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Fire Restrictions Lifted and Fire Danger Lowered

Related Incident: Mill Lake Fire

Publication Type: News Mon, 09/19/2022 - 12:00

Hamilton, MT, September 19, 2022

Due to recent precipitation and cooler temperatures, the Bitterroot National Forest has lowered its fire danger to “High” down from “Extreme.”

The Forest is also lifting Stage 2 Fire Restrictions effective immediately. Restrictions have been in place since August 12th. This means campfires will again be allowed on the Forest and will also lift the restrictions (hoot owl) on firewood cutting in the afternoon.

Open burning is currently prohibited in Ravalli County. Camp and cooking fires are still allowed. For the latest on current fire restrictions and County burn bans in place throughout Montana visit www.mtfireinfo.org.

Although fire danger remains High, fire management officials opted to move out of restrictions because of the recent precipitation as well as fire danger indices (burning conditions/severity), which are also moving downward as the summer season moves into the summer/fall transition.

Many locations across the forest received precipitation within the last week with totals ranging from a ¼ inch to nearly 1 inch. Temperatures this week will remain near normal, and a southwest flow will develop that is forecast to bring additional chances of precipitation Wednesday night and Thursday along with potential thunderstorms.

The Magruder Road Corridor between Darby MT. and Elk City, ID. is now open after the Forest lifted the road closure last week from the Twist Creek Fire. The Hog Trough Fire area closure up Skalkaho on the Darby Ranger District was also lifted this weekend. Please note, the Indian Ridge Fire area closure on the West Fork Ranger District remains in place https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8319/

While fire danger has lessened, fire season is not over. Although campfires can be one of the best parts of camping and provide necessary warmth to hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts, they can also spark wildfires. Please don’t forget your responsibility to maintain and extinguish all campfires. Remember, if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave. Never leave a campfire unattended.

This summer, there have been 63 wildfires on the Bitterroot National Forest; 11 human-caused and 52 lightning fires

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

Tod McKay
Public Affairs Officer
Forest Service
Bitterroot National Forest

p: 406-363-7122
c: 406-531-1130
tod.mckay@usda.gov
1801 North 1st Street
Hamilton, MT 59840
www.fs.fed.us

Caring for the land and serving people

Blodgett Lake Mill Lake Fires Update Sept 19 2022

Related Incident: Mill Lake Fire

Publication Type: News Mon, 09/19/2022 - 12:00

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: 234    Completed: 25%     Engines: 3    Helicopters: 1    Heavy Equipment: 3     Crews: 6
Fire Name                                               Acreage (estimated)
Blodgett Lake                                         2290 acres
Mill Lake                                                   908 acres
Big Creek                                   153 acres
Bear Creek                                               232 acres
Kootenai Creek:                                    1 acre

Summary:
Work is progressing well in the Bitterroot Valley for fire crews improving indirect control lines as fire activity slows.

Fire activity remains light as wet weather moved into the Bitterroot Valley yesterday, accompanied by brief gusty winds and lightning. The wet conditions continue to moderate fire spread; however, firefighters expect some smoldering fire behavior in the mid-afternoon today.

Crews continue to work on the shaded fuel break along the forest boundary. Much of the larger fuels have been removed, and work is now shifting to chipping smaller limbs and debris. The fuel break is the first line of defense in case weather and winds align to drive this or future fires east towards the valley.

Firefighters are widening fuel buffers on road #1327 using wood chippers to clear brush in vulnerable locations. Crews completed work on a hand line from the south end of road #1327 to the rock cliff face above Fred Burr Creek. Crews will continue work on a continuous indirect control line along the Forest Service - Private Property boundary from Mill Creek south to Blodgett Canyon, utilizing heavy equipment. Crews also completed a hand line north of Bear Creek Trailhead along the FS boundary to road 1325. A structure protection group continues coordination with Fire Departments to scout structures adjacent to Forest Service land east of Big Creek, Bear Lake, and Blodgett Lake fires. The Bitterroot Hotshots are doing line improvement near Don Mackey Point.

The Forest has implemented trail closures across the fire area. Refer to the Bitterroot National Forest website for details https://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot

Weather:

Thunderstorms moved into the area with cool and unsettled conditions predicted across the Bitterroot Valley. Weather remains cool and unsettled through Thursday, which has the best chance of a wetting rain.

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/

Mill Lake Blodgett Lake Fire Update for Sept 18 2022

Related Incident: Mill Lake Fire

Publication Type: News Sun, 09/18/2022 - 12:00

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: 224     Engines: 3      Helicopters: 1      Crews: 6    Heavy Equipment: 3

Fire Name                                               Acreage (estimated)
Blodgett Lake                                            2290 acres
Mill                                                908 acres
Big Creek                                                   153 acres
Bear Creek                                                 232 acres
Kootenai Creek:                                      1     acre

Summary:
Smoke continues to clear from the Bitterroot Valley giving residents their first glimpse of the Blodgett Lake Fire. The Bitterroot Hotshots hiked into the canyon and confirmed that smoke was coming from the existing fire footprint, not from a new start or fire growth.

Weather conditions over the Blodgett Lake and Mill Lake Fires favor low fire activity. Winds remain terrain driven. Little or no down-canyon growth towards the valley is expected.

Crews are continuing work on a shaded fuel break along the forest boundary in case of a return to warm and dry fire weather. Shaded fuel breaks are mechanically created buffer zones that remove shade tolerant brush, but mature trees that are more fire resistant are left standing. Without the lower and mid-level brush and trees, fires lack the "ladder" mechanism for fire to reach the tree canopy and become a high-intensity fire.

Firefighters are also performing reconnaissance and developing plans in the event of eastward fire growth on this or future incidents.

The thirty-foot-wide fuel break on the west side of Sheafman Road (FS-438) from Cow Creek trailhead is now complete. Firefighters continue 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. Crews will begin constructing an indirect hand line north of Bear Creek Trailhead along the FS boundary to road 1325. A structure protection group is coordinating with Fire Departments to scout structures adjacent to Forest Service land east of Big Creek, Bear Lake, and Blodgett Lake fires.

The Forest has implemented trail closures across the fire area. Refer to the Bitterroot National Forest website for details https://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot

Weather:

Thunderstorms will return to the fire and work areas today. There is a 70 percent chance of rain in the afternoon. Weather remains cool and unsettled through Thursday, which has the best chance of a waiting rain.

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/

Mill Lake and Blodgett Lake Fire Update for September 17 2022

Related Incident: Mill Lake Fire

Publication Type: News Sat, 09/17/2022 - 12:00

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: 199    Engines: 2 Helicopters: 2     Crews: 6     Heavy Equipment: 9

Fire Name                               Acreage (estimated)
Blodgett Lake                                         2270 acres
Mill Lake                                                     898 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

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

Boulder Mountain Fire update for Monday Sept 26

Related Incident: Boulder Mountain Fire

Publication Type: News Mon, 09/26/2022 - 12:00

CUSICK, Wash. – Firefighters have suppressed the Boulder Mountain Fire to 99% containment and have kept the fire footprint as small as possible.

“We want to thank the Kalispel Tribe and the communities of Cusick and Usk for their hospitality and support,” said Northwest 13 Incident Commander Brian Gales. “The Tribe graciously allowed us to use their homelands and Pow Wow Grounds for our incident command post throughout this incident. Local residents and businesses have also made us feel very welcome.” Today is the final operational shift for Northwest IMT 13. Washington Department of Natural Resources and Colville National Forest will take control of the fire Tuesday morning. For future information about the Boulder Mountain Fire, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/colville or https://www.facebook.com/colvillenf. The Colville National Forest has lifted a closure enacted for the duration of the fire, however, many natural hazards can exist for months – if not years – after a fire is out:

Dead or dying trees that remain standing after a wildfire are unstable, especially in high winds.
Burned out stumps and root systems can create pits that may also be camouflaged by ash or debris. They can also weaken the soil, making it subject to collapse. Stepping or falling into one could break a bone. They may also contain hot embers that can cause severe burns.
Ash and fallen needles are slippery and can make for treacherous footing on trails.
Unstable soils and areas stripped of vegetation can result in falling rocks or logs and landslides in dry weather, or debris flows and flash floods in rainy weather.

Boulder Mountain Fire update for Sunday Sept 25

Related Incident: Boulder Mountain Fire

Publication Type: News Sun, 09/25/2022 - 12:00

CUSICK, Wash. – Although the Boulder Mountain Fire is approaching full containment, it will not be extinguished until sufficient precipitation falls to saturate fuels.

A contained fire is fully enclosed by control lines and not likely to spread based on conditions. The Boulder Mountain Fire will continue to creep and smolder within its boundaries until it receives adequate moisture. “A tenth of an inch isn’t going to do it,” said Dean Warner, fire behavior analyst for Northwest 13. “Half an inch would probably do it. A quarter of an inch might be enough, depending on the location.” Typically, a few consecutive days of wetting rains are needed for fire danger to subside in eastern Washington. Warmer, drier conditions are forecasted to continue through midweek, and the current forecast shows no potential for rain until early October. Today, firefighters will put the finishing touches on containment lines securing unburned horseshoes at the northwest and southwest edges of the fire. Mop-up, line repair and backhauling are continuing in all areas. Closures: An area closure remains in place for the Boulder Mountain Fire on the Colville National Forest. For a map and complete description of the closure area, including a list of trails and roads, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/colville/alerts-notices. Violations of this order are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both.

Boulder Mountain Fire update for Saturday Sept 24

Related Incident: Boulder Mountain Fire

Publication Type: News Sat, 09/24/2022 - 12:00

CUSICK, Wash. – Firefighters are completing containment lines in key areas of the fire, while mopping up and rehabilitating lines in areas that are fully secured.

Saw lines have been completed in the northwest corner of the fire where vegetation was too dense to effectively build handline or dozer lines. Instead, firefighters used chain saws to cut down or thin out heavy brush, tree limbs, and trees to disrupt fuel continuity. On the northeast part of the incident some dozer lines still need to be cleaned up and repaired. Mop-up, gridding for heat, suppression repair and rehabilitation are simultaneously taking place around the fire perimeter. This work includes removing brush/slash from road shoulders and grading where necessary. The incident has begun the removal process of dispersed equipment across the incident this process is known as backhaul. This back-haul process includes the gathering up of supplies and equipment no longer needed for suppressing the fire. Another important step is removing signage, flagging tape and other debris established during suppression operations. The goal of this work is to provide restoration to the landscape to the greatest extent possible, post fire. “Suppression repair is an important process toward finalizing our suppression work for the Boulder Mountain fire, and we want to finish our assignment strong” said Bill Neckels, incident commander trainee for Northwest 13 IMT. Weather was cooler on Friday as temperatures were cooler than seasonal norms for this time of year. Forecasted Weather, is predicting a return to warmer and drier conditions for the weekend, which could stimulate interior consumption but not jeopardize containment lines. Closures: An area closure remains in place for the Boulder Mountain Fire on the Colville National Forest. For a map and complete description of the closure area, including a list of trails and roads, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/colville/alerts-notices.

Boulder Mountain Fire update for Friday Sept 23

Related Incident: Boulder Mountain Fire

Publication Type: News Fri, 09/23/2022 - 12:00

Boulder Mountain Fire

CUSICK, Wash. – In order to fully suppress a fire, all hot spots near the fire perimeter are located and extinguished by turning the soil as you would a campfire to put it out. Firefighters are gridding the perimeter which is conducive to fully mitigating the possibility of reignition. Gridding searches for small fires or hot spots by systematically traveling over an area on parallel courses or gridlines. This ensures a cumulative assessment over the entirety of the fire line. When firefighters clear trees and brush from roadways, the excess material is chipped. This chipping continues to be utilised as a benefit to remove debris left over from mitigation activities and will be used to prevent erosion and other resource benefits. Dense fog descended on the fire area which will lift to a cloud layer later in the day. Visibility will be low until the afternoon when there will be a mix of sun and clouds. Winds will remain slight with gusts up to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Safety: Safety of firefighters and members of the public are our first priority. All hunters are encouraged to become familiarized with the USFS closure area, don personal protective equipment and practice safe hunting practices as forest grouse season gets under way.

Closures: An area closure remains in place for the Boulder Mountain Fire on the Colville National Forest. For a map and complete description of the closure area, including a list of trails and roads, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/colville/alerts-notices.

Boulder Mountain Fire update for Thursday Sept 22

Related Incident: Boulder Mountain Fire

Publication Type: News Thu, 09/22/2022 - 12:00

Boulder Mountain FireCUSICK, Wash. – The cold front moving into the fire area will potentially bring sustained winds and a 10% probability of wetting rain. Wetting rain is widespread showers that over an extended period of time significantly reduce fire danger. One tenth of an inch may be sufficient to decrease fire danger in grass and up to one half inch may be necessary for timber.

In order to reduce and mitigate landslides, firefighters utilize water bars to prevent water drainage that would follow topography established in sloped dozer lines. Heavy equipment with capabilities of working on steep slopes are used to rehabilitate the fire line where equipment was used to create a fire break. Natural vegetation is scattered on top of water bars and fire lines to slow the movement of rainwater to reduce the probability of sluffing of debris. Firefighters assist in areas where equipment is unable to navigate. Utilizing equipment and firefighters to revert the environment to normal conditions due to suppression activities and prevent soil erosion is an essential component of wildland fire management. Returning the forest to its natural habitat will maintain recreational activities including hunting, hiking and camping as well as reducing the probability of future adverse impacts. Safety: Safety of firefighters and members of the public are our first priority. All hunters are encouraged to become familiarized with the USFS closure area, don personal protective equipment and practice safe hunting practices as forest grouse season gets under way. Closures: An area closure remains in place for the Boulder Mountain Fire on the Colville National Forest. For a map and complete description of the closure area, including a list of trails and roads, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/colville/alerts-notices.

Boulder Mountain Fire update for Wednesday Sept 21

Related Incident: Boulder Mountain Fire

Publication Type: News Wed, 09/21/2022 - 12:00

CUSICK, Wash. – Work on the fire is progressing rapidly, with large sections of containment line nearing completion and other areas shifting to patrol and monitor status.

Crews will continue building direct and indirect line for the next several days. Work has begun to rehabilitate line. Fallers will begin cutting hazard trees along forest roads. Chipping of brush and hazard trees will continue at various points around the fire boundary. Depending on the terrain and fuels, completed containment lines can be a combination of dozer line, hand line other fire suppression activities. Repair work consists of pushing surface material that was removed by hand or with heavy equipment back into place or position it to prevent erosion.

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