Sawmill Complex Fire Morning Update: Sept. 5

By Sawmill Complex Fire Information, Guest Writer, 9-05-07

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 Marker 1 to the intersection with County Road 348.

Rock Creek Road is open to residents, from Mile Marker 12 to Trout Haven / Miller Flats (approximately Mile Marker 20).  However, this section of road is subject to various restrictions or closure without notice depending on fire activity

Complex Wide: Up to one-half inch of rain fell in the fire area Tuesday evening, calming the fires. The rain should keep the fires relatively quiet for the next couple of days, but won’t put them out. Although portions of the fires burned actively Tuesday afternoon, firefighters continued to keep the fires from moving closer to homes and other key areas. The Wyman 2 fire continued burning actively north of Skalkaho Pass Tuesday afternoon.  Activity was minimal on both the Fisher Point and Sawmill fires. There is a 40 percent chance of rain on Wednesday morning or early afternoon.

Fisher Point Fire (14,997 acres, date of origin 7/28/07) Fire activity was minimal Tuesday. Wednesday, fire personnel will continue to patrol for spot fires and mop-up hot areas along the perimeter near Upper Willow Creek Road. The potential for spotting on the east side of the creek continues to be a threat.  The fire has not crossed Chico Gulch. 

Wyman 2 Fire (35,265 acres, date of origin 7/29/07) remained active Tuesday afternoon in the headwaters of Stony Creek.  There was no significant activity on the rest of the fire.  Wednesday, helicopters may be used to cool the upper Stony Creek area.  Crews will continue to monitor, mop up and patrol along Rock Creek and the lower part of Stony Creek. 

Sawmill Fire (11,811 acres, date of origin 7/15/07) was active on its southern boundary Tuesday, but relatively quiet elsewhere. Wednesday, crews will continue to work on containing and mopping up the fire west of Rock Creek.

Sawmill Complex Statistics at a Glance:

* Date Complex Formed:  July 31, 2007
* Location: 22 miles southeast of Missoula MT
* Cause: Lightning
* Fuels: Timber, litter, and grass
* Size: 62,366 acres (estimated, cloud cover Tuesday evening prevented infrared mapping)
* Containment: 22 %
* Cost:  $17,575,000
* Resources:  Crews - 4; Helicopters - 4; Engines - 16; Personnel - 385

A radio repeater is being moved Wednesday to provide better communication in the southern end of the fire. During the hour while the changes in the communication system are being tested, firefighters will stop their normal work to discuss safety procedures, a “safety standdown.”

In discussions with the three forests, there is agreement that complexity for this incident remains at the Type 2 level. An order has been placed for a Type 2 team to replace Don Angell’s Type 2 Team, which will be timing out. 

The Montana National Guard is assisting with road blocks and security efforts.  Fire Passes are being issued at road blocks to residents affected by the closure.  To obtain a pass, residents need to provide proof of residency.

The Skalkaho Road is not currently being affected by these closures. 

Due to water conditions and fire operations, Rock Creek is closed to fishing from the Skalkaho Highway Bridge to the Clark Fork River. 

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has closed portions of the Goose Gulch Rd. #4325, Otter Creek Rd. #8419, Miners Gulch Rd. #5156, and Upper Willow Creek Rd. (Granite County) #88. These roads are closed to all motorized vehicles, foot, bicycle, and horse activities for public safety due to fire activity. 

The Bitterroot National Forest has closed Trail #313 (Sapphire Divide) from the Skalkaho road to Sawmill Saddle.

Attention Hunters: Additional sections of the Lolo, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, and Bitterrroot National Forest have been closed due to the current fire activity. Please check the National Forests’ websites for the most up-to-date closures before proceeding to traditional hunting spots.

Lolo NF: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo/

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/b-d/

Bitterroot NF: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/

Editor’s note: As part of our fire coverage, NewWest.Net is posting here the email updates and press releases we get directly from fire camps as we get them. These do not replace our ongoing full coverage of the fires at www.newwest.net/fire, but supplement the information you get throughout the day with the updates we get throughout the day. We aim to give you all the information we get and here it is in its “unfiltered” form. For full stories, check back often at www.newwest.net/fire and continue to look for these updates from fire camps in the link box on the right-hand side of the page.

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