The Salmon-Challis National Forest has had seven (7) new lightning fires in the last week.   

Duck Fire (August 21): The lightning fire, located approximately three (3) miles southwest of Yellowjacket Guard Station on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District was estimated at 0.10 acres.  Four (4) firefighters suppressed the fire burning in Douglas Fir.  The fire is out.  

Mayfield Fire (August 21): The lightning fire, located approximately 22 miles northeast of Stanley on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness was estimated at 0.10 acres.  Two (2) firefighters suppressed the single-tree and grass fire.  The fire is out.  

Camp Creek Fire (August 20): The lightning fire, located approximately six (6) miles southwest of Yellowjacket Guard Station on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District was estimated at 0.10 acres.  Two (2) firefighters suppressed the fire burning in Douglas fir.  The fire is out.  

Silver Fire (August 19): The lightning fire, located approximately ten miles southwest of Cobalt on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District was estimated at 0.10 acres.  An engine and a handcrew squad suppressed the fire burning in grass and Ponderosa pine.  The fire is out.  

Hoodoo Fire (August 19): The lightning fire, located approximately five (5) miles west of Yellowjacket Guard Station on the North Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness was estimated at 0.10 acres.  Two (2) firefighters suppressed the fire burning in Douglas fir.  The fire is out.  

Siah Fire (August 17): The lightning fire, located approximately six (6) miles northwest of Indian Creek Guard Station on the Middle Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, remains estimated at 11 acres.  The fire is burning in grass, brush, and fir.  Risk to responders and public safety are the top priorities for the Siah Fire.  The fire is surrounded on three sides by the Kiwah Fire from 2018 as well as the Little Pistol Fire from 2000 across Indian Creek from the fire.  Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and snag hazards, Fire Managers are assessing the fire by air. 

Wilson Fire (August 15):  The lightning fire, located approximately four (4) miles southwest of Yellowjacket Campground on the North Fork Ranger District in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, is estimated at four (4) acres.  Precipitation was observed over the fire area.  The fire is burning in grass, brush, fir, and downed timber.  Risk to responders and public safety are the top priorities for the Wilson Fire.  Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and snag hazards, Fire Managers are assessing the fire by air. 

Petes Fire (August 14): The lightning fire, located approximately one (1) mile east of Moyer on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District, is estimated at nine (9) acres.  The fire is burning in Douglas fir and lodgepole pine and is 100% contained and controlled.  

Norton (August 1):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8308/. 

Moose (July 17):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/. 

Woodtick (July 14):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8253/. 

Wolf Fang Fire (July 13):  The lightning fire is located approximately four (4) miles northeast of the confluence of Big Creek and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on the North Fork Ranger District.  The 1,493 acre fire burning in spruce and fir is located in steep, rugged terrain.  On the north side of the fire, fire continues to move down the unnamed tributary to Ship Island Creek with fire on both sides of the drainage.  The fire has crossed the same unnamed tributary to Ship Island Creek, moving east towards Aggipah Mountain.  Precipitation has been observed over the fire area.  Risk to responders and public safety are the top priorities for the Wolf Fang Fire.  Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and snag hazards, Middle Fork Peak lookout, a remote camera, and aviation are assessing the fire daily. 

To date, there have been 30 wildfires reported on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  

Weather:  ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...Scattered dry thunderstorms will develop this afternoon through late evening.  Winds will be light outside of gusty outflow winds which could reach 45 mph.  Thunderstorm potential decreases tomorrow, but storms will return Wednesday. 

The forest is asking visitors to be aware of the VERY HIGH fire danger for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  The U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, and Bureau of Land Management in east-central Idaho are in Stage 1 fire restrictions.  Stage 1 fire restrictions apply to federal, state, state endowment, private forestland and rangelands within the designated area.  One Less Spark Means One Less Wildfire.  

Nationally, there are 22 uncontained large fires being managed under a full suppression strategy and 31 large fires managed under a strategy other than full suppression.  

Visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/scnf/, ‘Like Us’ on Facebook @salmonchallisnf, and ‘Follow Us’ on Twitter @salmonchallisnf.  

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The Salmon-Challis National Forest has had five new fires in the last week.  In addition to the five new fires on the Forest, Salmon-Challis National Forest firefighters assisted with three fires on Bureau of Land Management lands.   

Petes Fire (August 14): The lightning fire, located approximately one (1) mile east of Moyer on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District, is estimated at seven (7) acres.  The fire is burning in Douglas fir and lodgepole pine.  Two engines and four firefighters initially responded yesterday afternoon along with two Type I and a Type II helicopter, air attack, single engine air tankers (SEATs), and Large Air Tankers (LATs).  Water and retardant drops were made on the fire to aid in suppression of the fire.  Today, a Type I helicopter along with the engines, a Type I crew, and a Type II crew will continue to work to suppress the fire.  

Pretty Fire (August 13): The three (3) acre lightning fire, located approximately 1½ miles southeast of the confluence of Panther Creek and the Main Salmon River is being managed by the Moose Incident Management Team and resources.  The fire is contained and controlled as of yesterday.  Firefighters will continue to patrol the fire.  

Deep Creek Fire (August 12): The lightning fire located approximately 16 miles southwest of Salmon on the Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District is out.  The 0.10 acre fire was burning in lodgepole pine and fir.  

Grouse Fire (August 11):  The lightning fire located approximately 15 miles southeast of Challis on the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District is out.  The 0.10 acre fire was burning and grass and fir.  

Mill Fire (August 11):  The lightning fire was located approximately 12 miles northwest of Leadore on the Leadore Ranger District.  The 0.10 acre fire burning in grass and a single tree is out.  

Norton (August 1):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8308/. 

Moose (July 17):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8249/. 

Woodtick (July 14):  The fire is being updated separately and can be found on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8253/. 

Wolf Fang Fire (July 13):  The lightning fire is located approximately four (4) miles northeast of the confluence of Big Creek and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on the North Fork Ranger District.  The 1,070 acre fire burning in spruce and fir is located in steep, rugged terrain.  The fire continues to creep down into a tributary of Ship Island Creek on the north side of the fire and has crossed the drainage to the north.  Risk to responders and public safety are the top priorities for the Wolf Fang Fire.   Due to the inaccessibility of the terrain and snag hazards, Middle Fork Peak lookout, a remote camera, and aviation are assessing the fire daily. 

To date, there have been 23 wildfires reported on the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  

Weather:  Underneath a ridge of high pressure, conditions will remain very dry with temperatures increasing through Wednesday into the upper 80s to mid 90s.  Increasing afternoon clouds today will support isolated virga and showers.  Winds will remain quiet through Wednesday and will pick up for Thursday ahead of monsoonal moisture returning on Friday. 

The forest is asking visitors to be aware of the EXTREME fire danger for the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  The U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, and Bureau of Land Management in east-central Idaho are in Stage 1 fire restrictions.  Stage 1 fire restrictions apply to federal, state, state endowment, private forestland and rangelands within the designated area.  One Less Spark Means One Less Wildfire.  

Nationally, there are 23 uncontained large fires being managed under a full suppression strategy and 49 large fires managed under a strategy other than full suppression.  

Visit our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/scnf/, ‘Like Us’ on Facebook @salmonchallisnf, and ‘Follow Us’ on Twitter @salmonchallisnf.  

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  *These updates will be produced only if significant events occur*
 

Overview: The Diamond Watch Fire is burning on Diamond Peak and smoke is visible from ID Highway 57 near Nordman, ID. Due to the rugged, steep, and dangerous terrain that the fire is burning within, fire officials are managing it with a contained/confined strategy. A combination of natural barriers and constructed fireline is being utilized to stop the fires spread beyond the defined areas. Diamond Creek continues to act as a natural barrier keeping the fire confined on the northern edge. Firefighters and heavy equipment have completed the containment lines on the west, east and southern edges of the fire. The continued warm and dry conditions have allowed the fire to slowly move down the southern ridge and become more active in the interior where it’s burning jackstraw piles of naturally dead and down trees. 
 

Engine crews from Priest Lake Ranger District continue to assist assigned firefighters with patrolling the almost 7 miles of containment lines. The shaded fuel break that firefighters and equipment built along FSR 308 created a safe location for firefighters to take direct action. The mile of hoselay with sprinklers and pumps remains in place along the east and west containment lines to assist fire crews with stopping any forward progression beyond the built lines. Heavy equipment continues work to improve Forest Service roads in the area.
 

Smoke: Smoke from fires in the Western States and Canada have had impacts to the air quality around Priest Lake. For a current interactive air quality map and predicted smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/.
 

Closures & Evacuations: Area and road closures have been issued for Forest Service Roads 311, 308, 1362H and the area in the vicinity of the Diamond Watch Fire. Petit Lake and its associated dispersed campsites are within the area closure. FSR 1362 remains open. This closure is for public safety and all methods of travel are prohibited (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and areas. A closure on the Colville National Forest includes roads on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. The closure is due to the Thor fire and starts at the junction of FS 302 and FSR 1013. The most up to date fire area closures can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ipnf/alerts-notices.
 

Preparedness & Restrictions: Wildfire season is not over and the need to be prepared continues. Please visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires for details on preparing your home and family for potential wildfires on your area. There are no fire restrictions in place for the Diamond Watch Fire. For current fire restrictions around Idaho, visit https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/. Residents of Bonner County, ID or Pend Oreille, WA can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts. 

These updates will be produce as significant activities occur. 

Overview: The Diamond Watch Fire continues to burn on Diamond Peak and smoke is often visible from ID Highway 57 near Nordman, ID. All the planned containment lines have been built on the West, East and South sides of the fire and Diamond Creek continues to act as a natural barrier keeping the fire confined to the northern. Due to the rugged, steep, and dangerous terrain this fire is being managed with a contained/confined strategy. Firefighters are using a combination of natural barriers, like Diamond Creek, and constructed fireline to stop the fires spread beyond the defined areas. After almost a week of warm and dry conditions the fire has slowly moved down the southern ridge and become a bit more active in the interior where it’s burning jackstraw piles of naturally dead and down trees. The fire area closure remains in effect and can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ipnf/alerts-notices.

Planned Actions: Firefighters with the assistance of Local Forest engine crews continue to patrol the nearly 7 miles of containment lines. Heavy equipment is still working to improve the Forest Service roads in the area. As the fire creeps toward the containment lines fire crews are ensuring that forward progression is stopped. The shaded fuel break that was built along FSR 308 and the containment lines with hoselays on the West and East have created areas where firefighters can safely take direct action. 
 

Weather: A Fire Weather Watch is in effect from Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening for dry and unstable conditions Tuesday followed by gusty winds and dry conditions Wednesday. Periods of haze are predicted in the area through Wednesday with highs in the low 80’s and overnight lows in the 40’s.
  

Smoke: Smoke from fires around the Northwest and Northern Rockies have been impacting the air quality around Priest Lake. For the current interactive air quality map and predicted smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Closures & Evacuations: Area and road closures have been issued for Forest Service Roads 311, 308, 1362H and the area in the vicinity of the Diamond Watch Fire. Petit Lake and its associated dispersed campsites are within the area closure. FSR 1362 remains open. This closure is for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and wildfire suppression effects on the Diamond Watch Fire. All methods of travel are prohibited (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and area. The Priest Lake area can be accessed from the Colville National Forest through Newport, WA via US Highway 2 north and Priest River, ID via ID Highway 57 north. 

A closure due to the Thor fire on the Colville National Forest includes roads on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. The closure starts at the junction of FS 302 and FS 1013. Please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/colville/alerts-notices for complete closure information. Residents of Bonner County, ID or Pend Oreille, WA can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts.  

Location: 5.5 miles west of Nordman, ID in Pend Oreille County, WA      

Cause: Lightning      

Start Date: July 14

Size: 835 acres      

Personnel: 18      
 
Contained/Confined: 44%      
 
Incident Commander: ICT4 Hirst 
 

These updates will be produced twice a week unless significant activities occur.
 

Overview: Firefighters and heavy equipment have completed all the containment lines on the west, south and east sides of the Diamond Watch Fire. Diamond Creek continues to act as a natural barrier keeping the fire confined on the northern edge. This fire is being managed with a contained/confined strategy using a combination of natural barriers and constructed fireline to stop the fires spread beyond the defined area. This strategy is being used due to rugged, inaccessible terrain where firefighter safety could not be maintained due to lack of safety zones or escape routes from the fire. Last week’s rains temporarily diminished much of the heat within the fire area, but the return of warm and dry conditions will dry out natural piles of debris and interior smokes will likely be visible again from ID Highway 57 near Nordman, ID. Due to the large amount of jackstraw piles of dead and down trees within the interior of the fire, smoke may be seen until an end of the season event occurs. The fire area closure remains in effect and the public is asked to stay out of the closure to allow firefighters and equipment to safely work within the area. The current fire area closure can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/ipnf/alerts-notices. Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority.
 

Planned Actions: Local Forest engine crews are assisting assigned firefighters with patrolling the almost 7 miles of containment lines. Heavy equipment is working on the Forest Service roads to ensure they are cleared and safe for travel when the area reopens. Fire crews and equipment removed vegetation and created a shaded fuel break along FSR 308 where they can safely fight the fire from as it approaches the area. The mile of hose lay with sprinklers and pumps remains in place along the west and east containment lines ready for firefighters to use if the fire nears the line. 

Smoke: Smoke from fires in WA and ID may have impacts to the air quality around Priest Lake. For the current interactive air quality map and predicted smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/.
 

Closures & Evacuations: Area and road closures have been issued for Forest Service Roads 311, 308, 1362H and the area in the vicinity of the Diamond Watch Fire. Petit Lake and its associated dispersed campsites are within the area closure. FSR 1362 remains open. This closure is for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and wildfire suppression effects on the Diamond Watch Fire. All methods of travel are prohibited (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and area. The Priest Lake area can be accessed from the Colville National Forest through Newport, WA via US Highway 2 north and Priest River, ID via ID Highway 57 north. There are NO evacuations. However, when living in fire prone areas it is recommended that all area residents have an evacuation plan in place including having all important documents, pictures, prescriptions, and pets gathered up and easily transportable.  Residents of Bonner County, ID or Pend Oreille, WA can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts. 

Location: 5.5 miles west of Nordman, ID in Pend Oreille County, WA      

Cause: Lightning      

State Date: July 14

Size: 832 acres      

Personnel: 28      
 
Contained/Confined: 44%      
 
Incident Commander: ICT4 Hirst 
 

These updates will be produced twice a week unless significant activities occur.

Overview: Firefighters, with the assistance of masticators and dozers, have completed almost all of the nearly 7 miles of containment lines on the west, south and east sides of the fire. Diamond Creek has created a natural barrier keeping the fire confined on the northern edge. The combined areas that fire officials have deemed confined and contained equals 44% of the fire’s perimeter; these are the edges of the fire that have reached the line and not moved further for days. The fire received considerable amounts of rain over the last few days, which has diminished much of the interior heat and slowed the forward progression. Due to the heavy dead and down fuels within the fire area, smoke will likely continue to be seen from ID Highway 57 near Nordman, ID until an end of the season event occurs. Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority.

Planned Actions: A couple days of work with heavy equipment is left to finalize the containment lines. Fire crews and equipment have cleared away the vegetation that parallels the roads and created shaded fuel breaks along FSR 308. Approximately one mile of hose lays with sprinklers and pumps have been laid along the west and east containment lines where firefighters are patrolling the lines and prepared to take action when needed. Direct action within the fire area would be dangerous for firefighters due to the steep rugged terrain which is covered by dead and down trees in jackstraw piles. 
 

Smoke: Smoke from fires in WA and ID have had impacts to the air quality around Priest Lake. The Air Quality Index has remained "Good" most days, but it has moved into "Moderate" a few times over the last month. For an interactive air quality map and predicted smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Closures & Evacuations: Area and road closures have been issued for Forest Service Roads 311, 308, 1362H and the area in the vicinity of the Diamond Watch Fire. Petit Lake and its associated dispersed campsites are within the area closure. FSR 1362 remains open. This closure is for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and wildfire suppression effects on the Diamond Watch Fire. All methods of travel are prohibited (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and area. The Priest Lake area can be accessed from the Colville National Forest through Newport, WA via US Highway 2 north and Priest River, ID via ID Highway 57 north. There are NO evacuations. However, when living in fire prone areas it is recommended that all area residents have an evacuation plan in place including having all important documents, pictures, prescriptions, and pets gathered up and easily transportable.  Residents of Bonner County, ID or Pend Oreille, WA can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts. 

Location: 5.5 miles west of Nordman, ID in Pend Oreille County, WA   

Size: 813 acres      

Personnel: 42      

Containment: 0%      

Incident Commander: ICT4 Hirst

Overview: The lightning caused Diamond Watch Fire was detected the evening of July 14th. The fire is visible from ID Highway 57 near Priest Lake and is burning on a ridge to the east of Diamond Peak located 5.5 miles west of Nordman, ID in Pend Oreille County, WA. The fire was mapped at 813 acres via an infrared flight last night, 8/22. Most of the heat continues to be concentrated on the southern slope of the ridge. Portions of the perimeter have not grown over the last week and fire officials are hoping to call those areas contained in the next few days, after the lines are tested by potential challenging winds from forecasted thunderstorms. Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority.

  

Planned Actions: Firefighters are utilizing heavy equipment, including masticators and dozers, to help reinforce containment lines along the forest roads surrounding the fire. By clearing away the vegetation that parallels the roads it creates a large fuel break where firefighters can work from to safely fight the fire. FSR 308 is being used as the southern and western containment lines and FSR 657 has been reinforced on the east connecting FSR 308 to Diamond Creek.  Diamond Creek is acting as a natural barrier keeping the fire contained on the northern edge in addition to FSR 311 and 657. Crews are reinforcing lines by digging additional handlines, laying hoses, and setting up sprinkler systems with pumps to help stop any spread beyond containment lines. Direct action within the fire area would be very dangerous to firefighters due to the steep rugged terrain which is covered by dead and down trees in jackstraw piles.
 

Smoke: Smoke from numerous fires in WA and ID have had some impacts to the air quality around Priest Lake. The Air Quality Index has remained "Good" most days, but it has moved into "Moderate" a few times over the last month. For an interactive air quality map and predicted smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov/.
 

Weather: A chance of afternoon thunderstorms and showers is predicted to develop around the area for the next few days and may bring increased humidity’s and possible erratic winds. A return to mostly sunny skies by Friday is forecasted.

 

Closures & Evacuations: Area and road closures have been issued for Forest Service Roads 311, 308, 1362H and the area in the vicinity of the Diamond Watch Fire. Petit Lake and its associated dispersed campsites are within the area closure. FSR 1362 remains open. This closure is for public safety due to heavy equipment operations and wildfire suppression effects on the Diamond Watch Fire. All methods of travel are prohibited (foot, mechanized, motorized and stock) on the closed roads and area. The Priest Lake area can be accessed from the Colville National Forest through Newport, WA via US Highway 2 north and Priest River, ID via ID Highway 57 north. There are NO evacuations. However, when living in fire prone areas it is recommended that all area residents have an evacuation plan in place including having all important documents, pictures, prescriptions, and pets gathered up and easily transportable.  Residents of Bonner County, ID or Pend Oreille, WA can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts. 

 xxxxxx

September 3, 2022
 
Start Date: 7/17/2022      
Cause: Lightning      
Size: 1,701 acres      
Completion: 77%     

CURRENT STATUS

Today, September 3rd, 2022 is the last working day for the Western Montana All Hazards Incident Management Team. The Hog Trough Fire will transition to the local unit on September 4th where resources will patrol the area and continue suppression repair work. The Western Montana All Hazards Incident Management Team would like to thank the cooperating agencies, residents and partners for the all the support throughout the incident.

The Pintler Ranger District of the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest rescinded the area closure associated with the Hog Trough Fire. The Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest modified their area closure. See below for more closure information.

Fire behavior on the Hog Trough Fire as been minimal, thus updates will be made only as needed.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

Fire behavior is expected to remain low. A high-pressure system will persist until Wednesday September 7th where the area will see cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity values.

CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES

Specific closure information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8258/. 

Road Closures:

·       Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) is open.

·       Forest Service Road #711 is OPEN at the junction of Skalkaho Highway, including the ancillary roads leading from the 711 Road.

·       Rye Creek Road (Forest Service Road #75) is now fully OPEN.

·       Forest Service Road #5070 is CLOSED from Maukey Trail #80171 south to the end of the road.

·       Forest Service Road #5071 is CLOSED from Bowles Creek south to the end of the road.

Trail Closures:

·       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.

·       Skalkaho Creek – Jerry Lake Trail #503, National Forest System Trail #503.

Fire Restrictions:

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

 Start Date: 7/17/2022       Cause: Lightning       Size: 1,701 acres       Completion: 77%     
 Total Personnel: 80      Engines: 2       Helicopters: 1       Crews: 2   

CURRENT STATUS

The Pintler Ranger District of the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest rescinded the area closure associated with the Hog Trough Fire. However, the last two miles of Forest Service Road #5070 is closed from Maukey Trail #80171 south to the end of the road. Forest Service road #5071 is closed from Bowles Creek south to the end of the road. This is due to crews completing fire suppression repair work.

The Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest modified their closure area. A closure area is still in effect; however, Forest Service Road #75, Rye Creek Road, is now fully open. Also, Forest Service Road #711 and its ancillary roads are now fully open.

There is minimal fire behavior on the Hog Trough Fire. Crews will ensure the fire remains within burn scars from previous fires by looking for hot spots and signs of increasing fire behavior as the area starts to dry out.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

Temperatures will range from 73-78 degrees on Thursday. West winds ranging from 5-15 mph will develop this afternoon. Daytime humidity will dry fuels and overnight recovery will be poor. Fire behavior is expected to remain minimal.

CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES

Specific closure information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8258/. 

Road Closures:

·       Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) is open.

·       Forest Service Road #711 is OPEN at the junction of Skalkaho Highway, including the ancillary roads leading from the 711 Road.

·       Rye Creek Road (Forest Service Road #75) is now fully OPEN.

·       Forest Service Road #5070 is CLOSED from Maukey Trail #80171 south to the end of the road.

·       Forest Service Road #5071 is CLOSED from Bowles Creek south to the end of the road.

Trail Closures:

·       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.

·       Skalkaho Creek – Jerry Lake Trail #503, National Forest System Trail #503.

Fire Restrictions:

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