The wildfire was first reported on Tuesday, July 27 at 1:30 PM. It was then called Poverty Flats, named after the area ten miles north of Hardin where it originated from a burning coal seam.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.
The wildfire was first reported on Tuesday, July 27 at 1:30 PM. It was then called Poverty Flats, named after the area ten miles north of Hardin where it originated from a burning coal seam. Due to a north wind from a cold front, the fire ran 16 miles south July 28 and 29. About 1:30 am July 29, the fire jumped the Sarpy Road (Highway 384) and entered the Crow Indian Reservation. The fire jumped the Little Big Horn River and threatened local homes. The fire burned 66,134 acres in grass and sage brush, and the final active areas were primarily in cottonwood trees along the river. The wildfire was fully contained on August 12th. For more detailed information, please see the latest GACC (Geographic Area Coordination Center) Detailed Situation Report.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 27, 8:52 AM MST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
952 AM MDT Tue Jul 27 2021
.UPDATE...
Satellite imagery shows persistent ridge over the region, but with
monsoonal moisture surging northward to the PacNW and northern
Rockies. Today is pre-frontal and will be the hottest day of the
week. Look for highs anywhere from 100F in our west to near 110F
(yes you read that correctly) in our east...with a shift to NW-N
winds this afternoon helping the cause. RHs will approach single
digits and Haines Index will be 5 or 6...so expect local wildfires
to show some plume growth during the heat of the day. There is a
slight chance of late day high-based thunderstorms in our west,
and could see a light shower or sprinkle post-frontally later
tonight. A shift to north then east winds late tonight and
Wednesday will bring "cooler" temps for tomorrow. Today will be
the last 100 degree day for awhile.
Have made some minor adjustments to winds and pops. Forecast is in
good shape.
JKL
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Wednesday night...
Today will be the last day for the extreme heat across the area.
That being said, today is going to the be the hottest day of the
week. Overnight lows have generally remain warm, with some lower
elevations locations still above 70 degrees as of 2 AM. These warm
temperatures this morning will help temperatures climb higher
today then yesterday. Highs will still be in the 100 to 110 degree
range for much of southern Montana, outside of the mountains and
foothills. The Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect.
Monsoonal moisture is starting to move into the area. There have
been some very weak echos on the radar overnight northwest of the
area. As a little more of a weak wave of energy moves across the
western zones today, there is a chance for some showers and
thunderstorms over the western foothills and mountains. There will
also be a Canadian cold front that will drop down through eastern
Montana tonight. This will mainly shift the winds to northeast,
with a little increase in the speeds. But the bigger impact will
be the better moisture advection.
Wednesday will see temperatures only in the low to mid 90s for
highs, and the humidity should be higher as well. There will be a
slight chance to chance for showers and thunderstorms for much of
the area Wednesday afternoon and overnight into Thursday as
another very weak shortwave moves through the monsoonal flow.
Reimer
Thursday through Tuesday...
Minimal changes to inherited extended forecast. Abnormally high
PWATs stream into the the region, thanks too strong southwesterly
monsoonal flow aloft. Several pieces of energy riding through the
flow and daytime heating should support daily afternoon/evening
thunder through the extended period. The best potential is
expected to be in the high terrain with addition of orographic
component, but we should see some activity spread over western
lower elevations. Eastern zones look to have a bit less of a
chance until early next week, when a more substantial wave is
progged across the region.
Locally heavy rain and strong winds will be greatest concern
across the region. Expect to see beneficial rains in many
locations, to help fire concerns, but lightning could cause new
fires as fuels are so dry.
More widespread cloud cover and rains should knock several
degrees off recent daytime highs, with highs in the upper 80s to
mid 90s most days. Unfortunately, overnight lows will be a bit on
the warm side, due to higher humidities, and lingering cloud
cover. Gilstad
&&
.AVIATION...
Smoke aloft will continue to reduce slant range visibility. Some
locations near the foothills may see surface visibility reduced to
MVFR at times due to smoke. Otherwise, VFR will prevail under
strong high pressure aloft. There is a slight chance of late day
thunderstorms in the far west, potentially impacting KLVM. JKL
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 105 073/095 071/090 066/091 066/091 065/092 066/091
0/G 21/K 24/T 33/T 22/T 23/T 34/T
LVM 102 063/092 060/091 058/091 058/089 058/088 058/086
1/G 24/T 45/T 33/T 23/T 35/T 55/T
HDN 108 068/098 068/091 062/094 061/093 060/093 061/092
0/G 11/K 24/T 32/T 12/T 12/T 33/T
MLS 108 074/095 069/087 066/093 065/092 064/092 066/093
0/G 11/K 23/T 31/B 11/U 11/U 22/T
4BQ 107 072/097 068/086 064/089 063/089 063/090 064/090
0/G 10/K 24/T 53/T 21/U 12/T 23/T
BHK 107 070/095 064/086 062/091 061/090 059/091 060/091
0/G 11/N 23/T 42/T 10/U 11/U 12/T
SHR 105 067/095 062/089 060/088 058/086 057/087 058/088
1/G 11/K 36/T 65/T 34/T 23/T 34/T
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Excessive Heat Warning in effect until midnight MDT tonight
FOR ZONES
29>34-36-37-42-56>58-63-65-66-138-139-141-169-170-172-173-228-235.
WY...Excessive Heat Warning in effect until midnight MDT tonight
FOR ZONE 199.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Please see Event Narrative.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, July 2021
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 978930.