DILLON — The Trail Ridge fire is burning more than 800 acres as of September 2.
The fire, located approximately 4.5 miles north of the Hogan Cabin on the border of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Bitterroot National Forests, was reportedly caused by lightning. Recent weather conditions of higher temperatures and consistent wind are creating ideal fire growth conditions.
According to the latest news release, fire personnel report snag trees snapping and down timber resulting in firefighters’ need to operate outside of burn scars and use roads and trails as potential containment lines.
Big Hole Valley and Highways 93 and 43 can expect to see smoke which may impact visibility. Other communities that may experience smoke and haze from the fire are Sula, Wisdom, Jackson, and Dillon.
An inversion is set up near the Trail Ridge fire which is expected to suppress fire activity through the morning with fire activity expected to moderately increase along with hot and dry weather conditions. Gusts of wind with the potential to reach 30 to 40 mph may create critical fire conditions.
Additional information can be found here:
The Trail Ridge Fire can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8365/.
The Trail Ridge Fire Trail Closure has been issued and is effective as of today, September 2. It can be viewed in full at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bdnf/alerts-notices
