Single Publication

      Hog Trough Fire

August 3, 2022 Update

Acres: 749 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: 273

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, a 5 mile section of Forest Service 75 (Skalkaho-Rye) Road is currently closed. Forest Service 5070 and 5071 (Sand Basin Creek) Roads are currently closed. Forest Service 711 Road and its 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 lightning caused Hog Trough Fire is burning at 749 acres in the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area (WSA) on both the Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests. No structures threatened and no evacuations in place. 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. The fire is transferring from the Western MT All Hazards Incident Management Team to the Northern Rockies Team 5 Type 2 Incident Management Team today.

Planned Actions: Crews will continue to make progress on creating handline in the northern area of the fire off FS 711 Road. Equipment and hand crews will construct line by thinning/road improvements on FS 75 Road to the west and between FS 5070 and FS 5071 Road working to the southeast. The fire’s location contains heavy concentrations of dead and down debris and poses significant risk to implement direct suppression tactics. No amount of protection of a resource is worth the loss of human life.

Fire Activity: The fire is burning within the 2005 Signal Rock Fire. Within this burn area, spread rates are minimal due to exposed rock breaking up continuous fuels. The northwest and southeast portions of the fire continue to grow the most. Single and group tree torching in heavy timbered stands is expected where trees have suffered from Spruce Budworm mortality. Heavy dead and down woody debris and gusty ridge winds will support fire spread.

Weather: Breezy west winds will develop this afternoon at 5-15 MPH with gusts up to 20 MPH. Cooler temperatures expected today with highs in the mid-70s near the fire and relative humidity values between 23-31%.
 
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.