Woods Creek, Balsinger and American Fork Fires

09/01/2021

The FDNY Incident Management Team would like to thank the residents of the communities affected by the Woods Creek and Balsinger Fires. Your patience and understanding of the fire suppression efforts helped us manage these incidents efficiently. For a small town nestled under the Big Belt Mountains, you welcomed us in your businesses, your backyards, and even in your homes. While our time working on these fires has come to an end, our team will not forget the impression the town of White Sulphur Springs left on us.

On our initial drive to the Incident Command Post on Jackson Avenue, we passed through the previous burn scar on Route 12 from the Deep Creek Canyon Fire. While this fire was less than a month prior to the Woods Creek Fire, we were struck by the growth creeping across portions of the ground burn scar. It will surely be some time before the and are declared to be completely extinguished. However, your communities will return to normalcy, and the Forest will grow back. As we de-mobilize and transition both fires to new incoming teams, we leave you with these pictures as a symbol of hope, and renewal.

Thank you again for your support!

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
Custer Gallatin National Forest
Montana DNRC
Bureau of Land Management - Montana/Dakotas

09/01/2021

****THIS FACEBOOK PAGE WILL NO LONGER PROVIDE INFORMATION UPDATES FOR THESE FIRES.****

Effective tomorrow, Thursday September 2, 2021, at 6:00 am, The Incident Management Team will transition management of the Woods Creek and Balsinger Fires to new teams. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest will assume management of the . Management of the will be assumed by the Martinez Type 3 Incident Management Team.

Please review the following list of information sources where you can find information related to your needs:

Inciweb for fire updates:

Woods Creek Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7649/
Balsinger Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7624/
American Fork Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7681/

Information on area closures and evacuations/pre-evacuations:

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
Custer Gallatin National Forest

You can use the following phone numbers for questions about the fires:

Woods Creek Fire -- Townsend Ranger Station -- 406-266-3425 hours 8am - 4:30pm
Balsinger Fire -- White Sulphur Springs Ranger Station -- 406-547-3361 hours 8am - 4:30pm
American Fork -- Forrest Ford PIO -- 406-223-5630 hours 8am - 4:30pm

09/01/2021

Good morning. Here is today's Operations Briefing on the Woods Creek Fire from Brad McBratney of Strategic Operational Planning.

55,411 Acres
90% Contained
342 Personnel

This will be the last Operations Briefing from the FDNY Incident Management Team. It has been our pleasure producing these briefings for you. We wish you all the best as your communities and forests return to a sense of normalcy.

09/01/2021

Good morning. Here is today's Operations Briefing on the Balsinger Fire from Brad McBratney of Strategic Operational Planning.

8,584 Acres
77% Contained
57 Personnel

This will be the last Operations Briefing from the FDNY Incident Management Team. It has been our pleasure producing these briefings for you. We wish you all the best as your communities and forests return to a sense of normalcy.

08/31/2021

08/31/2021

Good morning. Here is today's Operations Briefing on the Woods Creek Fire from Brad McBratney of Strategic Operational Planning.

55,411 Acres
90% Contained
339 Personnel

08/31/2021

Please see updated maps for the American Fork, Balsinger and Woods Creek Fires for August 31st. Reminder that the fire updates are released on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday basis beginning on 08/27.

08/31/2021

Quick video of the progression of the fire maps that have been released since July 31 of the .

08/30/2021

Balsinger, Woods Creek, and American Fork Fires Update
Monday August 30, 2021 – 10:00 am
Fire Department City of New York Type 2 Incident Management Team
Richard DePrima, Incident Commander – Balsinger and Woods Creek Fires
Custer Gallatin National Forest Type 4
Wes Woodrome, Incident Commander – American Fork Fire
Information phone: 406-426-9612
Email: [email protected]
Information staffing hours: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

Special Notes: Fire Updates will continue to be released on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Transfer of the American Fork Fire from Albuquerque Zone IMT Type 3 to the Custer Gallatin National Forest Type 4 occurred Sunday, August 29th.

Current Situation: Work continues today to strengthen containment and contingency lines and mop-up hot spots. Cooperating agencies have approved suppression repair plans, and crews will continue to repair hand and dozer lines to mitigate impacts to natural and cultural resources. Control lines that are still needed to prevent fire spread will remain in place until fire season has ended. Other repair activities include pulling back berms and installing water bars to prevent soil erosion and water run-off.

Balsinger Fire
Location: 5 miles W of Neihart, MT | Acreage: 8,584 | Containment: 77% | Start date: July 9, 2021 Personnel: 61
There has been no fire growth. Firefighters and engines continue to patrol and mop-up along containment lines. Smoldering among the heavier fuels within the fire perimeter is possible. Crews will continue mop-up and patrol in Divisions I and T. Division R remains unstaffed. Steep, inaccessible terrain and heavy fuels in Division R make direct attack along the north edge unsafe for firefighters. Fire suppression repair will continue. Equipment is being back-hauled, including hose lays and pumps.

Woods Creek Fire
Location: 16 miles NE of Townsend, MT | Acreage: 55,411 | Containment: 90% | Start date: July 10, 2021 | Personnel: 384
Minimal fire activity is expected again today. Crews continue to patrol and work to improve contingency lines. Smoldering and creeping may occur. Suppression repair continues in Divisions O, A, and Y. Crews in Division Q and Division S completed chipping and mastication on the contingency lines. Crews continue to monitor for hot spots along the perimeter and in the North Fork of Duck Creek. Interior smokes may be visible, but there is minimal heat near the fire perimeter. Interior fuels may continue to burn until there is a season-ending event.

American Fork Fire
Location: 24 miles SW of Harlowtown, MT | Acreage: 21,892 | Containment: 75% | Start date: July 17, 2021 | Personnel: 61 Command of the American Fork fire was transferred from the Albuquerque Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team to a local Custer Gallatin National Forest Type 4 organization at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 29. Under the leadership of Incident Commander Wes Woodrome and trainee Greg Daniels, the new team will direct suppression repair efforts and clearing roads and trails of debris today. Area and trail closures remain in effect around the burn area due to hazardous conditions.

Weather and Fuel Conditions: Today, mostly sunny with a weak disturbance from the southwest. In areas of heat, we may see more smoldering and activity. Increasing clouds and rain showers and the potential for a weak thunderstorm may move into the area this afternoon and evening with little rainfall but capable of gusty and erratic outflow winds. Warm, dry, and breezy conditions are forecasted for Tuesday, with a mainly dry cold front passage in the late afternoon hours. A slight chance of showers or thunderstorms exists with this front. Cooler conditions return for Wednesday with a slight chance of showers.

Evacuation Notices
For questions or more information on evacuations, please contact your local county sheriff’s office.
American Fork Fire: The Park County Sheriff’s Office has Shields River Road in pre-evacuation status. Meagher County has done the same with the Smith Creek area.
Balsinger Fire: The Cascade County Sheriff’s Office has issued pre-evacuation orders for Belt Park, the area from the Belt Creek Ranger Station to Monarch, and from west of Monarch to the confluence of Pilgrim Creek and Belt Creek.
Woods Creek Fire: The Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office has lifted all evacuation and pre-evacuation orders and warnings for all areas of the Woods Creek Fire on the Broadwater County side. The Meagher County Sheriff’s Office has lifted the pre-evacuation for the area east of Camas Creek Road and north of North Fork Woods Gulch Creek to Luppold Road. On the east side of the fire, the area south of Burt Ranch Road and west of Camas Creek Road is in pre-evacuation status. A pre-evacuation notice remains for residents on Birky Road and Ramspeck Lane and for Grassy Mountain residents.

Closures, Advisories, Restrictions
Areas around the fires are closed for public safety. Please respect the closure signs. Traffic on closed roads creates safety hazards for firefighters and emergency vehicles.
Temporary flight restrictions remain in place over the American Fork Fire area. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.
Closure areas:
Balsinger Fire: https://go.usa.gov/xFMGk Woods Creek Fire: https://go.usa.gov/xFhyp
American Fork Fire: Alerts and Notices Page, see the second section marked ‘Closures’, and select “Critical - American Fork Reduced Closure Area Effective 8/29/21” https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/custergallatin/alerts-notices
Bureau of Land Management Butte and Lewiston Field Offices: Woods Creek Fire closures https://go.usa.gov/xFMGG
Fire restrictions: Helena - Lewis and Clark National Forest is in Stage 1 fire restrictions. For details see: https://go.usa.gov/xFhyt
Custer Gallatin National Forest is in Stage 1 fire restrictions. For details, see: Item one in the Alerts and Notices page and select section: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/custergallatin/alerts-notices
For more information:
Information phone: 406-426-9612
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2XiK1Et
Email: [email protected]
American Fork InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7681
Balsinger InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7624
Woods Creek InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7649
Smoke information: https://fire.airnow.gov/ # or https://svc.mt.gov/deq/todaysair/smokemostrecentupdate.aspx
Statewide fire restrictions: www.MTFireInfo.org

08/30/2021

08/30/2021

Good morning. Here is today's Operations Briefing on the Balsinger Fire from Brad McBratney of Strategic Operational Planning.

8,584 Acres
77% Contained
47 Personnel