Single Publication

Contact Information:  Phone:  406-426-9612 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Email: 2022.blodgettlake@firenet.gov 

Start Date: 8/29/2022               
Cause: Lightning                                    
Total Personnel: 110                          
Engines: 2
Helicopters: 2                            
Crews: 2                                                     
Heavy Equipment: 6                        

 Blodgett Lake:                   1882 acres.
 Mill Lake:                             1608 acres.
 Big Creek:                             265 acres.
 Bear Creek:                           153 acres.
 Kootenai Creek:                    0.5 acres.

Summary: 

Northern Rockies Team One has responsibility for the five fires listed above. Today crews will scout the area, continue with 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.

The Mill Creek and other drainages continue to be filled with heavy smoke, hampering aerial reconnaissance. Crews constructed a thirty-foot-wide shaded fuel break on the west side of Sheafman Road (FS-438) from Cow Creek trailhead to Sheafman trailhead. Crews will scout opportunities for control lines north to Fred Burr Creek. Crews continue working on indirect control lines along the Forest Service Private Property boundary from Mill Creek south to Blodgett Canyon, utilizing heavy equipment. Firefighters will continue to scout for strategic line locations and control features that could check/slow the fire's spread east towards private and DNRC lands.

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 1882 acres, and this estimate will improve when conditions allow for an infrared fire mapping flight. The fire has crossed Blodgett Creek along the east flank and is smoldering in down and dead fuels. Recent moisture and cooler temperatures have slowed fire progression.

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:

A slow-moving thunderstorm today will track over the fire area. Showers will likely start this afternoon, with the heaviest precipitation expected after 7 pm. There is a 40% chance of receiving 0.25 inches or more of rain on the fire.

CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES

Specific closure information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8392/. 

Trail Closures:

1.         Mill Creek, National Forest System Trail #364 from trailhead origin (T6N, R21W, Sect.4)   to its intersection with Fred Burr Trail #38.

2.         Cow Creek, National Forest System Trail #3 from trailhead origin (T7N, R21W Sect.33) to the intersection of Mill Creek Trail #364.

3.         Hauf Lake, National Forest System Trail #309 from the intersection of Mill Creek Trail #364 (T7N R22W Sect. 35) to Hauf Lake (T6N, R22W Sect. 10, 11).

4.         Sears Lake, National Forest System Trail #312 from the intersection of Mill Creek Trail #364 (T7N R22W Sect. 32) to Sears Lake (T6N R 22W Sect.5).

5.         Sheafman Creek, National Forest System Trail #82 from trailhead origin (T7N R22WSect. 29) to Aichelee Lake (T7N R22W Sect. 29).

6.         A section of Fred Burr, National Forest System Trail #38, from the west end of Fred Burr Reservoir (Township 7N, Range 21W, SE quartersection of Section 15) to its intersection with Mill Creek Trail #364.

7.         Big Creek, National Forest System Trail #11, from trailhead origin (T8N R21W Sect.10)   to the endpoint of Pack Box Pass (T8N R22W Sect. 18).

8.         South Fork Big Creek, National Forest Trail #118, from intersection of Big Creek Trail #11 (T9N R22W Sect.34) to South Fork Lake (T8N R22W Sect. 17).

9.         Blodgett Creek, National Forest Trail # 19, from trailhead origin (T6N R21W Sect.20) to Blodgett Pass (T6N R23W Sect.14), and Blodgett Lake (T6N R23W Sect. 27).

10.       High Lake, National Forest Trail #303, from intersection of Blodgett Creek Trail #19 (T6N 22W Sect.16) to High Lake (T6N R22W Sect.20,21,28,29).

11.       South Fork Bear Creek, National Forest Trail #304, from intersection of Bear Creek Trail #5 (T7N R22W Sect. 2) to South Bear Lake (T7N R23W PB38, PB39).

Road Closures:

1.         Cow Creek, National Forest System Road #438, The road system starting at the gate at the Bitterroot NF boundary, heading west to its end  (T7N, R21W Section 33)

2.         Mill Creek, National Forest System Road #1328, the road system starting at Forest Service Property Boundary, 1/2 mile west of Bowman Rd, heading west to its end. (T6N, R21W, Sect. 3)

Road Closures:

Blodgett Canyon National Forest Campground, the developed campground including all campground sites and day use area. (T6N, R21W, Sect.17)

Fire Restrictions:

Stage 2 Fire Restrictions on all Bitterroot National Forest lands in Montana. See mtfireinfo.org for more specific restrictions information.

InciWeb:  Mill Lake Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8392/

Bitterroot National Forest Website:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot

Air Quality: https://fire.airnow.gov/