Hardin Fire Today – Montana Wildfires Track Across County

Story developing — confirmed facts and preliminary information are separated below.

A Hardin fire today search has drawn attention to wildfire activity in and around Hardin, Montana — the seat of Big Horn County along the I-90 corridor between Billings and Sheridan. KULR8, the Custer Gallatin National Forest, and Montana DNRC have all tracked active fires in the region, with the Tullock Fire near Hardin recently reaching full containment while new starts continue across south-central Montana.

Tullock Fire Contained

KULR8 confirmed that the Tullock Fire northeast of Hardin is fully contained at 1,469 acres with 100 percent containment. All crews have been demobilized and the fire officially turned back over to Big Horn County. The Tullock Fire’s containment represents a significant milestone for the Hardin area, which sits in the heart of Montana’s coal seam fire country — where underground coal deposits can ignite and burn for years, periodically surfacing to spark wildfires.

Coal Seam Fire History

The WFCA documented that Hardin, MT has seen 66,134 acres burned historically, with the cause listed as coal seams. The Montana Free Press documented that during a particularly hot and windy period, the PF Fire made a 16-mile run and burned 66,134 acres of grass, sagebrush, and timber. Coal seam fires are a unique hazard in the Hardin area — the Centralia of the West — where underground coal deposits ignite naturally and can burn for decades, creating persistent wildfire ignition sources that are nearly impossible to extinguish.

Custer Gallatin Fires

The Custer Gallatin National Forest Facebook page documented the Cut Off Fire, which started July 3, 2026, located 14 miles east of Ashland, Montana. The fire reached 7.3 acres and was 100 percent contained. A separate fire in the same update was reported at approximately 3,450 acres. The Custer Gallatin National Forest spans from south-central Montana into Wyoming, and its fire updates are directly relevant to the Hardin area, which sits at the northern edge of the forest’s influence zone.

East Side Fire

A Facebook post documented a new fire start — the East Side Fire — estimated at 1,370 acres near the Sheridan Campground off Ratine Sheridan Road in Red Lodge, Carbon County, Montana. Carbon County borders Big Horn County to the west, making the East Side Fire a direct concern for Hardin-area residents. Red Lodge, located approximately 60 miles southwest of Hardin, is a gateway community to the Beartooth Mountains and has seen repeated wildfire activity in recent years.

Montana Fire Season

The Montana DNRC confirms that May through September is the core of wildfire season for Montana. The WFCA notes that peak fire season typically occurs in mid-July — exactly when the current Hardin-area fire activity is taking place. The Montana Fire Info website at mtfireinfo.org provides current fire information, and the DNRC Interactive Fire Map tracks all active wildfires across the state. WeatherBug maintains a live fire map and 5-day fire risk forecast specifically for Hardin, MT.

Conclusion

The Hardin fire today situation — with the Tullock Fire fully contained at 1,469 acres, the coal seam fire history that has burned 66,134 acres, the Cut Off Fire east of Ashland, and the East Side Fire at 1,370 acres in neighboring Carbon County — reflects an active Montana fire season. Residents should monitor mtfireinfo.org, the DNRC Interactive Fire Map, and WeatherBug’s Hardin fire tracker for updates.

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