Single Publication

      Hog Trough Fire

August 2, 2022 Update

Acres: 731 acres

Start Date: July 17th, 2022

Cause: Lightning

Origin Location: 18 miles southeast of Hamilton

Facebook: Hog Trough Fire Information

Fire Information: 406-763-1134 daily from 8am-8pm

Jurisdiction: Bitterroot National Forest and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Website:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8258/

Total Personnel: 247

Resources Assigned: 7 Hand Crews, 8 Helicopters, 4 Engines, 2 Skid Engine, 1 Water Tenders, 1 Dozer

Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) is OPEN. Drivers using Skalkaho Highway, please be aware and attentive of firefighter traffic. To ensure firefighter and public safety, Forest Service 75 (Skalkaho-Rye) Road is currently closed from the junction of Highway 38 to Mile Marker 5 near Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trailhead #503. Forest Service 5070 (Sand Basin Creek) is currently closed. Forest Service 711 Road and it’s ancillary roads are closed.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. Please do not fly drones near wildfires. Unauthorized drones were spotted near the fire over the weekend. Use of unauthorized unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, in a fire area endangers the lives of pilots and firefighters. Know before you fly.

Summary: The Hog Trough Fire is burning in the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area (WSA) on both the Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests. No structures threatened and no evacuations in place. Due to significant safety threats and inaccessibility, firefighters currently are not directly engaging the fire on the ground. Fire manager’s objective is to keep the fire south of Highway 38, east of FS 75 Road, west of FS 5071 Road and keep fire within the 2005 Signal Rock Fire burn area.

Planned Actions: Crews will continue with implementation of indirect suppression tactics. Helicopters are available to provide water buckets drops. Heavy equipment and hand crews will construct line by thinning/road improvements on FS 75 Road to prevent potential fire spread west of FS 75. To prevent fire spread to the north, hand crews will construct line from FS 711 Road to FS 75 Road utilizing ridges/drainages. Hand crews will continue to construct fire line between FS 5071 and FS 5070 Road. Heavy equipment will be working east from the southern point of FS 5071 Road.
 
Fire Activity: The fire is burning within the 2005 Signal Rock Fire. Within this burn area, spread rates are minimal due to exposed rock. The northwest side of the fire in timbered areas will continue to burn with single and group tree torching expected.

Weather: A dry cold front will move through the region today producing strong gusty ridge top winds up to 35 MPH this afternoon. Temperatures will be between 78-83 degrees Fahrenheit near 7,000 feet. Minimum relative humidity values will be 24-28%.  

Closures: See Inciweb for specific closure information.

·        FS 75 Road, From Junction 38 and FS 75 to Mile Marker 5 (Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trailhead #503).

·        FS #5070 and #5071 Roads are closed.

·        FS #711 from its intersection with Highway 38 (Skalkaho Highway) to the FS Road #75, including ancillary roads leading from the 711 road.

·        Railroad Creek, National Forest System Trail #77 to Trail#313 at the gate.

·        Weasel Creek, National Forest System Trail #156 from milepost 0.00 at its junction with NFSR #461.

·        A section of the Bitterroot Rock Creek Divide Trail #313, National Forest System Trail #313 where it intersects Trail #77 Railroad Creek, Weasel Creek Trail #156.