Dual Fires Ravage Southeast Montana Amid Escalating Crisis

Massive fires spread across Southeast Montana, threatening communities and businesses with no relief in sight.

Cars stop to take pictures along Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun road on June 26, 2021. Going To The Sun Road 6 / Melissa Yeager/The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Southeast Montana faces a relentless threat as two significant fires continue ravaging the region. The Barber Draw fire, which ignited on Wednesday just northwest of the Tongue River Reservoir, has rapidly grown to 8,000 acres. Meanwhile, the Remington fire began in Wyoming and crossed into Montana on Thursday evening, scorching a staggering 128,771 acres along the way.

The Remington Fire ripped 130,000 acres in one burn period… first starting in Wyoming and then crossing into Montana. #mtfire #mtwx #wyfire #wywx #wildfire
There are pre evac orders for Ashland Montana and other parts of Rosebud county, this is my old stomping grounds, and… pic.twitter.com/gLKsrKkq5W

— The Hotshot Wake Up (@HotshotWake) August 24, 2024

Keith Gerber, the operations chief with Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, noted that the firefighting efforts initially focused on the Barber Draw fire, speaking with Q2. However, the Remington fire's explosive growth quickly demanded more attention. “We have close to 120 resources up there on the line for the Barber Draw fire, from smoke jumpers to contract engines, hand crews, dozers, blades,” Gerber explained. “As of now, we’re setting up camp to support both the Barber Draw incident, our original team assignment, and potentially some operational support logistics for the Remington fire.”

The cause of these devastating fires has been attributed to lightning strikes from recent storms that swept through the area. Unfortunately, the forecasted hot temperatures and high winds for Saturday are only expected to exacerbate the situation. “As large as this fire is, it’s not going to go out tomorrow. We’re going to have to get boots on the ground and folks around the perimeter of the fire to make sure it’s not going to move anywhere,” Gerber said, highlighting the long battle ahead.

Local businesses, like the Tongue River Reservoir Marina, are also feeling the strain. The marina, owned by Ryan Bogers, has faced three evacuation orders this summer alone. “Being our third evacuation now, the worst part of this is the rentals,” Bogers shared. “We’re talking a significant amount of money that we have to bring back and missed sales as well.” With only ten days left in their season, the continued threat of the fires is particularly devastating.

Bogers, like many others in the area, is doing what he can to support the firefighting efforts. On Thursday, he assisted crews as they set up camps along the reservoir and utilized multiple aircraft to pull water from the river. “Right now, we’re just helping the fire crews out the best we can and let them do what they need to do,” he said.

As the fire season intensifies, uncertainty looms over the region. The situation is dire, and the future remains unclear. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Bogers admitted, echoing the fears of many who call southeast Montana home.