Update
Missoula’s Mt. Sentinel Fire Quelled, Mapped at 390 Acres
By Alaina Abbott, 7-10-08
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| A scorched Mount Sentinel as seen from Waterworks Hill early Thursday morning. Photo by Matthew Frank | |
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Update - 6:00 p.m.
The fire that blackened the west slope of Missoula’s Mount Sentinel after flaring up at its base Wednesday night is now mapped at 390 acres, down from the estimate of 450, said Cindy Super of the DNRC early this evening.
She said the fire is now between 90 and 95 percent contained with only a few hotspots remaining. It should be wrapped up tonight.
The fire will be monitored overnight and, Super said, “We’ll just have to see what tomorrow looks like. We want to make sure everyone stays safe and stays away from the crews working on it.”
Update - 2:00 p.m.
The fire is now 90 percent contained, Cindy Super of the DNRC said, and it should be all wrapped up by tonight.
“The fire looks great,” she said. “So far so good, a very safe operation, no one’s gotten hurt, a good cooperative effort.”
The Lolo National Forest just released an announcement confirming, as NewWest.Net reported last night, that the fire was ignited by two young boys.
According to Missoula City Fire Inspector Gordy Hughes, a seven-year-old boy and eight-year-old boy were lighting pages of a phonebook with a lighter when one of the pages ignited nearby grass. The boys attempted to put the fire out, Hughes said, but those attempts failed and the boys then panicked and ran from the scene.
The fire department issued the citation and they’ll be headed to youth court.
The full press release is pasted at the bottom of this story.
Update - 9:45 a.m.
The fire that singed about 450 acres of Mount Sentinel’s grassy west slope by Thursday morning has quieted, but between 120 and 130 firefighters and helicopters are at work to “knock it down before the winds come up,” said Jason Diehl, assistant chief of the Missoula Fire Department.
It’s roughly 30 percent contained, according to Department of Natural Resources and Conservation fire prevention coordinator Cindy Super. The DNRC took over command this morning.
The National Weather Service in Missoula has issued a red flag warning effective from noon to 10:00 p.m.
Super said the south edge of the fire is more the focus now than the north. Crews will “continue to direct attack as safely as possible along the ridge line and at the head of the fire,” she said.
Firefighters include two hot shot crews, two type-II crews, smokejumpers, eight engines and three helicopters. No air tankers are available due to the rash of fires in California, but Diehl said they wouldn’t be useful now anyway because helicopters can do the job.
“There’s nothing unusual or odd about the fire behavior,” Super said.
She advised people to stay off the mountain, including the Crazy Canyon trail that begins in the Pattee Canyon Recreation Area.
For NewWest.Net’s Wednesday night coverage of the fire, click here.
Photos taken Wednesday night by Anne Medley and Chris Lombardi
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PRESS RELEASE
Pattee Canyon Picnic Area, Folf Course Closed for Fire Operations
Missoula, MT. – The Missoula Ranger District has closed both the Pattee Canyon Picnic Area and the Pattee Canyon Folf Course indefinitely while fire operations are based at the picnic area, which is 3.5 miles southeast of Missoula. The duration of the closures will depend on containment of the Mt. Sentinel Fire and associated fire operations.
According the Ranger District officials, the closure is needed to ensure both firefighter and public safety, as well as provide for effective fire operations. Bicyclists and motorists are also advised to be aware of additional vehicle traffic along the Pattee Canyon Road, as firefighters, fire engines, and support vehicles will be using the road.
Firefighting operations associated with the Mt. Sentinel Fire, which ignited yesterday evening, will be staged from the picnic area for as long as needed to fight the Mt. Sentinel Fire, according to Ranger District officials. Approximately 70 firefighters are expected to use the picnic area for staging, eating and sleeping. The closure of the folf course is needed, according to officials, because parking and access to the folf course is at the picnic area.
The Missoula City Fire Department also announced this afternoon that two juvenile boys have been cited for igniting the Mt. Sentinel fire. According to Missoula City Fire Inspector Gordy Hughes, a seven-year-old boy and eight-year-old boy were lighting pages of a phonebook with a lighter when one of the pages ignited nearby grass. The boys attempted to put the fire out, Hughes said, but those attempts failed and the boys then panicked and ran from the scene.
For current information on the Pattee Canyon Picnic Area Closure, please contact the Missoula Ranger District at (406) 329-3814.
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Comments
"Heck of a day today here in the Capital City. 'Round 'bout lunchtime, a huge column of smoke appeared over the city. Most people wondered if the fire was in town or just West of town. Those that said it looks like its West of town, were correct. Those that thought it might be on Mt. Helena, were incorrect (although the smoke appeared to be coming from the back side of the afore mentioned mountain). No, folks, this wonderful and frightening fire that shut down Hwy 12 and caused evacuations all along that same Hwy.....was brought to you, courtesy of the Red White & Blue. The fire was sparked on Fort Harrison's firing range and was picked up by Northerly winds, driving the fire South in a big hurry."
I wrote that little blurb, discribing a similar fire last year. An eery resemblence to last year's first cataclysm. Let us hope that the rest of the fire season doesn't follow suit....Helena suffered through some mammoth fires last year.