Wildfire in Meagher, Montana

The Woods Creek Fire was lightning caused fire located in the Big Belt Mountains, discovered on July 10th. It was classified as a type one incident on July 31st, and resulted in evacuations on the eastern side of the fire. It ultimately burned 55,449 acres with an estimated incident cost of $27,000,000, as of January 2022.

Strong high pressure was the dominant weather pattern in July, which was occasionally suppressed by passing shortwaves and modest moisture for periods of scattered thunderstorms. Often times, the thunderstorm activity was followed by gusty winds and low relative humidity. Both lightning and human caused fires flourished in this environment.