evacuated and the North and South Fork of Grove Creek were in pre-evacuation standby as of 4 p.m. Monday.

There are area closures for the plateau south of U.S. Highway 212 from Mt. Maurice Trailhead to Greenough Lake. The Eastside campground had yet to be evacuated. A bystander was injured in the area Sunday, but they were treated and released by crews.

Temperature are expected to be in the high 80s today (Tuesday), with winds kicking up to 15-20 mph and gusts of more than 30 mph expected, according to the National Weather Service. There is a “red flag” warning until Tuesday at 10 p.m.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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