Shepard Mountain 1996

The Shepard Mountain fire started on August 25, 1996, by a lightning strike in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area approximately one and one-half miles south of East Rosebud. On September 4, 1996, the Shepard Mountain Fire blew-up when a high-velocity, unpredicted wind event moved the fire approximately 8 miles in less than 11 hours. The fire spread rapily down-canyon, growing from approximately 800 acres to 8,000 acres in that time. Fire behavior was extreme, exceeding any ability to control the fire. Consequently, 13 firefighters deployed shelters, 35 homes or cabins were destroyed, along with approximately 40 outbuildings. One firefighter was burned with second degree burns during the shelter deployment of 10 members of the Fort Peck #30 crew. The high-velocity wind event leading to blow-up conditions was the direct causal factor resulting in burn injuries to one firefighter and the loss residences in the vicinity of East Rosebud Lake on September 4, 1996.