High Winds Expected to Stir Up Montana Fires Friday

By New West Editor, 8-10-07

	Caption: This is today's map of the state's biggest and most pressing fires. Click the image to enlarge. The colors represent the following: Red: Actively burning in the last 12 hours. Orange: Actively burning in the last 24 hours. Yellow: Previously burned. For the the full Forest Service's MODIS Active Fire Detection map, click here.

Wildfire activity picked up across Montana Thursday with some thunderstorms passing through. And it’s expected to persist with red flag conditions predicted for Friday. Altogether, nearly 300,000 acres are ablaze in Big Sky country. Here’s a roundup…

Tin Cup Fire, West of Darby

The nation’s top-priority wildfire, the Tin Cup Fire burning about 2 1/2 miles west of Darby in the Bitterroot was estimated at 580 acres Friday morning. A red flag warning is in effect from noon until 9 p.m. Friday, with gusts up to 30 mph expected out of the west, possibly pushing the fire east toward Darby.

“Cross your fingers,” said fire information officer Kelly Andersson.

Being at the top of the priority list means resources, planes, engines and firefighters will be sent there first—if available. Resources are stretched thin, as fires continue to burn across the West. 

The fire is estimated to be 40 percent contained, but crews have established a solid fire line around much of the fire, Andersson said. 

On Monday, 31 homes were evacuated on the side of the fire nearest to the Bunkhouse area and on the other side, in the Tin Cup area, six other homes were evacuated, said Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman. Also on that side, 47 residences were put on evacuation warning. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but, “we do know there wasn’t any lightning that day,” said fire information officer Dixie Dies.  “Which narrows it down.”

The fire popped up Sunday and quickly ran to 375 acres. 

The evacuated areas include Cerro Gordo Road, Camp 4 Road and Tin Cup Road from Singing Pines Road north. Bunkhouse Road, Almosta Road, and Stags Leap Road, and Snowy Mountain Road were also evacuated after being warned of the possibility Sunday. Moose Meadow Lane, Elk Range Way, Base Camp Road, Ravenwood Roads and Northstar Drive were all on evacuation notice and told to be ready to evacuate should the fire grow. Residents will be notified by a uniformed law enforcement officer if their residences are under advisory. Ravalli County has also set up an evacuation hotline at 406-375-6650. 

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

Chippy Creek Fire, North of Thompson Falls

The Chippy Creek Fire The Chippy Creek Fire, 42 miles southwest of Kalispell, has slowed the last two days after growing dramatically earlier in the week.  It added nearly 3,000 acres Thursday. But despite the spread, fire information officer Dyan Bone called Thursday a good day, with fire crews punching in more line and performing burnout operations on the fire’s northeast flank, where nearly 350 homes are within seven miles of the blaze. Crews are focusing on structure protection there. 

While the fire has quieted over the last few days, receiving a bit if rain on Thursday, there’s still “extreme potential for fire growth given the conditions,” fire information officer Wayne Johnson said.

While the fire is calmer, crews hope to continue punching line and doing burn out operations to secure the fire, which is now about 56,365 acres and 10 percent contained.  More than 400 personnel are working the blaze.

On Tuesday, the fire was pushed to the east and slightly to the north, growing more than 7,000 acres. Extreme fire behavior and a red flag warning prompted authorities to call for an evacuation of about 50 residences in the area. Evacuated areas are from the north end of the Lower Dry Fork Reservoir north to the Hubbard Reservoir subdivision and five miles east of the Sanders County line. The communities of Lonepine and Hot Springs will not be affected by this evacuation.

Three information meetings are now scheduled to discuss the Chippy Creek Fire: Friday at 7 p.m. in the Hot Springs High School; Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Elmo Community Center; Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Hot Springs High School.

Jocko Lakes Fire, West of Seeley Lake

Thursday’s big news from the Jocko Lakes Fire was that the evacuation order issued for residences and businesses on the east side of Highway 83 was lifted—conditionally.

The reopened area is along Golf Drive east of Highway 83 and between the town of Seeley Lake and the Double Arrow Resort. Highway 83 itself remains restricted.

Fire information officer Tom Kempton said the reopening is “all dependent on fire behavior,” and that anyone heading back to these areas must be prepared to evacuate within 90 minutes should fire officials deem it necessary.

On Thursday much of firefighters’ attention was focused on the fire’s northeast flank, closest to Seeley Lake, where the fire jumped containment line Wednesday. Crews have been building dozer line and conducting burnout operations in the Archibald Creek area and along the Westside Bypass, or 2190. And CL-215 “super scoopers” dumped a tremendous amount of water on that edge, Kempton said.

Officials “feel pretty comfortable” with the contingency line firefighters have constructed there, where many of the 1,500 threatened structures stand to the east, along the west shore of the lake. But, Kempton warned, “there’s still lots of fire out there, lots of fire to get line around.”

The fire has not yet reached Boy Scout Road, which runs along the west shore of Seeley Lake. Boy Scout Road is the trigger point for evacuating the town of Seeley Lake. If the fire hits it, “that’s the time when we would evacuate the rest of town,” fire information officer Pat Cross said Tuesday. “I’m really hoping that doesn’t happen.”

The fire was 18,600 acres—or about 29 square miles—Friday morning, up from 16,800 Wednesday, and it remained about 10 percent contained.

Traces of rain were experienced on some portions of the fire overnight, the result of front moving through the area. Friday a red flag warning is effect with temperatures back into the 80s, low humidity, and the expectation of wind. Click here for more. 

Ahorn Fire, West of Augusta

The Ahorn Fire burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Lewis and Clark National Forest 30 miles west of Augusta has been quieted lately by higher relative humidity, and while more of the same is expected for Friday humidity-wise, a red flag warning has been issued between noon and midnight, with the hours of 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. being of the greatest concern.

The fire is now 44,150 acres at five percent contained. Click here for a recent map of the fire.

As the fire camp reports, “Any further containment of this fire will be a result of the fire movement out of the wilderness and into topography and fuels where suppression actions can be effective. Total containment very likely to be tied to season ending moisture conditions.”

Among Friday’s activities, crews will continue work today on structure protection and fuel reduction along the Beaver Willow Road. Two feller bunchers, machines capable of removing trees at the stump, will remove trees on the west side of the road today. The goal is to reduce fuels along the road from the Stoner Place north to Green Timber Basin. The road may be used as a control line if the fire gets into the Beaver Creek drainage.

Evacuations remain in place for the Gibson Reservoir area to the fire’s north, the Stoner Place area to the fire’s east, and Benchmark to the fire’s south. Structure protection crews are working on summer lease cabins, homes and ranch properties, running hose, setting up pumps and sprinkler systems and clearing fuel.

The rapid growth of both the Ahorn and the Fool Creek Fires prompted officials on the Lewis and Clark National Forest to close a large part of the Rocky Mountain Ranger District to the public.  Click here for a recent list of closures.

Region-by-Region breakdown:

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. (InciWeb has been slammed lately and it was inaccessible earlier in the week, but now it appears to be running just fine.)

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 across western and west-central Montana. Click here for more details. 

Western Montana: 

• The Jocko Lakes Fire, 18,600 acres—or about 29 square miles—Friday morning, up from 16,800 Wednesday, and it remained about 10 percent contained. More information above.

• The Sawmill Complex, a complex of three fires near Rock Creek and 22 miles southeast of Missoula, was up to 19,900 acres Friday morning at five percent contained.

  Evacuations were lifted Wednesday in the Williams Gulch and Wild Rose Loop subdivisions, which means all evacuations on the complex have been lifted, but residents are still on warning, fire information officer Karen Semple.

  Road closures are in effect for the area including: Rock Creek Road, beginning at the intersection of I-90, and south to the intersection with state road 348. Stony Creek Road is also closed to all but local residents and firefighting traffic. The Montana National Guard is assisting with roadblocks and security efforts.

• The Rombo Fire, on the Bitterroot National Forest, is up to 3,300 acres.

• The Tin Cup Fire 580 acres. More above.

  For more on the Rombo, Tin Cup and all of the Bitterroot blazes go here: http://63.196.254.151/WildWeb/WCMT-BRC.htm. Click “recent incidents.”

• The Conger Creek Fire, Lolo National Forest, 20 miles north of Ovando along Highway 200. 6,000 acres, being managed as a Wildand Fire Use fire and monitored, not actively suppressed.  (Click here to learn more about Wildand Fire Use.)

• The Mile Marker 124 Fire, north of Interstate 90 near the Rock Creek exit has been contained at 6,231 acres. All evacuations in the area have been lifted and crews starting mopping up Tuesday.

  Officials are looking for more information on the cause of the Mile Marker 124 Fire, ignited by multiple starts along the westbound lane of I-90, three miles east of Clinton. Investigators ruled out lightning and believe the cause may have been mechanical or vehicular malfunction. Call (406) 542-4241 if you have any information. 

Northwestern Montana: 

• The Chippy Creek Fire The Chippy Creek Fire, 42 miles southwest of Kalispell, has slowed the last two days after growing dramatically earlier in the week.  It added nearly 3,000 acres Thursday. But despite the spread, fire information officer Dyan Bone called Thursday a good day, with fire crews punching in more line and performing burnout operations on the fire’s northeast flank, where nearly 350 homes are within seven miles of the blaze. Crews are focusing on structure protection there. 

• The Garceau Fire, 10 miles from Polson on the Flathead Indian Reservation, has burned a total of 3,045 acres is 97 percent contained.

• The Skyland Fire in the Flathead National Forest totals 38,035 acres at 37 percent contained. It’s 45 miles east of Whitefish. Click here for more from the Great Falls Tribune.

• The Brush Creek Fire, about 29 miles west of Whitefish, MT, is up to 22,928 acres at 12 percent contained with a target containment date set for August 30. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the community of Star Meadow. The Good Creek Community has been put on warning to be ready should it need to evacuate.

Southwestern Montana: 

• The Pattengail Creek Fire, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest 10 miles northeast of Wisdom. 3,900 acres, 25 percent contained. Because this fire is not advancing as rapidly as other fires in the region, it is considered to be a lower priority.

Central Montana: 

• The Ahorn Fire burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Lewis and Clark National Forest 30 miles west of Augusta has been quieted lately by higher relative humidity, and while more of the same is expected for Friday humidity-wise, a red flag warning has been issued between noon and midnight, with the hours of 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. being of the greatest concern.

  The fire is now 44,150 acres at five percent contained. Click here for a recent map of the fire.

• Crews have a good handle on the Meriwether Fire, burning in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness north of Helena near Wolf Creek. The fire is up to 40,697 acres at 65 percent contained.

• The Fool Creek Fire, in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, in Bob Marshall Wilderness, 32,365 acres, 30 miles Northwest of Choteau. The fire is 0 percent contained and a containment target has been set for Oct. 31.

For the latest fire information, visit NewWest.Net/Fire

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