Latest Update on Montana’s First Wildfire of the Season

After the latest storms that moved through Montana on Monday, the Sawlog Fire details have been updated. The rain and snow is not nearly as helpful to this fire as you might think. It's still listed as 1,500 acres on the official wildfire incident page, and the cause is listed as 'undetermined'.

There are two current 'problem issues' with the Sawlog Fire: the highwater conditions on the Big Hole River, and (believe it or not) the recent rain and snow. Here is why:

"The fire area has received significant precipitation over the last 2 days. Though helpful with moderating fire behavior, the precipitation will likely complicate access to the fire area."

Basically, all the rain and snow that has recently fallen in Montana is making the roads very muddy and far more difficult to GET TO the fire by normal means. A double-edged sword.

The latest fire update did say that firefighters would be conscious of the roadbeds and other natural landscape features in the wildfire area. Limiting damage to the roads with the heavier vehicles and equipment is the goal.

Check Current Wildfire Map

"Muddy road conditions, requiring UTVs for access, are not conducive to travel by standard vehicles."

"Fire managers are looking to increase the amount of access to the fire by utilizing boats across the high-water conditions."

• Sawlog Fire Basic Information
• Current as of: Tuesday 05/06/2025 at 8:16am
• Incident Type: Wildfire
• Cause: Undetermined
• Date of Origin: Thu, 05/01/2025
• Total Personnel: 121
• Size: 1,500 Acres
• Percent of Perimeter Contained: 10%
• Location: 15 miles northeast of Wisdom, MT
• Coordinates: 45° 49' 41'' Latitude, -113° 15' 10 '' Longitude

The picture below is from May 3rd, FYI. Snow has fallen in the area, although it complicates the attack by making roads muddy. Fire lines are more difficult to access.

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"The fire has exhibited moderate to extreme fire behavior, with 3 to 5-foot flame lengths in the sagebrush and isolated torching, group torching, and crown runs through the tops of the trees in the timbered areas. When winds have aligned with the orientation of drainages, fire behavior has been extreme."