Incident Overview
The Southeastern Montana Complex consists of the following fires: Ash Creek, Taylor, Coal Seam, Horse Creek and Powerline. All fires in the complex are 100% contained. Final mop-up and rehabilitation is being accomplished by a team led by Rodney Weeks, Incident Commander.
The Ash Creek fire started 10 miles east of Lame Deer and spread to the north and east. The Ash Creek fire will report fire information separately at www.inciweb.org/incident/2958.
The Taylor Creek fire started on July 3rd. The fire burned in timber and grass understory, 25 miles southeast of Ashland, MT. The fire spread rapidly in all directions due to dry fuel conditions, stong winds from multiple directions, and hot, dry weather. Extreme fire behavior was observed.
The Horse Creek fire started on July 2nd. The Powerline fire started on July 4th. Both fires are located 20 miles west of Colstrip.
The Coal Seam Fire is located northwest of Busby, MT.
All fires but Ash Creek and Taylor Creek are in patrol status.
Information regarding the Taylor Creek, Horse Creek, Powerline and Coal Seam fires are reporting fire information collectively on this site, www.inciweb.org/incident/2989.
Acreage and containment by individual fire:
Ash Creek - 249,562 (100% contained)
Taylor Creek - 62,134 (100% contained)
Horse Creek - 7,575 (100% contained)
Powerline - 5,265 (100% contained)
Coal Seam - 527 (100% contained)
Total Complex acres - 325,063
Check out the Southeastern Montana Complex Fire Information Facebook page.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Tuesday July 03rd, 2012 approx. 10:00 AM |
| Location | Area around Colstrip to Broadus |
| Incident Commander | Rodney Weeks |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 110 |
|---|---|
| Size | 75,501 acres |
| Percent Contained | 100% |
| Fuels Involved | Timber and grass understory. |
| Fire Behavior | Scattered, isolated, interior hot spots. |
| Significant Events | The Southeastern Montana Complex was established on July 4th to enable more efficient utilization of available resources on multiple fires in southeastern Montana. The complex consists of the Horse Creek, Taylor Creek, Powerline, Coal Seam, and Ash Creek fires. Ash Creek acreage is listed separately under the Ash Creek incident in Inciweb. The number of personnel listed above represents everyone working on the Southeastern Montana Complex, and is also listed in the Ash Creek Fire Inciweb site. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Rehabilitation of fire suppression effects has been completed on Horse Creek and Powerline fires. Work on the Coal Seam Fire has been completed, but approval of the resource advisor is pending. Suppression resources continue working on Ash Creek and Taylor Creek fires, but the primary focus on Ash Creek Fire is rehab. More than 400 miles of fireline require rehabiilitation on Ash Creek Fire alone. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | Med |
| Remarks | *Acreage included in this report DOES NOT INCLUDE the Ash Creek Fire. The acreage is a compilation of the Coal Seam Fire, Taylor Creek Fire, Horse Creek Fire and Powerline Fire. The Ash Creek Fire, a branch of the Southeastern Montana Complex, reports on a separate 209 and on a separate inciweb site. The number of personnel listed here and on the Ash Creek Fire site represent the total combined personnel. Transfer of command to Weeks Type 3 IMT occurred on July 12th. |
Current Weather
| Wind Conditions | 3-10 G15 mph SW |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 85-95 degrees |
| Humidity | 15-25% |
