Crucifixion Creek Fire Update 9-4-17 1:00pm

Another public meeting will be held Wednesday September 6, at 6 p.m. in the multipurpose room at the Heart Butte School.

The Crucifixion Creek Fire, southwest of Heart Butte in the Badger Two Medicine area, is now estimated at 7,604 acres.

The fire crossed the South Fork Badger Creek about a half mile downstream from the South Badger/Elbow Creek confluence on August 24th; and on the 25th made active runs upslope along the southwest of Spotted Eagle Mountain and the south side of Curly Bear Mountain. The fire continued to work north along the east side of South Badger/west aspect of Curly Bear Mountain exhibiting short crown runs and short range spotting that allowed the fire to spot north of several small scree fields.

On August 30th the fire spotted across the South Badger and became established on the east aspect of Goat Mountain. This was the most active portion of the fire and on the evening of August 31st the fire, under red flag conditions, added a couple thousand acres with growth to the west up Goat Mountain and to the North to trail junction 101/104.

The fire has established on the south aspect of Half Dome Crag and in Runner Gulch and continues to back towards Badger Cabin. The landscape consists of heavy timber in drainage bottoms and interspersed meadows in the upper slopes, as well as very rocky areas with discontinuous vegetation and the 2015 Spotted Eagle Fire (Family Peak Complex) disturbance providing a natural barrier to the north and east of the fire.

A confine and contain strategy is in place. IC 4 + 3 fire personnel are at the Badger Cabin and are monitoring the fire behavior. We do expect fire behavior to pick up with the current expected weather conditions.