Ravaged by Sand Creek Fire, Sole Chairlift at Maverick Mountain, MT, Likely “Inoperable for Coming Ski Season”

Firefighters have successfully saved all base area structures, snowcats, and heavy equipment at Maverick Mountain Ski Area as the Sand Creek Fire swept through southwest Montana, though the resort’s sole chairlift sustained extensive damage that will likely render it inoperable for the upcoming winter season. As of August 15, the wildfire has grown to 27,736 acres with 0 percent containment, according to fire tracking from the InciWeb. While base facilities were protected, authorities confirmed that a ski patrol warming shack and radio repeater atop Maverick Mountain was lost in the burn.

• Related: Beloved Montana Ski Resort Hit by Sand Creek Fire

The blaze initially ignited northwest of the ski area near Polaris on Saturday, August 8, before weather conditions deteriorated rapidly, prompting Beaverhead County Sheriff David Wendt to warn resort operators that flames were heading directly toward the property. Driven by hot, dry weather and wind gusts reaching up to 40 mph under Red Flag Warnings, the fire exhibited extreme behavior as it burned swiftly through pine and fir timber. Mandatory evacuation orders were quickly instituted for Maverick Mountain, Elkhorn Hot Springs, Shale Creek, Clark Creek, and the northern Grasshopper Valley.

In response to the advancing front, intense structure-protection operations were launched across the mountain footprint. A Type 1 Incident Management Team overseeing 309 assigned personnel — supported on the ground and in the air by 8 crews, 17 engines, and 7 helicopters — is working to hold control lines amid heavy timber fuels. With suppression costs reaching $4.2 million to date, wildfire crews have established an estimated full containment date of October 31, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. During the initial push, a Forest Service hotshot crew cleared flammable vegetation surrounding 11 guest cabins at nearby Elkhorn Hot Springs, while heavy bulldozers cut emergency fire lines along ski trails. Resort staff moved snow-grooming machinery into the center of the parking lot for safety and relocated refurbished chairlift components acquired from other ski areas, while aerial tankers executed multiple retardant drops to slow the fire’s spread.

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While the survival of the main lodge and base facilities brought immense relief, the loss of the mountain’s singular chairlift is a heavy blow to the independent ski area, located roughly 40 miles northwest of Dillon in the West Pioneer Mountains. Husband and wife owners Erik and Kristi Borge, who have operated Maverick Mountain since 2015 and Elkhorn Hot Springs since 2017, confirmed in an update to the community that while all base buildings and groomers were spared, the main chairlift suffered severe damage and will most likely be out of commission for the 2026/2027 season. “So far all structures in the base area have been saved as well as snowcats and equipment,” Borge wrote. “Unfortunately our only chairlift sustained extensive damage and will most likely be inoperable for this coming ski season.”

• Related: Mt. Hood Meadows, OR, Forced to Close for the Summer as Crews Battle to Contain Grasshopper Fire

Despite the setback, Erik Borge expressed profound gratitude for the frontline firefighters and the strength of the local skiing community. He emphasized that while the mountain landscape has been altered, planning is already underway to assess damages, rebuild, and adapt to new terrain. “Maverick Mountain is more than just a ski hill,” Borge shared in his statement. “Maverick is a community and a place of gathering where families, locals and tourists come together. Maverick is about stories, friendships that are more like family, and unforgettable days on the mountain. Unfortunately the fire has burned our Mountain but our community is still in tack, and you can’t burn that up with fire.” Facing the road ahead with the support of passholders and local families, Borge reaffirmed their commitment: “We are currently in a whirlwind of emotions, its been a very tough few days but with the support of our local community and others from afar we will get through this, we will rebuild.”