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Garceau Fire Update as of August 19 2022

Related Incident: Garceau Fire

Publication Type: News Fri, 08/19/2022 - 12:00

Garceau Fire Update

August 19, 2022

Start Date: August 16, 2022 Location: 10 air miles west of Polson, Montana. Estimated Size: 5,000 acres Containment: 0% Personnel: 265

Incident Command: Local Type 3 organization, Darrell Clairmont, Incident Commander

Evacuations and Closures: There are no evacuations and there are no structures threatened at this time. Irvine Flats and Garcon Gulch Roads going up to Windy Gap are closed to through traffic. Please stay out of the area, there will be a lot of fire traffic on these roads.

Activity: Division Alpha crews and equipment will continue to complete dozer lines on the west and north flanks. This area is steep and rocky, so it is slow moving. Division Zulu will complete dozer control lines on the north flank today. Fire crews will continue to establish anchor point and pick up spot fires where they occur. Single Engine Air Tankers, and Helicopters will be used on hot spots today and crews, dozers and skidgines will be used to complete control lines.

Weather: Partly cloudy. Temp- 95-100 valleys and 75-80 ridges. RH- 11-21 percent valleys and 17-27 percent ridges. Wind- Variable less than 7 mph. Ridge top southeast 5-15 mph becoming east in the late morning and early afternoon, then decreasing to up to 5 mph late in the afternoon.

Garceau Fire Update for August 18 2022

Related Incident: Garceau Fire

Publication Type: News Thu, 08/18/2022 - 12:00

Garceau Fire Update for August 18, 2022
Location: 10 air miles west of Polson, Montana.
Estimated Size: 3,200 acres
Containment: 0%
Personnel: 245
Incident Command: Local Type 3 organization, Darrell Clairmont, Incident Commander
Evacuations and Closures: There are no evacuations and there are no structures threatened at this time. Irvine Flats and Garcon Gulch Roads going up to Windy Gap are closed to through traffic.
Activity: The fire was split into two divisions. Alpha is on the west side and Zulu is on the east side. The fire made a push to the west yesterday evening. Crews and resources will look to construct control lines on the west side of Division Alpha and on the north side of Division Zulu. Single Engine Air Tankers, and Helicopters will be used on hot spots today and crews, dozers and skidgines will be used to complete control lines.
Weather: Mostly sunny. Temp- 95-100 valleys and 75-80 ridges. RH- 14-24 percent. Wind- variable less than 7 mph. Ridge top east 5-15 mph becoming 5-10 mph in the late morning and afternoon.

Garceau Fire Update for August 17 2022

Related Incident: Garceau Fire

Publication Type: News Wed, 08/17/2022 - 12:00

Garceau Fire Update for August 17, 2022

Location: 10 air miles west of Polson, Montana. Estimated Size: 1,554 acres Containment: 0% Personnel: 245 Incident Command: Local Type 3 organization, Darrell Clairmont, Incident Commander

The cause of the fire was from an electric fence.

Evacuations and Closures: There are no evacuations and there are no structures threatened at this time. Irvine Flats road going up to Windy Gap is closed to through traffic until further notice.

Activity: Single Engine Air Tankers, and Helicopters will be used on hot spots today and crews, dozers and skidgines will be used to complete control lines.

Weather: Mostly Sunny. Temp- 95-100 valleys and 75-80 ridges. RH- 11-21 percent valleys and 17-27 ridges. Wind- Variable less than 7 mph. Ridgetop, northeast 5-10 mph.

Irvine Flats Road to Windy Gap is closed

Related Incident: Garceau Fire

Publication Type: Closures Wed, 08/17/2022 - 12:00

Irvine Flats road going up to Windy Gap is closed to through traffic until further notice.

Garceau Fire Update as of August 16 2022

Related Incident: Garceau Fire

Publication Type: News Wed, 08/17/2022 - 12:00

Garceau Fire Update as of August 16, 2022
Location: 10 air miles west of Polson, Montana. Estimated Size: 1,500 acresContainment: 0% Personnel: 110Incident Command: Local Type 3 organization
The fire is under investigation.
Evacuations and Closures: There are no evacuations and there are no structures threatened at this time. Irvine Flats road going up to Windy Gap is closed to through traffic until further notice.
Activity: Heavy air tankers, Single Engine Air Tankers, and Helicopters were used on the initial attack. Dozers and skidgines were also used to build control lines.

Eneas Peak Fire Update August 21 2022

Related Incident: Eneas Peak Fire

Publication Type: News Sun, 08/21/2022 - 12:00

Location: Approximately 15 miles north-northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Size: 599 Acres Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Confirmed Date: August 13, 2022

Yesterday, the Type 1 Helicopter was successful in providing more than 53,000 gallons of water that targeted the eastern flank of the Eneas Peak Fire. In addition to the water drops, the weather system that moved through the area yesterday did assist in slowing the spread of the fire. Fire growth since yesterday is 63 acres. Firefighters continued exploring for opportunities to safely build handline adjacent to the private lands near the Westside Road and to the south of Fisher Creek.

Today, firefighters will continue scouting for access points and strategies for on the ground tactics. An aircraft will observe current fire behavior and detect any new spot fires that may have occurred from the system that came through yesterday. Do not use drones in the fire area; the potential for mid-air collisions means that aircraft must be grounded if a drone is spotted, delaying suppression efforts. For District support, an initial attack Engine will continue to patrol across the district for any new fire starts.

The weather for today predicts a chance of shower and thunderstorms this afternoon. Transport winds will be southwest 5 to 10 mph. Monday has the highest chance for thunderstorms across the region with the arrival of a cold front. For national or local air quality and smoke report, please visit: https://fire.airnow.gov

Closures & Evacuations: Trail #27- Fisher Peak is currently pending closure and it is recommended to avoid the area.

There are no evacuations at this time. 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 Boundary County, ID can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts. To learn more about Ready Set Go visit: https://bit.ly/3wi0jMu. For tips on defensible space for homes visit Firewise https://bit.ly/3PALyeG. To prevent unwanted fires, visit the Idaho Department of Lands https://bit.ly/3c4v158

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Eneas Peak Fire Update August 20 2022

Related Incident: Eneas Peak Fire

Publication Type: News Sat, 08/20/2022 - 12:00

Location: Approximately 15 miles north-northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho Size: 536 Acres Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning Start Date: August 13, 2022

Yesterday afternoon fire managers received a Type 2 helicopter that dropped water along the eastern edge of the fire to reduce spread in that direction. Firefighters continued scouting for opportunities to safely build handline adjacent to private lands near the Westside Road and to the south of Fisher Creek. This handline will only be necessary if the fire spreads to the east and has potential to threatened private lands and structures.

Throughout the day, a Type 1 helicopter capable of carrying 2000 gallons of water is scheduled to drop water along the eastern side of the fire. Firefighters will be stationed in a recently burnt helispot location near Eneas Peak to direct and target the water drops. The lack of fuel makes this safe for firefighters to operate from this location. All suppression efforts are focused on preventing the fire from spreading east and keeping it high on the ridge. Do not use drones in the fire area; the potential for mid-air collisions means that aircraft must be grounded if a drone is spotted, delaying suppression efforts.

A chance of showers and thunderstorms are predicted this afternoon. The Bonners Ferry Ranger District received an additional engine crew to assist with initial attack in the event new fires happen on the district. During the night, an extensive lightning storm occurred southeast of Coeur d’Alene into the Saint Joe River area and there is a potential for the Type 1 helicopter to be reassigned to a higher priority fire.

The fire is primarily burning safely to the west towards a roadless and inaccessible area. Smoke produced by heavy downed timber is visible in the Kootenai River Valley and Bonners Ferry and may settle in the valley tonight. For national or local air quality and smoke report, please visit: https://fire.airnow.gov

Closures & Evacuations: There are NO closures or evacuations currently in place. 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 Boundary County, ID can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts. To learn more about Ready Set Go visit: https://bit.ly/3wi0jMu. For tips on defensible space for homes visit Firewise https://bit.ly/3PALyeG. To prevent unwanted fires, visit the Idaho Department of Lands https://bit.ly/3c4v158

Eneas Peak Fire Update August 19 2022

Related Incident: Eneas Peak Fire

Publication Type: News Fri, 08/19/2022 - 12:00

Location: Approximately 15 miles north-northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Size: 323 Acres
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning
Start Date: August 13, 2022

The fire remains north of Fisher Creek and south of Eneas Peak and all new fire growth has been to the west. Yesterday, fire fighters hiked the northeast area of the fire above Westside Road and to the south of Fisher Creek for opportunities to safely build handline while fire managers assessed the fire by air for additional confinement lines. This work will continue today. Fire managers have requested aerial support to drop water on the fire since the fire began to help slow the fire’s spread to the east. However, aircraft have been directed to other fires burning in the state and region based on values at risk, often where private property and infrastructure are imminently threatened. At this time no structures are threatened on the Eneas Fire. Fire managers will continue to request aircraft support for planned suppression actions on this fire. Daytime temperatures are expected to be in the low 90’s and nighttime temperatures in the low 60’s. Wind will be light, which is favorable. The fire is experiencing low nighttime humidity recovery and may be active during the day and night. Smoke produced by heavy downed timber is visible in the Kootenai River Valley and Bonners Ferry and will settle in the valley tonight.

Closures & Evacuations: There are NO closures or evacuations currently in place. 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 Boundary County, ID can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts.

To learn more about Ready Set Go visit: https://bit.ly/3wi0jMu. For tips on defensible space for homes visit Firewise https://bit.ly/3PALyeG. To prevent unwanted fires, visit the Idaho Department of Lands https://bit.ly/3c4v158

Eneas Peak Fire Update August 18 2022

Related Incident: Eneas Peak Fire

Publication Type: News Thu, 08/18/2022 - 12:00

Location: Approximately 15 miles north-northwest of Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Size: 150 Acres Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning Start Date: August 13, 2022

Current Status: The Eneas Peak Fire is burning on a south aspect below Eneas Peak and above Fisher Creek. The fire is burning in heavy timber and smoke is visible from the Kootenai River Valley and most of Bonners Ferry. Recent growth was mapped from an infrared flight and the fire is now an estimated 150 acres. Fire managers are scouting the area by air and ground for potential confinement lines and to identify open areas where the use of retardant might be an effective strategy to slow the fire’s spread. The terrain is difficult to access due to steep slopes between 60% and 80%. The unroaded nature of this terrain and numerous dead and downed trees make direct suppression tactics with ground resources dangerous or unachievable.

Over the next few days, daytime temperatures are expected to be in the low 90’s and nighttime temperatures in the low 60’s. Wind will be light, which is favorable. The fire is experiencing low nighttime humidity recovery and may be active during the day and night. Smoke produced by heavy downed timber can be misleading of actual fire size and may appear larger from a distance. Fire growth is occurring as the main fire moves uphill and as burnt material rolls downslope and ignites unburned fuels below.

Closures & Evacuations: There are NO closures or evacuations currently in place. 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 Boundary County, ID can visit https://www.nixle.com or text home zip code to 888777 to sign up for emergency alerts.

Firefighters continue efforts on Quartz Fire new start detected in Glacier

Related Incident: Quartz Fire

Publication Type: News Mon, 08/22/2022 - 12:00

Quartz Fire Update
Monday, August 22, 2022, 9:30 am

National Park Service
Glacier National Park
Incident Commander: M. Lewelling
Fire Information Recording: 406-206-6099
Fire Information Phone: 406-206-5272 (8 am to 6 pm)
Fire Information Email: glac_fire_line@nps.gov

Firefighters continue efforts on Quartz Fire; new start detected in Glacier

Current Situation: The Quartz Fire continued to spread primarily to the south and west yesterday, moving farther down the Quartz Lake shore. There was additional growth in a high basin on the northwest side of Logging Mountain. On the north end, the fire remains east and south of Quartz Creek. Fire activity moderated in the afternoon after rain fell in the fire area. An infrared flight mapped the fire at 1,678 acres last night.

Firefighters based at the foot of Quartz Lake completed plumbing sprinklers at the Quartz Lake wilderness campground yesterday and are expected to complete structure protection on a footbridge at the outlet of Quartz Lake today.

A new fire was reported in Glacier National Park after a Sunday afternoon lightning storm. Smoke from the West Flattop Fire was first observed from Swiftcurrent Lookout at 4:37 pm. The lightning was accompanied by rain, and fire growth was limited to one-tenth acre. Three Glacier National Park firefighters will be inserted via a Flathead National Forest helicopter this morning to suppress the fire on West Flattop Mountain.

Glacier National Park, along with interagency partners from the Flathead National Forest and Blackfeet Tribe, will continue to patrol for any additional fire starts from Sunday’s storm.

Weather: Today’s forecast is for continued hot weather with partly cloudy skies. There is a chance of rain showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms tonight, with continued rainfall possible through the week.

Closures: Glacier National Park has enacted a Closure Order for the areas, campgrounds, and trails within the Quartz Lake drainage from the Continental Divide to the Inside North Fork Road for the protection of park visitors, employees, and natural resources. This includes the Quartz Lake Loop trails starting from just south of Bowman Lake toward Quartz Lake, as well as the Quartz Lake and Lower Quartz Lake Wilderness Campgrounds. A map of the closure is available on InciWeb.

Fire Restrictions: The fire danger rating in Glacier National Park is currently Very High. All park visitors are reminded that campfires are allowed only in designated fire grates and should be kept small. Never leave a fire unattended and drown any campfire with water until cold to the touch before leaving it.

Air Quality: National air quality and smoke conditions can be monitored at https://fire.airnow.gov/. Visibility in different parts of Glacier National Park can vary from hour to hour, depending on fire and wind conditions both locally and throughout the west. Check the park’s webcams at https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm for current views.

Size: Approximately 1,678 acres
Total Personnel: 25
Start Date: Sunday, August 14, 2022
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8337/
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning
Location: 25 miles north of West Glacier
Fire Information Office: 406-206-5272

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