08/03/2026
Stay alert and stay safe!
🔥North Fork Fire Update August 3rd, 2026 🔥
Local Type 3 Incident Management Team
Location: 10 miles southwest of Hamilton, MT
Start Date: 7/24/2026, 8:26 p.m.
Cause: Lightning; Natural Size: 117 acres Containment: 0%
Total Personnel: 102
KEY MESSAGES:
Smoke from surrounding regions is expected to limit visibility and air quality in the area. For more information, please visit https://www.AirNow.gov. For firefighter and public safety, road closures are in place due to fire suppression operations and heavy equipment traffic. North Fork Fire closure map and order is located at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/bitterroot/alerts/road-closures-related-north-fork-fire.
CURRENT STATUS:
On Sunday, firefighters observed an increase of smoke originating from the fire. However, fire activity remained moderate. Fire conditions are expected to be limited by cooler temperatures as the dry cold front moves through the area today, Monday August 3rd. Winds will continue to push from the west, which increases the risk of the fire making rapid down canyon runs. Firefighters continue suppression operations near previous burn scars and Observation Peak along Lost Horse Road and FS Road 496. The threat of large debris rolling out of steep terrain remains a high risk to firefighter safety and limits the ability to directly suppress the fire. To mitigate this, fire personnel will continue build and strengthen indirect containments lines to help build long term protections for the nearby communities of Lost Horse and Hayes Creek. Air resources will continue to be utilized as needed as weather conditions allow. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in effect around the fire perimeter.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:
Cooler temperatures, increased humidities, and decreased winds are expected on Monday. Wildfire smoke both from the Northern Rockies and nearby regions will remain prevalent in the area and may worsen on Monday.
Increased smoke was visible from the fire on Sunday. Despite this smoke and critical fire weather conditions throughout the weekend, fire activity remained limited. The fire continued to creep and back downslope in steep areas and rock scree. Further fire growth remains possible due to debris rollout and terrain driven winds.
CLOSURES:
Closures are in place on Lost Horse Road (Forest Service Road 429), Lick Creek Road (FS 5621) and near Hayes Creek Road (FS 496) due to fire activity. The Lost Horse Road closure is past the Lost Horse Lodge heading west. The Lick Creek Road (FS 5621) closure is 5 miles northeast when traveling from Lake Como. The Hayes Creek Road (FS 496) closure is near the Coyote Coulee trailheads. For map and order visit: Discover the Bitterroot page or https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtbrf-north-fork-fire.
📸 Photo shows firefighters at morning briefing on the morning of August 3rd before they head into the field for the day.
