BigHornRam
Well-known member
Yes. I lived in Bozeman that year and had to look it up. That fire joined up with several other Bitterroot fires in 2000
National Forest Restrictions
- Thread starter JLS
- Start date
antlerradar
Well-known member
Pretty sure the Stag fire on the Custer was 2000. There was also big fires on the Ashland district of the Custer in 66 and 88, but close to 2/3 of the forest has burned since 2000. Some places three or more times.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
Was 2012 the worst year there? Seems like nearly a half a million acres burned that summer.
I’m the last person that should argue what specific year an event happened. I sometimes forget the year I was born.
I do seem to recall the year the fire burned the Horse Buttes/Poker Jim wasn’t the same year the Custer was about the only available national forest to bow hunt elk.
Nameless Range
Well-known member
Filtered to the year 2000
National Interagency Fire Center
This site has been created to share authoritative content developed by partners of the National Interagency Fire Center.
data-nifc.opendata.arcgis.com
Walk?! Preposterous!!
antlerradar
Well-known member
Horse Creek was the Stag Fire. (started some were by stag rock mountain) Burned 80 thousand plus acres. I went to bed late one night and the big red glow was to the east and when I got up in the morning it was to the north. By that evening I was up on it with Rosebud County. Miles and miles of fire and not another fire crew in sight.
Poker Jim Creek is still for the most part untouched by fire. 2000 was a dry year but not even close to as bad as 88 or last year and this year.
2012 was the worst. The fire that burned north of Ashland that year was unreal. Form my house the smoke columns looked like multiple atomic explosions that never left all day.
Last edited:
Walkalot
Active member
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- Oct 28, 2020
- Messages
- 254
I know when i was in high school., haying in the bighole. Ranchers got 1 cut of hay. That was 20 yrs ago. I hear ranchers want 3 to 4 cuts now. I drive by fields everyday getting irrigated or getting watered nonstop. Yet every town in southwest mt has water restrictions. Also may help if they started logging heavily again and plant regrowth. But what do i know let's spend millions of dollars fighting fires. I think the whole fighting fires is a shame. There are people that have no business or use in the fire camps. Waste of money. Most the big fires they just pretend to contain anyway.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
I was backpacking in the Beartooths the summer of 88 and had a good accumulation of ash on the tent every morning. Was planning to go to the Park as well, but they closed the NE entrance that day and Cooke City came close to being Cooked City.
Southern Elk
Well-known member
For what it's worth, I heard an old time outfitter say that it's drier this summer than it was in 88. He said a month ago that the National Forests would be shut down. It's going to be a long couple of months before we get any relief.
Carnage2011
Well-known member
I work with a lot of ranchers in SW MT and most of them have said similar…this summers reminds them of 88.
Hunting Wife
Well-known member
Bootleg Fire in Oregon - fire behavior is so extreme they are routinely having to pull crews completely off the lines and wait for things to calm down. This one should easily top 400K acres and I’ve lost count of structures lost.
An engine was lost and two firefighters overrun near Joliet, MT when winds turned the fire on them. Same fire, crews were having to come off the line due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. They are hurting for replacements. This is probably the story on just about every fire right now.
www.google.com
87 current “large incidents”.
Other pertinent facts:
Talking to our FMO, he shared that there is a roughly 25% reduction in seasonal fire staff this year, mainly due to lack of applicants.
There is record public land visitation this year, and a significant proportion of those visitors are clueless about fire safety or operating in the woods.
Conditions and fire behavior are extreme, and are proving dangerous even for professionals.
All this to say things are bad. Probably the worst any of us has seen in our lifetimes. So I don’t really have any sympathy for those griping about closures. One start in the wrong place and you’ve potentially got hundreds of inexperienced people who can’t navigate their way out of a paper bag needing rescue, and no resources to rescue them with. Let alone threats to private property, homes, towns, fire staff…
Lightning in the forecast tonight. If any of you guys upset about losing out on recreation are inclined to volunteer, the fire crews could use your help. I guarantee there will be camping.
www.google.com
Oregon Bootleg Fire: Evacuations as largest US fire burns 364,000 acres
The nation's largest active wildfire forces thousands to evacuate in the state of Oregon.
www.google.com
An engine was lost and two firefighters overrun near Joliet, MT when winds turned the fire on them. Same fire, crews were having to come off the line due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. They are hurting for replacements. This is probably the story on just about every fire right now.
Injured Montana firefighter receiving treatment at U of U Burn Center
An injured Montana firefighter is receiving treatment at the University of Utah Burn Center.
www.google.com
87 current “large incidents”.
Other pertinent facts:
Talking to our FMO, he shared that there is a roughly 25% reduction in seasonal fire staff this year, mainly due to lack of applicants.
There is record public land visitation this year, and a significant proportion of those visitors are clueless about fire safety or operating in the woods.
Conditions and fire behavior are extreme, and are proving dangerous even for professionals.
All this to say things are bad. Probably the worst any of us has seen in our lifetimes. So I don’t really have any sympathy for those griping about closures. One start in the wrong place and you’ve potentially got hundreds of inexperienced people who can’t navigate their way out of a paper bag needing rescue, and no resources to rescue them with. Let alone threats to private property, homes, towns, fire staff…
Lightning in the forecast tonight. If any of you guys upset about losing out on recreation are inclined to volunteer, the fire crews could use your help. I guarantee there will be camping.
Heat exhaustion, apocalyptic scenes: what it’s like fighting the US’s biggest wildfire
I’m proud to take on devastating blazes. But sometimes I wonder if anyone else sees the scale of the crisis
Hem
Well-known member
Vivid memory of the day when the fire raced towards Old Faithful. We heard it coming like a train. Trees exploding.
Though the complex was evacuated we were some of the few that stayed. Took refuge in the parking lot for safety.
A matter of a few degrees saved everything we associate with Old Faithful.
Afterwards we drove to West in a tunnel of fire in places. A summer of stories but that day was etched. .
BuzzH
Well-known member
Archery season statewide in 88 was closed except on private...lived it.
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
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- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,643
Coming down from Big Sky this afternoon, there was a chopper dipping water out of the Gallatin River and dropping it on the ridge close to Karst.
Hope they get it out before it burns across the top.
Hope they get it out before it burns across the top.
Hem
Well-known member
Oh chit.
Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,643
It was pretty small and it had just rained. Looked like less than an acre from what I could see. But I couldn’t see much as I went past.
Flatbrimmer
Well-known member
I’m just down the way…
Southern Elk
Well-known member
It’s getting serious on the rivers too. Not only hoot owl restrictions, but some closures too. 
MTLabrador
Well-known member
It’s about time for restrictions on the Yellowstone. I’ve never seen that river so low and I couldn’t believe how many people I saw floating it this week.
