American Fork Fire grows to more than 5,800 acres

GREAT FALLS — The lightning-sparked American Fork Fire (Inciweb) has burned an estimated 5,806 acres as of Sunday morning (July 25, 2021). It is now about 10% contained.

The fire started on July 17 in the northeast Crazy Mountains, about 24 miles southwest of Harlowtown. It is one of several wildfires burning on the White Sulphur Springs Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest.

The Southern Area Incident Management Gold Team, led by Incident Commander Debbie Beard, assumed command of the fire on July 23. Numerous resources are responding to the fire.

Firefighters continue suppression and firing operations towards the 2017 Blacktail Fire footprint, holding the fireline along the east. Aerial resources are picking up spot fires and also aiding in suppression efforts. Crews are also working on structure protection to the south of the fire.

Hot and dry conditions continue across the area with near red flag conditions. Active to extreme fire behavior is expected, with substantial growth possible.

Advisories:

• Do not fly drones over the fire. If you fly, we can't.
• Please respect road closure. Traffic on closed roads creates safety hazards for firefighters and emergency vehicles.
• Firefighting resources are extremely limited. It is critically important that we all do our part to prevent additional fire starts by following all campfire restrictions and fire-related closures.
• The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Custer Gallatin National Forest are under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, which includes the use of charcoal grills. The Custer Gallatin also has restricted campfires in all locations.

MTN