Recent moisture hit Maverick Mountain, but not soon enough to save the ski patrol shack. However, it provided a reprieve for those near the Sand Creek Fire menacing the ski resort in southwest Montana. This notable weather shift, identified as the “August Singularity,” delivered a quarter-inch of rain over Grasshopper Valley on August 13, helping to stall the wildfire’s growth.
Maverick Mountain co-owner Erik Borge felt relief as rain quelled the fire’s rapid spread. “These last few days, I just felt like I was being chased,” Borge expressed. Sand Creek Fire surged from 1,684 acres on August 6 to 31,652 acres by August 17, crossing dozer lines and razing the ski patrol building. Heat caused the chairlift haul rope to fail, scattering chairs across the mountain, leaving the fate of the lift undetermined.
While the fire reached the summit, it spared the main lodge and vital equipment at the base area. Fortunately, Elkhorn Hot Springs’ structures were unharmed. Rainfall made it challenging for fire managers to update the burn area size. “Elkhorn is almost an island of green trees in a sad, black forest,” Borge noted, commending the ground teams’ heroism.
Sand Creek, Montana’s largest active wildfire, surpasses the Bobcat Lakes Fire, which measured 9,892 acres on August 17. Both fires are managed by Northern Rockies Team 3. Josh Baker from the Forest Service highlighted the potential impact of the weather event on fire activity within the next 24 hours, which could protect the nearby Coolidge Ghost Town. Operations Section Chief Philip Knaub outlined plans to burn out sections of the Sand Creek perimeter to prevent a “dirty burn.”
As Maverick Mountain and Elkhorn Hot Springs calm, some residents have returned, though the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway remains closed. Warmer, drier conditions this week raise concerns about fire weather. Maverick Mountain’s reopening for the winter season remains uncertain, and the hot springs’ accessibility depends on fire threats. Borge affirmed, “We will rebuild and we will be back… a fire can’t burn down the community.”
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Sand Creek Fire burns over Maverick Mountain, most of resort spared
Erik Borge and his wife Kristi own Maverick Mountain Ski Area and the Elkhorn Hot Springs Resort near Polaris in southwest Montana. They endured several days of unrelenting defense as the Sand Creek Fire threatened their businesses and romped from 1,684 acres on August 6, to 31,652 acres on August 17. After the initial onslaught, rains over the weekend slowed the fire’s spread but not before it damaged the resort’s only chairlift.
A once-thriving company town reckons with its future
The Anaconda Mining Company’s impact on Black Eagle remains a defining feature of that hillside across the Missouri River from Great Falls.
Knudsen’s term-limit reset races the ballot-certification clock
Montana’s Secretary of State faces an Aug. 20 deadline to certify the November ballot as a new attorney general opinion changes how legislative term limits are calculated. The interpretation could affect Republican lawmakers Llew Jones and Steve Fitzpatrick, and has prompted a request for a restraining order to prevent AG Austin Knudsen’s directive from taking effect.
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