GREAT FALLS — A grass fire fueled by powerful winds threatened dozens of homes on the south side of Malta on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, but a rapid multi-agency response prevented what could have been a major disaster.
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The fire was reported at around 8:38 p.m. south of the Hillcrest subdivision. Flames driven by gusts up to 50 miles per hour took less than 10 minutes to reach the edge of Malta.
The Malta Volunteer Fire Department was first on scene, with reinforcements arriving quickly from neighboring departments, state and federal agencies, and even ranchers who brought water trucks.
Approximately 50 rigs responded to the emergency.
The swift response allowed crews to save homes along the southern edge of Malta. While a few outbuildings burned and some houses suffered minor damage to siding, no residences were lost and no injuries were reported.
Josh Newman, Malta Fire Chief, said, "It could have been a lot, lot worse if it had made it past that first set of houses. 50 to 70 homes that are right there, with all the trees and foliage and the wind. The way it was going, I, we'd been hard pressed to stop it without calling in airdrops. We could have been overwhelmed faster than we knew what to do. It was a big, concerted effort on everyone's part to get that stopped."
Utility companies worked through the night to restore services, and evacuated residents were allowed back home just after 11 p.m.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but Chief Newman said that there does not appear to be anything suspicious or criminal about it.
(1st REPORT, JULY 2, 2025) The Phillips County Sheriff's Office issued a "fire emergency" for residents of Malta on Wednesday evening (July 2, 2025).
Just after 9 p.m. the agency said: "There is a large uncontrolled fire south of Malta heading toward Malta being pushed by high winds. Residents in the Hillcrest area are advised to evacuate to the north immediately. All other citizens are asked to stay out of that area and off the roads to allow law enforcement and fire crews to safely help evacuate people and fight the fire."
Malta City Hall was used as an evacuation shelter for those that had to leave their homes.
Just after 11pm, the agency provided another update: "The fire has been extinguished and crews are mopping up. The evacuation order is lifted and all residents may return to their residences. Hillcrest residents will experience lower than normal water pressure for a short time as well as no power until the integrity of all power poles can be verified. There was no loss of any residence and only a couple outbuildings were lost in the fire."
There is no word yet on the suspected cause of the fire. As of the last update, the fire burned approximately five acres.
We will update you as we get more information.
