TL;DR
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
Maverick Mountain's only chairlift has been destroyed by the Sand Creek Fire, and owners say it's unlikely to be running for the 2026/27 season.
Firefighters saved every base area structure at Maverick Mountain Ski Area in southwest Montana as the Sand Creek Fire swept through the property, but the resort's sole chairlift wasn't so lucky - sustaining damage severe enough that owners now expect it to be out of action for the entire coming winter.
As of August 15, the fire had grown to 27,736 acres with zero percent containment, according to InciWeb tracking. A ski patrol warming shack and radio repeater near the summit were also lost.
How the fire reached the mountain
The blaze ignited northwest of the ski area near Polaris and had been smouldering with limited activity for roughly a week before conditions turned on Saturday, August 8. Hot, dry weather and wind gusts up to 40 mph under Red Flag Warnings drove extreme fire behaviour through pine and fir timber, prompting Beaverhead County Sheriff David Wendt to warn resort operators the flames were heading straight for the property. Mandatory evacuations followed for Maverick Mountain, Elkhorn Hot Springs, Shale Creek, Clark Creek and the northern Grasshopper Valley.
