Be Careful, Huge Fire Shows Growing Danger in Montana

Firefighters battling the largest wildfire in Montana this year are bracing for hot, dry weather that's now led to "red flag" warnings this weekend.

And with the Horse Gulch Fire near Helena now well over 10,000 acres, there's concern this first major fire of the 2024 season could be a harbinger of things to come, with nothing but hot weather in the extended forecast.

Fire agencies across the state have been scrambling this week to deal with a sharp uptick in the number of wildfires, some of which have been caused by people.

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New maps showing Horse Gulch Fire's rapid growth

The Horse Gulch Fire, first reported on Tuesday afternoon, is burning in rough terrain 2 miles north of Canyon Ferry, and approximately 5 miles south of York. Investigators have already indicated the blaze is "human-caused".

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office is managing a wide range of evacuations around the blaze's perimeter, including York and Canyon Ferry Road. The American Red Cross also has shelters in place for the evacuees.

Firefighting efforts took a tragic turn when 45-year-old Julianna Turchetti, flying for Idaho-based Dauntless Air, hit a mountain in her SEAT plane, a single-engine air tanker, while on a water run, hitting the mountainside and dropping into Holter Lake. AgAir Update reported that Turchetti had a teenage son and family in her home country of Brazil.

RELATED: Initial Details on Fatality at Horse Gulch Fire

New maps this morning

The latest aerial recon flight Friday morning mapped the blaze at 10,849 acres, and that seems likely to continue to grow this weekend. Fire crews, are trying to deal with the growth of the blaze to the north and east, but are bracing for rough weather conditions.

Winds were expected to pick up Friday afternoon, with new "red flag" warnings now issued for Saturday afternoon and evening, with gusty winds up to 35 mph and humidities dropping to as low as 10%.

A warning for all

Fire agencies have been raising their danger levels to "high" quickly this week. But with "fire weather" expected to dry things out even further, it won't take long before those are adjusted upward.

Additionally, National Weather Service forecasters are monitoring a possible push of monsoonal moisture starting Sunday into early next week. For now, that may only mean dry thunderstorms and lightning, initially impacting the Southern Bitterroot, and areas within the general boundaries of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

The "red flag" warnings now extended to a broad area stretching from Great Falls south through Dillion and other parts of Southwest Montana.

Everyone is being urged to use caution this weekend, dowsing campfires, securing tow chains and other equipment, during mowing operations, and keeping from parking in high grass.