Two wildfires in Beaverhead County now account for more than 6,700 acres burnt as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Trail Creek Fire, 20 miles west of Wisdom on Highway 43, has grown to 5,383 acres, while the Alder Creek Fire near Wise River stands at 1,380 acres.
A Type I Incident Management Team from the southern U.S. has taken over management of both fires, according to Inciweb.
The priority on the Trail Creek Fire for Tuesday is to limit fire spread to the east and protect the May Creek and Hogan Cabins while limiting hazard exposure to personnel and the public.
There is currently an area and trail closure in effect for the Trail Creek Fire that closes a portion of the Continental Divide Trail. Highway 43 is also closed at Wisdom west to the junction with Highway 93. Fire officials say a new, expanded closure order will be finalized and posted within the next 24 to 48 hours.
The Alder Creek Fire, 7 miles west of Wise River and southwest of Highway 43, saw significant growth on Monday and has crossed over Meadow Ridge into upper Harriet Lou Creek.
According to Inciweb, on Tuesday crews will continue building fireline in the Alder Creek drainage, install sprinklers, and lay hose in preparation for burnout operations.
To view closure orders and maps, visit the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest web page.
Both the Trail Creek and Alder Creek fires were first detected on July 8. Lightning has been confirmed as the cause of Trail Creek, while the cause of the Alder Creek Fire remains unknown.
Both fires are currently zero percent contained.
