Big Timber Fire Department

Click here to see photos of this fire.

The Flat Tire Fire started just before 1:30 on the afternoon of September 3, 2001. It was ignited by a broken axle on a car traveling east bound on Interstate 90 when the driver pulled the car off the highway and into the grass about 2 miles east of Greycliff . The grass fire spread quickly and traveled west through coulees and over ridgetops. A total of four homes were threatened, and one of those homes lost a storage shed.

It is estimated that the fire spread over a distance of 3 miles in approximately two hours. The shape of the burned area is long but narrow.

As of 9:00 pm on Sept. 3, the fire was 100% contained and 70-80% controlled. A fire line surrounded the fire at that time, and crews back-burned from the cat line to the burned area.

A total of over 80 firefighters worked on the Flat Tire Fire, not including the crews of Air Bombers who dropped four loads from the air earlier in the afternoon. Engine crews from Melville, McLeod, Big Timber, Reed Point, Strike Teams from the Department of State Lands, plus heavy machinery operators driving four graders and three dozers, all were instrumental in getting control of this fire so quickly.

One flare-up after dark the first night burned to the fire line and stayed within the containment area.

The driver of the car who started the fire is a Montana resident, and an investigation is ongoing into what (if any) charges will be brought against him particularly since the cause of the fire was accidental and not intentional. Criminal and civil actions are pending due to this continuing investigation.

As of 6:00 pm, September 4, 2001, the fire was 100% controlled according to Fire Chief Mark Stephens and the fire was completely extinguished a few days later.

Jim Larson of Stillwater County mapped the fire Tuesday using a Geographic Information System. According to Larson, the Flat Tire Fire burned a total of 400 acres.

Click here to see photos of this fire.