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Mill Lake and Blodgett Lake Fire Update for September 17, 2022
Mill Lake Fire
Publication Type: News 09/18/2022
Blodgett Lake 2270 acres
Big Creek 150 acres
Bear Creek 229 acres
Kootenai Creek: 1 acres
Summary:
Recent winds improved air quality and allowed the use of aviation resources for aerial reconnaissance. As reported yesterday, these flights revealed that the fires had not grown eastward down the canyons since Monday, September 12. More accurate mapping from these flights have resulted in a decrease in the estimated Mill Lake fire size.
Northern Rockies Team One has responsibility for the five fires listed above. Today, crews will scout the area and continue line preparation, and fire managers will work on a long-term plan for this incident. This planning effort will include fuel removal and alternate line locations between Blodgett and Kootenai canyons.
Work continues on roads and trails being prepped as a control line to keep the fire west of road #430. Crews continued constructing a thirty-foot-wide fuel break on the west side of Sheafman Road (FS-438) from Cow Creek trailhead to Sheafman trailhead. Firefighters are building a hand line from the south end of road #1327 to the rock cliff face above Fred Burr Creek. Crews will work on indirect control lines along the Forest Service - Private Property boundary from Mill Creek south to Blodgett Canyon, utilizing heavy equipment. Firefighters are scouting strategic line locations and control features that could slow the fire's spread east towards private and DNRC lands. Crews will begin constructing an indirect hand line north of Bear Creek Trailhead along the FS boundary to road 1325. A structure protection group will coordinate with Fire Departments to scout structures adjacent to Forest Service land east of Big Creek, Bear Lake, and Blodgett Lake fires.
The Blodgett Fire is now estimated at 2270 acres. The fire has crossed Blodgett Creek along the east flank and is smoldering in down and dead fuels. Recent moisture and cooler temperatures should result in limited fire behavior today. The Forest has implemented additional trail closures across the fire area. Refer to the Bitterroot National Forest website for details https://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot
Weather:
Today will be another cool day with maximum temperatures reaching into the low 60s with a slight chance of showers late afternoon. Compared to recent days, there will be more sunshine. Winds will be light (west to east at 10 mph) influenced by the terrain (elevation & slope).
InciWeb: Mill Lake Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8392/
Bitterroot National Forest Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot