GREAT FALLS — Here is an update on two wildfires as of mid-day on Friday, October 8, 2021 - the South Moccasin Fire in Fergus County, and the Crown Mountain Fire in Lewis & Clark County.
South Moccasin: The fire is located about seven miles northwest of Lewistown. It has burned an estimated 12,800 acres, and is now about 80% contained. There have been no injuries reported. There are 217 personnel assigned to the fire. Damage assessments earlier this week found five structures destroyed, none of which were primary residences. The cause of the has not yet been determined.
Crews will continue to "mop up" hot spots along the fire's southern edge. The majority of suppression repair is complete along the east side of the fire and crews will complete suppression repair to the south in the coming days. Crews are continuing to remove dangerous dead, standing trees along Tower Road. The County Assist Team plans to transition the fire back to local resources at 2pm Saturday. Continued cooler and wetter conditions are expected in the coming days with minimal fire spread.
Crown Mountain: The fire is located about 16 miles west/southwest of Augusta. It has burned an estimated 818 acres; there is no containment at this point. There have been no injuries reported. There are 130 personnel assigned to the fire. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The burning is still between the Petty and Moudess Creek drainages and the newest growth was primarily to the south and the east into quadrant 24. It did not extend beyond the Petty and Smith Creek confluence, nor did it extend to the north beyond Petty Creek. The Forest Service continues a full suppression strategy focusing on point protection of threatened ranches and recreational residences. Cooler temperatures beginning in the high 30s and topping out in the low 50s will prevail throughout the day with slight chances of snow in the morning and scattered rain throughout the day.
- South Moccasin Fire on Inciweb
- Crown Mountain Fire on Inciweb
Wildfire sparks in Fergus County
Wildfire burning southwest of Augusta
You can also visit MtFireInfo.org for information about current wildfires in Montana.
