An Avro RJ85 jet airtanker from Aero-Flite Inc. drops a 3000 gallon load of retardant ahead of the Buffalo Fire. The fire burned 11,648 acres in total.
The Buffalo Fire sends up a plume of dark smoke as it rages near the Wyoming border south of Broadus last week. In the foreground, a helicopter dips water from a reservoir to battle the blaze. Air assets on the fire included three helicopters, heavy airtankers, air attack spotter planes, and multiple single engine air tankers.
Live grasshoppers were found in the newly burned ground on the Buffalo Fire mere hours after flames covered the area. Many charred grasshopper carcasses also littered the newly blackened ground. Grasshoppers have been a problem across the county this summer as the hordes consume pasture, crops, and gardens.
A helicopter dips water out of a reservoir.
A single engine air tanker drops fire retardant ahead of the advancing flames.
An old 3 Bar line cabin was saved from the flames by a retardant drop and fire line.
The fire consumes a cottonwood tree along Buffalo Creek.
Last Wednesday a large fire kicked off on Buffalo Creek, in South Central Powder River County near the Wyoming border. The fire is believed to have started from a burning coal seam, which ignited during a 3000 acre fire in 2017.
The fire last week was initially propelled by high winds blowing from the south and southeast, and took off for the river. Federal, state, and local fire assets, as well as local ranchers fought to contain the blaze; it was finally brought to a halt on the north end at the River Road with backburns.
On Thursday the winds turned around and pushed the fire towards the south and southeast; the flames were then brought to a halt by the plethora of assets on the fire.
A Type 3 Incident Management Team controlled the fire, and a number of assets worked the fire including smokejumpers, three Hotshot crews, multiple engines, dozers, and numerous aircraft including heavy tankers, single engine air tankers, air attack spotter planes, and three helicopters. Engines from Broadus, Biddle, and Custer County worked the lines, as did many ranchers with their private rigs. The Powder River County Road Crew was also instrumental in corralling the fire with their blades.
The Buffalo Fire was announced contained on July 25th and controlled the following day, with assets released. In total 11,648 acres were consumed, which makes it the largest fire to date this year in the area. According to the National Interagency Coordination Center's daily situation report, $550,000 was spent in putting out the Buffalo Fire.
Interestingly enough, the contingency plan for the 2017 Buffalo Fire was to stop the blaze at the River Road, which would have duplicated the route taken by the 2020 Buffalo Fire, but was corralled near where the 2020 began.
Other recent local fires include the Witcher Fire, 46 miles south of Miles City on July 16th, which burned 310 acres, the Red Butte Fire on July 19th, 17 miles NE of Ashland which burned 311 acres, the Border Fire July 19th 34 miles SE of Broadus, which burned 20 acres, a small fire near Belle Creek on July 26th, and the Plum Fire July 27th, 34 miles SE of Ashland, which burned 120 acres.
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