Single Publication

CURRENT STATUS 

Crews have completed 34% of their objectives on the Hog Trough Fire, up from 9% yesterday. Crews on the northwest side of the fire are “plumbing” the Railroad Creek drainage with hose lays and sprinklers, as well as removing hazardous trees. They will continue to install sprinklers north to the 711A road where crews are constructing line on the 77 trail to prevent the fire’s northerly progression. To the west, crews are finishing chipping trees along the constructed fuel breaks along the 75 road. To the east, crews are completing fuel break construction between the 5071 and 5070 roads. Aerial resources will be available as needed to assist ground crews.   
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR 

The weather will continue a warming and drying trend through early next week, with temperatures expected to reach into the mid-90s at lower elevations and the mid-80s on ridgetops and poor relative humidity recovery overnight.  Winds are likely to be out of the west with gusts up to 15 mph. Wind speeds will likely increase over the next few days.   

With these weather conditions, fire behavior specialists expect a slight uptick in fire behavior but not in fire movement. The limiting factor for movement is the availability of fuels, both in the amount (broken and scattered pattern in rocky terrain) and type (live fuels are still green). The fire is slowly progressing out of a fire footprint from 2005 and into more available fuels on the northwest and southwest corners. The southwest side of the fire, in the Weasel Creek area, is currently exhibiting the most active fire behavior. The fire is also growing about 400 feet a day on the southeast corner and could show additional movement with the influence of wind. While the fire is mainly creeping and smoldering, there is occasional tree torching in the fire’s interior.  

CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES 

Road Closures: 
Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) is open.
Skalkaho Road (Forest Service road 75) and Forest Service road 711 are both closed at the junction of Skalkaho Highway, including the ancillary roads leading from the 711 Road. Skalkaho Road is open past Mile Marker 5 (Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trailhead #503). 
Forest Service roads 5070 and 5071 are closed.  

Trail Closures:  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.  
Skalkaho Creek – Jerry Lake Trail #503, National Forest System Trail #503.