GREAT FALLS — Several fires were ignited in southeast Montana by dry lightning on July 12 and 13. The Deadman Fire and the Anderson Fire burned together on Sunday, reaching an estimated combined 15,294 acres.
The combined Deadman/Anderson fires will be referred to as Deadman.
The total combined acres for the Deadman, Anderson, McGhee, Prairie Dog, Hackley, and Four-Mile Fires is estimated at 22,208 as of Monday morning (July 15, 2024).
The fires are centered about 17 miles south of Birney and north of the Tongue River Reservoir in Rosebud and Big Horn counties.
Inciweb reports that landowners, ranchers, fire departments, and state and federal land agencies have worked incredibly hard the past several days fighting these fires and have made significant progress.
Crews and landowners have been building miles of fire lines and conducting burnout operations to gain ground.
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Last night, the McGhee Fire pushed northwest towards Birney. On Monday, the Flathead Interagency Hotshot Crew and other resources will be working to connect pieces of fire line to secure that part of the fire.
A Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 took command of these fires on Monday.
As of Monday morning, there have been no reported injures or damaged homes/structures.
An evacuation warning has been issued for residents along the Tongue River Road from the Tongue River Bridge at Wall Creek to the southern Rosebud County line.
