Montana Fires: Here Comes September, Finally

By Matthew Frank, 8-31-07

Here comes September and, with it (hopefully), “season ending events”—the cooler temperatures and rains we need to finally snuff out the wildfires of a long, hot and smoky summer. A preview may come tonight for parts of Western Montana with an approaching front and a good chance of thunderstorms.

What’s still burning? Here’s a roundup....

Western Montana Fires

• Northeast of Missoula, the 35,386-acre Jocko Lakes fire west of Seeley Lake is now 57 percent contained. A southwest flow is bringing increased moisture and humidity into the area, and by 6:00 p.m. Friday there will be an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms. During the day resources will patrol and mop up along the south-southwest and northwest flanks supported by air operations. The north and east perimeters of the fire will be patrolled and rehab work will continue along the north and east flanks. A public meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, September 4 at 8:00 p.m. at Seeley Lake Elementary School.

• Crews are on the verge of having the Black Cat fire burning near Evaro northwest of Missoula fully contained. Friday morning the 11,758-acre blaze was 95 percent contained and it will be completely wrapped up very soon.

• The 58,000-acre Sawmill Complex, southeast of Missoula, is now 22 percent contained. Thursday was an active burn day and Friday is expected to be less so. Strong wind gusts are possible Friday afternoon with a 20 percent chance of a wetting rain this afternoon and a 50 percent chance tonight.

  A mandatory evacuation is in effect for Upper Willow Creek Road (Granite County) from the 8 mile marker north. The Upper Willow Creek Road (Granite County) is open to residents only.

  Rock Creek residents are still under a 24-hour pre-evacuation notice.  Rock Creek Road is closed to non-residents from mile post 1 to the intersection with County Road 348. Rock Creek Road is closed to all traffic, including residents, from Mile Marker 12 to Trout Haven/Miller Flats (approximately Mile Marker 20).  The alternate route for Trout Haven and Miller Flat residents is along the Rock Creek Road to the south.

• The Rombo Mountain fire, west of Connor on the Bitterroot National Forest, was mapped Friday at 23,076 acres at 15 percent contained. All existing Stage I Pre-Evacuation Alerts remain in effect.

Northwestern Montana Fires:

• The Chippy Creek Fire, 42 miles southwest of Kalispell and 24 miles north of Thompson Falls, remains at 99,090 acres and Friday crews have it 87 percent contained, up from 40 percent last weekend.

• The Skyland Fire, in the Flathead National Forest 45 miles east of Whitefish, has held for several days at 45,760 acres and it is now 75 percent contained.

• The Brush Creek Fire, burning about 25 miles west of Whitefish, is 100 percent contained at 29,921 acres.

Southwestern Montana:

• The Rat Creek Fire, in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, 25 miles west of Wisdom, is mapped at 21,664 acres at 15 percent contained, but the fire made a significant run to the northeast Thursday and that additional acreage won’t be mapped until later in the day Friday. The run prompted fire crews to implement structure protection measures around homes and property. A cool front, predicted to move across the area late on Friday, brings a slight chance of wetting rains, but it may results in erratic and gusty winds.

• The Pattengail Creek Fire, in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest 10 miles northeast of Wisdom, is now mapped at 13,342 acres. No structures are threatened and the fire is 15 percent contained.

Central Montana:

• The Ahorn Fire, burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Lewis and Clark National Forest 30 miles west of Augusta, is now 49,203 acres and 20 percent contained. Pre-evacuations remain in place for the Gibson Reservoir. Stoner and Benchmark areas are under full evacuation orders. The Benchmark airstrip remains closed due to the continued threat.

• The Fool Creek Fire, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, 30 miles Northwest of Choteau, is 56,500 acres and 20 percent contained. Containment is not expected until a season-ending event.

• The Conger Creek Fire, Lolo National Forest, 20 miles north of Ovando along Highway 200, is at 20,600 acres and being managed as a Wildand Fire Use fire and monitored, not actively suppressed.  (Click here to learn more about Wildand Fire Use.)

Southcentral Montana:

• The The Hicks Park Fire, in the Main Boulder Drainage south of Big Timber, and the Wicked Creek Fire, burning near the Mill Creek drainage of the Paradise Valley south of Livingston, are combined in the WH Complex. In total, the complex has burned 28,600 acres and is 70 percent contained. All evacuations on both fires have been lifted.

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 above for that fire’s page. (InciWeb has been slammed lately and it’s often inaccessible.)

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.