Meriwether Fire Triples in Size, More Growth Expected

By Jessica Mayrer, 7-27-07

The Meriwether Fire in the Gates of the Mountain Wilderness surged Thursday nearly tripling in size, from 2,200 acres to 6,019. An evacuation order was issued for the residents of 60-plus homes along the Missouri River, on top of the 40-some asked to evacuate late Wednesday.

Late in the day Thursday winds shifted and pushed the fire back into areas already burned. Although temperatures are expected to be in the 80s Friday, extreme fire behavior and dry thunderstorms are predicted for the next couple of days, fire information officer Bonney McNabb said.

“That could be a factor, you better believe it,” she said.

Crews have secured a fire line for the south flank of the fire near Eldorado, one of the areas currently under evacuation, McNabb said.  And structure protection is now in place for homes in the American Bar Area west of the fire.

Lighting started the fire on July 21 in the Mann Gulch Area, near the Meriwether Guard Station. 

Almost 60 years ago, on August 5, 1949, a fire near the Meriwether Guard Station killed 12 smoke jumpers and a national guardsman.

“We’re coming up on the anniversary,” McNabb said.

Seven miles of the Missouri River was closed from American Bar to Ming Bar, and personnel at the Eldorado mine voluntarily evacuated Thursday, the fire camp reported.

Closures are in effect for Road 138 from the river to Nelson and from El Dorado to Nelson.

Some residents of the American Bar subdivision, which was within 1 ½ miles of the blaze, refused to comply with the initial evacuation order early Thursday, though most eventually did.

The fire, about 37 miles northwest of Helena, is burning in timber, grass and brush.

As fire season kicks into full gear, Governor Brian Schweitzer announced Thursday that the National Guard should be prepared to mobilize in order to fight the fires spreading across the state, the Great Falls Tribune reported.  A Level 5 alert is in effect in Montana, indicating the highest level of fire danger possible.

Meanwhile, firefighters are having success quieting Montana’s Ahorn Fire, the state’s largest of the season so far. The fire is nine percent contained.

The blaze has consumed 15,000 acres in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Lewis and Clark National Forest. It hasn’t spread significantly since Monday.

Among Thursday’s actions crews laid 3,000 feet of hose on the southern edge of the fire west of trail 276, and they continued to build indirect fire line on the east side of the fire in the Ford Creek north toward Gibson Reservoir, using 7,000 feet of fire line explosives in the process.

Thursday a trace of rain fell in the Pretty Prairie Cabin area to the north.

Click here to view a map of the fire.

There are currently 14 large fires (more than 90 acres) burning in Montana and numerous small fires popping up across the state. Here is a region-by-region breakdown of the fire activity in Montana.

Also, check in often to InciWeb, where the large fires are being updated from fire camp regularly. The large fires with InciWeb pages are linked in the roundup below. Click on the name of the fire for that fire’s page.

For a look at fire weather forecasts, click here and for a national breakdown of wildland fires, click here.

Stage II fire restrictions, meaning no campfires, smoking, daytime industrial operations and motor vehicle use off designated roads and trails, are in effect Monday across western and west-central Montana. Click here for more details.

Western Montana:

Little has changed since Wednesday on the Bitterroot National Forest. The lightning storm that passed through the area earlier in the week ignited the Saddle Gulch Fire, less than 3 ½ acres in size and located five miles northwest of Nez Perce Pass on the West Fork Ranger District. Although this fire is located in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, due to its proximity to the Wilderness boundary and fuel and weather conditions, the decision has been made to suppress it. The Michael Fire, sparked by lightning, was first spotted on July 14 and has grown to almost 100 acres in the Mike Creek Area.

The Bitterroot’s biggest fires are both wildland fire use fires—the Harrington Mountain Fire at 110 acres and the Harrington Ridge Fire at 200-plus southwest of Darby. 

Including the Harrington Fires, there remain 11 fires in the Frank Church – River of No Return, Anaconda-Pintlar and Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Areas which are being managed as WFU fires and carefully monitored by air patrol.

For more on the Bitterroot blazes go to http://63.196.254.151/WildWeb/WCMT-BRC.htm and click “recent incidents.”

Noteworthy Fires in Western Montana:

• The Conger Creek Fire, Lolo National Forest, 20 miles north of Ovando along Highway 200. 440 acres, being managed and monitored, not actively suppressed. The forecast suggests that a warmer and drier air mass will set in over the fire for the next three days and an increase in fire behavior is expected.
• The Sawmill Creek Fire, Lolo National Forest in Welcome Creek Wilderness along Rock Creek, 22 miles southwest of Missoula. 150 acres. Up to 100 homes in the Rock Creek Area could become threatened if the fire picks up, says fire information officer Nick Spang.
• The St. Regis Complex, in Western Montana’s Lolo National Forest. A total of 94 acres. “The St. Regis Complex is just about contained and fire managers predict that this fire will soon be under complete control, barring extreme fire weather, Wednesday’s report stated.
• The Bridge Fire in the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho, 45 miles southeast of Missoula, has burned 540 acres and is zero percent contained. Structures and campgrounds are threatened. The Elk Summit Area is being evacuated.

Northwestern Montana:

• The Railley Mountain Fire in the Flathead National Forest, 45 miles northeast of Missoula.  Active fire behavior has grown the blaze to 130 acres at zero percent contained.  Trail closures are in effect and structures are threatened.
• The Garceau Fire, 10 miles from Polson, spread to over 2,800 acres in a matter of 24 hours, prompting the brief evacuation of two homes. It was 50 percent contained Friday morning.
• The Skyland Fire in the Flathead National Forest totals 420 acres, zero percent contained. This fire is 45 miles east of Whitefish. Active fire behavior was reported.

Southwestern Montana:

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has a temporary closure in effect, including the area north of Lacy and McVey creeks and west of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway all the way to the forest boundary east and south of Highway 43. And Stage II fire restrictions go into effect Thursday.

Noteworthy Fires in Southwestern Montana:

• The Pattengail Creek Fire, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest 10 miles northeast of Wisdom. 4,256 acres. Thursday morning it was 25 percent contained. No structures are considered threatened at this time and no evacuations have been ordered.
• The Owl Fire, burning along the Wyoming-Montana border in Yellowstone National Park, was 2,800 acres. All visitor services, park entrances and roads are open. Some trails and backcountry campsites are temporarily closed. A public meeting is set for Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the Gardiner High School.

Central Montana:

Tuesday the Meriwether Fire in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, 37 miles north of Helena, had grown to 6,019 acres by Friday. About 100 residences have been evacuated in all.

An emergency closure is in place that encompasses the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area as well as Coulter Campground along the Missouri River. The closure does not include the Meriwether day use area at this time or the river-way. The campgrounds along Holter Reservoir (BLM) remain open.

Noteworthy Fires in Central Montana:

• The Bull Creek Fire , 10 miles south of Hayes has grown to 200 acres at 30 percent contained. Minimal fire activity was reported.
• Ahorn Fire, Lewis and Clark National Forest, 35 miles West of Augusta, near Benchmark. 15,000 acres. 9 percent contained. 65 summer cabins, dude ranches and bridges threatened.
• Fool Creek Wildland Fire Use Fire, Lewis and Clark National Forest, in Bob Marshall Wilderness. 6,264 acres. This fire is being managed by a Wildland Fire Use team, meaning it is being managed for resource benefit, not actively suppressed. (Click here for more information on Wildand Fire Use teams.)
• Middle Fork Fire, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area, 20 miles southwest of Utica. 1,146 acres. This fire is also being managed as a Wildand Fire Use fire and is burning in a remote area. It was started on June 21 by a lightning strike.

Southeastern Montana:

• The Walk In Fire is a 370 acre fire, eight miles northwest of Ashland on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. It is 50 percent contained and burning in logging slash.