Aerial view of the Sawlog FireThe Sawlog Fire was reported on the afternoon of May 1st. Forest Service fire officials from the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest responded to the area, located west of Wise River and northeast of Wisdom in the Sawlog Creek drainage. The fire was initially estimated at 50-70 acres, burning on the south side of the Big Hole River. Immediate access to the fire area was somewhat limited, given the time of year with the snow melt and high water conditions in the river. Upon arriving at the fire's location, firefighters observed the fire burning actively in sagebrush and Lodgepole pine timber. A large "dead and downed" component of fuels exists on the north-facing slopes in the area.
The fire is located between the Sawlog Creek and Toomey Creek drainages, on the south side of the Big Hole River. The fire footprint from the 2021 Christensen Fire is located to the south, and the fire footprint from the 2021 Alder Fire is located to the east.
Fire investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the fire. Neither the Forest Service nor the BLM had any prescribed fires (commonly referred to as "controlled burns") in that area.