Single Publication

      Hog Trough Fire

July 31, 2022 Update

Acres: 672 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

Percent Contained: 9%

Jurisdiction: Bitterroot National Forest and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

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

Total Personnel: 238

Resources Assigned: 6 Hand Crews, 4 Helicopters, 3 Engines, 2 Skid Engine, 2 Excavators, 2 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) and 5071 Road is currently closed. Forest Service 711 Road is currently 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: To prevent fire spread to the west, heavy equipment and hand crews will continue thinning/road improvements on the east side of FS 75 Road working south to north from the Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trail #503. Crews will construct indirect line near FS 711 Road to FS 75 Road along ridge lines to prevent potential fire spread to the north and impacting Skalkaho Highway. Heavy equipment and hand crews will be improving road and trail systems on the east side of the fire to prevent fire spread to the Rock Creek drainage. Yesterday, crews removed snags to create safe locations to land helicopters on the northern portions of the fire. These will be used as medical evacuation sites and insertion points for dropping crew members and supplies.

Fire Activity: Single/group tree torching within the southeast corner of the fire. Fire activity will be moderate with creeping and smoldering through down woody debris on the north and west sides of the fire perimeter. More active fire behavior is expected today and smoke may be visible this afternoon.

Weather: A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 2:00-9:00 PM. Winds will be from the west at 10-20 MPH. Minimum relative humidity values will be 10-15%. Temperatures in the valley will be in the low 90s, along ridges they will in the low 80s.

Closures: See Inciweb for specific closure information.

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

·        FS 5070, FS 5071 and FS 711 Roads are Closed.

·        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.