HELENA — The lightning-sparked Jericho Mountain Fire has grown to around 188 acres as of Wednesday morning (June 18, 2025) and moved into the Minnehaha Creek drainage area.
The fire was discovered on Sunday, June 15, 2025; there is no containment as of Wednesday, according to Inciweb. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Watch crews fight the Jericho Mountain Fire:
There are no reports that the fire is directly threatening any homes or structures.
Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 9 under Incident Commander Shane Martin and Ian Quist (trainee) took command of the fire on June 17.
As of Wednesday morning, 141 personnel are assigned to the Jericho Mountain Fire.
Firefighters are continuing to work to fully suppress the fire, although suppression efforts are complicated by the presence of heavy dead and down trees in steep and rugged terrain.
Crews and heavy equipment will continue to improve the holding lines to the west of Minnehaha Road, looking for opportunities for direct lines where possible, using existing roads, which will increase firefighter success at holding the fire.
Active fire behavior was observed Wednesday morning, including tree torching, and more active fire behavior is anticipated with the forecast.
Fire officials are concerned about winds increasing in the afternoon to around 20 miles per hour.
