Johnson, Sharrott Creek, Daly, and Railroad Fires
September 27, 2024
The Bitterroot National Forest, Stevensville and Darby-Sula Ranger Districts, took command of the fires from
Team 5 on Sept. 20 and are continuing efforts on suppression repair. The Stevensville District is overseeing the
Sharrott Creek Fire while Darby-Sula District is overseeing the Johnson and Railroad-Daly Fires.
CHANGES TO CLOSURES
• The Sharrott Creek Fire Area closure is still in effect but was reduced in size (effective Sept. 18).
o Area, road and trail closures remain in effect for the St. Mary’s face between Big Creek Trail and Kootenai
Trail. Both Big Creek Trail and Kootenai Creek Trail are open. Please avoid St. Mary’s Road near the forest
boundary due to fire traffic and heavy equipment working there.
• The Johnson Fire Area and the Railroad-Daly Fire Area Closures were terminated on Friday, Sept. 20, at 8 a.m.
o The Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) road closure was modified by Montana DOT on Sept. 20 at 7 a.m. and is
closed from milepost 14.1 to 21.4. MDOT is assessing when the state road will be completely opened.
o Forest Service Road 75 (Skalkaho Rye) is open.
o Forest Service Road 711 is open; however, you cannot get to Hwy 38 from Road 711.
Visit MDOT for the most updated information on Hwy 38: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/.
More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/
bitterroot/alerts-notices
Fire, Cause, Size, Management
Johnson – Lightning, 6,687 acres, Type 4 Incident Commander, Brian Ries
Sharrott Creek – Lightning, 3,204 acres, Type 4 Incident Commander, Jeremy Kroeker
Daly – Undetermined, 6,816 acres, Type 4 Incident Commander, Zach Lee
Railroad – Undetermined, 1,007 acres, Type 4 Incident Commander, Zach Lee
CURRENT STATUS
Sharrott Creek Fire: There has been some growth on the southwest corner of the fire near the wilderness boundary along the St. Mary’s Peak Trail. The fire is burning back toward an existing burned area. Moisture in fuels are drying out and unburned pockets of fuel are receptive again. 25 people are assigned. Fire activity currently poses no threat to private property or existing containment lines. Smoke will continue to be visible this weekend.
Road, trail, and area closures remain in effect for the St. Mary’s Face (Road 1319 and 739) and the St. Mary’s Trail (Trail 116). Big Creek and Kootenai Creek Trails are open.
On the Railroad-Daly and Johnson Fires there has been minimal interior fire activity (smoldering) due to warmer conditions and gusty winds. Updates will be provided when new information becomes available.
The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team began assessments on these fires and other fires in the BNF for possible rehabilitation work.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Weather for southwest Montana: Dry cold front to bring gusty winds and elevated fire weather Sunday, especially across southwest Montana east of the Divide. Gusty west-southwest winds, with choppy lake conditions and outdoor recreation impacts. Isolated wind damage may lead to power outages. (Source: National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)