Single Publication

NORTHERN ROCKIES TEAM 6

INCIDENT COMMANDER: Paul Roose

East Fork Fire

Kootenai National Forest/Flathead National Forest

Fire Information  406-285-8634  Eastforkfireinfo@gmail.com

August 28, 2023

Location: 12 miles south of Trego, MT

Start Date: 7/30/2023

Cause: Lightning

Size: 5,106 acres

Containment: 15%

Total Personnel: 611

Engines: 13

Hand Crews: 14

Helicopters: 2

Hoselay along fireline delivering water for mop-up operations

Yesterday’s Events:

Fireline created by heavy equipment

Where the fire was more active, crews carried out small scale burnout operations, removing fuels near firelines. Helicopters performed bucket drops to cool hot spots which supported firefighters on the line. On less active parts of the fire, damp fuels and inconsistent fuel loading hampered burning efforts. Night operations continued with logging equipment loading logs and slash, removing them from the fire area.

Plans for Today: Firefighters anticipate warmer and drier conditions which will make fuels more receptive for burnout operations. Unmanned aerial systems (drones) equipped with plastic sphere dispensers (“ping pong balls”) will safely “put fire” on the ground in strategic locations. Elsewhere on the fire, crews will continue to cool off smoldering logs using hoselays and hand tools. The public may see smoke today as the fire continues to slowly grow and unburned interior fuels are consumed. According to Fire Behavior Analyst Eric Trimble, the risk for significant fire spread on Monday is relatively low.

Weather Update: Temperatures will be a few degrees warmer than yesterday and relative humidity will be slightly lower. A cold front approaching the area on Tuesday will bring rain in the evening, continuing on Wednesday. A short duration wind event may precede the rain on Tuesday evening.

Evacuations: Some communities remain in a Pre-Evacuation Warning. Residents may return to their homes under a Pre-Evacuation Warning, but may need to leave again on short notice. For more information, go to the Lincoln County and Flathead County Sheriff’s Department Facebook pages.

Public Meetings: No public meetings are scheduled at this time, though fire personnel are available to address questions or concerns via the email address and telephone number noted above.

Today's operational update video can be seen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WQ9SuMyfgTo

A video on the upcoming fire weather forecast can also be viewed: https://youtu.be/9EcMhXWBljw