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Fuel conditions on the Ratio Mountain Fire northwest of Whitehall, MT.
UAS firing operations on the Ratio Mountain Fire northwest of Whitehall, MT.
Ratio Mountain fire terrain and fuels conditions.
The Ratio Mountain Fire, located 15 miles northwest of Whitehall, MT between Ratio Mountain and Whitetail Reservoir, is burning in an area that has recently experienced several large fires. Fire footprints (or previously burned areas) lie to the north (State Fire of 2020), the south (McCluskey Fire of 2019), and the west (Placer Fire of 2021) of the fire location.
These areas contain a large concentration of standing dead trees (“snags”) that pose challenges to ensuring firefighter safety and in responding to potential medical emergencies, jeopardizing the well-being of all responders.
| Current as of | Fri, 08/23/2024 - 22:40 |
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| Incident Time Zone | America/Denver |
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | 15 miles northwest of Whitehall, MT. |
| Incident Commander | Jonathan Stonelake Scott Drake (T) |
| Coordinates |
46° 2' 43'' Latitude
-112° 11' 46
'' Longitude
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| Total Personnel: | 113 |
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| Size | 587 Acres |
| Fuels Involved | The entire area, including the previous fire footprints and the area immediately surrounding the Ratio Mountain fire, contains a large concentration of standing dead trees (“snags”) that pose challenges to ensuring firefighter safety and in responding to potential medical emergencies, jeopardizing the well-being of firefighters and other responders. |
| Significant Events | Fire managers from the Forest, working in collaboration with local Jefferson County officials and cooperating agency representatives from the DNRC and BLM, have identified, mapped, and prioritized critical values at risk in the fire area. These inter-agency, values-based discussions are critical in fire management, informing the decision-making process. Strategic firing operations were successfully implemented on the eastern side of the fire, as firefighters used UAS (“drone”) to ignite and burn the fuels between the active fire edge and the constructed control lines from previous fire incidents (State Creek Fire of 2020 and McCluskey Fire of 2019) along the Hay Canyon Road. The crews have progressed approximately 70% of the way with completion of firing operations along this section of line. |
| Planned Actions |
Depending on weather conditions, crews and equipment will continue strategic firing operations on the eastern side of the fire, utilizing UAS (“drone”) and hand ignitions to ignite and burn the fuels between the active fire edge and the constructed control lines from previous fire incidents (State Creek Fire of 2020 and McCluskey Fire of 2019) along the Hay Canyon Road. This operation is approximately 70% complete, as of August 23rd. This fire suppression tactic is an effective method of reducing the available fuels ahead of an active fire edge, while reducing the potential for negative impacts to the identified and prioritized values. |
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| Remarks |
Fire managers from the Forest, working in collaboration with local Jefferson County officials and cooperating agency representatives from the DNRC and BLM, have identified, mapped, and prioritized critical values at risk in and around the fire area. These inter-agency, values-based discussions are critical in fire management, informing the decision-making process for incident management. |
| Weather Concerns | The weather forecast calls for critical fire weather conditions through tonight, with the passage of a cold front. The fire received light precipitation, but coverage was spotty and sporadic. The forecast for the weekend calls for widespread wetting and rain much cooler temperatures. |
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