A muted sun shines through the smoke above the Tongue River, after the Snider Fire engulfed the area in flames.
A green ribbon of foliage along the Tongue River stands in stark contrast to the ashen husks of burned cottonwood trees, after the Snider Fire jumped the river last week. On September 2nd, hot temperatures and high winds caused the Snider and Rice fires north of Ashland to consume a combined 47,103 acres, while the Zook Fire northwest of Volborg burned 4,537 acres.
Restoring power - TRECO crews work diligently to replace burned poles after the Snider Fire took down portions of the line along the Tongue River. Note the burned pole in the process of falling after a lineman sawed it off at the base.
Temperatures in the 90s, low humidity, and high sustained winds gusting to nearly 60 mph helped contribute to numerous fires across Eastern Montana on September 2nd.
Three large fires started near Powder River County on September 2nd, including the Zook Fire, which began near Road 664 northwest of Volborg, the Snider Fire, around 20 miles north of Ashland, and the Rice Fire, around 6 miles north of Ashland.
The Zook Fire was lightning caused, and burned 4,537 acres in total in Custer County. On the night of September 2nd, authorities ordered the evacuation of residences to the south of the fire, in the Volborg region and areas to the northwest.
The Snider Fire was coal-seam caused, and burned 31,588 acres in total across Rosebud, Custer, and into Powder River counties. The fire jumped the Tongue River, burning several miles of old growth cottonwood. Over the weekend, 119 firefighters were assigned to the Snider Fire, which was managed along with the Rice Fire by a Montana DNRC County Assist Team. On Sunday, 12 engines, 3 pieces of heavy equipment including dozers and county graders, 7 smokejumpers, 1 twenty-person hand crew, and 1 water tender were assigned to the fire, while a number of local ranchers were also on hand to battle the blaze, and Broadus VFD firefighters also contributing greatly to the effort. Due to the wetting rains across the area Monday, the fire was 95% contained, and resources were demobilizing.
The Rice Fire, which as on Monday had an unknown cause per DNRC authorities, consumed 15,515 acres on the east side of the Tongue River, beginning in Rosebud County and burning into western Powder River County. On the night of September 2nd, authorities ordered the evacuation of Ashland and areas to the north, and for a period of several hours during the evening Highway 212 was closed from Broadus to Crow Agency (also due to the Sarpy Fire, a 52,010 acre fire burning simultaneously north of Busby). The evacuation order was lifted on the morning of September 3rd, and sources indicate many people chose not to evacuate, as the path of the fire at the time was not directly towards Ashland.
A shelter was set up in Broadus at the Community Center on the night of September 2nd for anyone evacuating from nearby fires, complete with cots and supplies. One fellow arrived from the Ashland area, but did not stay the night. Powder River County Commissioner Lee Randall told us that though the shelter did not see much use, setting it up did serve as a good dry run in case of a future emergency. Randall, along with DES Coordinator Becky McEuen, several Broadus VFD members and their families, along with a strong contingent of volunteer high school students helped set up the shelter.
Over the weekend, 171 firefighters helped contain the Rice Fire, with 14 engines, 5 pieces of heavy equipment, 5 twenty-person hand crews including Hot Shot and Type II crews, and two water tenders were assigned to the incident.
On Monday, the Rice Fire was also listed as being 95% contained, with resources demobilizing from the fire at that time. On Saturday, Governor Steve Bullock traveled to the area to check out the fires in Rosebud County.
Smoke from the numerous large fires caused the DEQ air monitoring station in Broadus to register in the "unhealthy" region in Broadus during periods of time for several days between September 3rd through the 6th. Air quality in the unhealthy zone (which is level four out of six air quality levels, from Good through Hazardous) results in increased aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality for people with cardiopulmonary disease and older adults, which increasing respiratory effects in the general population. Heavy outdoor activity is not recommended during these periods, and activities such as sports practice should be moved indoors.
Several other large fires started in Eastern Montana on September 2nd, including the man caused Huff fire, which burned 46,892 acres in Garfield County, coming close to burning up Jordan, and the Bobcat Fire south of Roundup, which burned 29,699 acres near the Signal Peak Coal Mine. When the acreage is totaled along with a few other smaller fires in Eastern Montana on September 2nd, nearly 200,000 acres were consumed in Eastern Montana in one day.
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