Single Incident Information

The Miller Peak Fire was first reported the afternoon of July 14, 2024. The fire was located about 8 miles southeast of Missoula in the Plant Creek drainage of Miller Creek. The Lolo National Forest took over command of the fire Sunday, August 11, 2024, from Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 9. 

In the last month, the fire area has received approximately 1.5 inches of precipitation, and subsequently, the fire was declared 100 percent contained on August 20, 2024. While beneficial to fire containment, these rain events have also caused erosion and additional road damage.  The continued closure is necessary to ensure public and staff safety while suppression repair work is conducted.  

The closure is expected to remain in effect until all suppression repair work is complete, which could take several weeks, depending on resource availability and environmental conditions. Crews plan to work with heavy equipment, possibly starting this week, to repair dozer lines and other suppression damage. Additionally, high severity fire impacts, particularly in the Plant Creek drainage, have led to increased runoff from steep hillslopes, erosion, and a high potential for debris flow (picture attached). Repair work will also be required in these areas. 

Updated closure information and maps are posted on the Lolo National Forest webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lolo/alerts-notices.