The Meridian Fire burning approximately 40 miles south of Ennis is estimated at 4,005 acres as of Wednesday night, Oct. 16, 2024, according to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest (BDNF).
BDNF said in a Facebook post the fire was active on Wednesday, with fire progression to the north-northeast as it burned in timber between FS 209 road (West Fork of the Madison Road) and FS 1209 road (the Cliff Lake Bench Road).
The fire spotted across FS 1209 road, according to the post. Two large helicopters and two VLATs (Very Large Air Tankers) were utilized to slow the fire’s northerly progression.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation warning for the Madison River Ranches Subdivision and surrounding areas south of Cameron, Montana on Wednesday afternoon. The evacuation warning was lifted as of 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Planned actions for Thursday, Oct. 17 are "to reassess the fire perimeter location, weather conditions, and critical values at risk, focusing the main suppression efforts on the northeast flank nearest the private land and structures," according to the post. "Private landowners affected by the fire are encouraged to pay close attention to forecasted weather conditions, as they may affect changes in evacuation warning status."
The post says if forecasted winter weather conditions materialize between Thursday and Friday, the fire's behavior will be "moderated significantly."
There are currently 74 personnel assigned to the Meridian Fire, which was first reported on Oct. 8. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
