Park Fire Evening Update for August 25 is posted on the Park Fire Status Update Page

Location: 6 miles west of Helmville, Montana

Start Date: 8/23/2024   

Cause: Undetermined

Size: 176 acres

Containment: 0%

CURRENT STATUS

The McElwain Fire, located by McElwain Creek six miles west of Helmville in Powell County is currently 176 acres in size. Increased acreage is due to infrared mapping overnight, but crews will map the fire perimeter today to ground truth the size estimate. The fire is burning in grass and timber on private and Bureau of Land Management land under Montana DNRC wildland fire protection. Fire behavior includes creeping and smoldering with isolated torching. 

The fire is comprised of two adjacent fires, a north fire, and a south fire. Control line has been established by heavy equipment around the south fire and where access has allowed on the north fire. Firefighters are working to put in handline on the north fire. Work will continue today to extend and improve lines by extinguishing all flame and heat one chain (66 feet) deep as well as containing and controlling spot fires as detected. The fire remains at 0% containment. Containment is a measure of confidence that the control line will effectively halt fire spread.

A Type 3 Incident Commander (IC) is in place and resources include four engines, one Type 2 hand crew, one eight-person hand crew, one water tender, four skidgines, and two dozers. A Type 2 DNRC helicopter is available for support as needed.  The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

WEATHER 

Light, variable winds and cooler temperatures are expected throughout the area today, which will help moderate fire behavior. A relatively dry cold front is expected Tuesday, bringing with it an increase in west winds with gusts from 20 to 30 mph. Much cooler temperatures are expected post frontal. 

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES

The Powell County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation warnings to residents in the immediate area of the fire, specifically the Ledger Road area. This is a limited warning for residents in the immediate area. Please visit the Powell County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for specific information and updates.

ADDITIONAL AREA FIRES

The Hoodoo Fire is a six-acre lightning caused fire on Hoodoo Mountain seven miles southeast of Helmville. Burning in steep, difficult terrain with scree and heavy dead and down timber, six firefighters are working to contain the fire. Firefighters are also working to contain the Weasel Fire, just west of the McElwain Fire. Both fires are on BLM land under DNRC wildland fire protection. 

Powell County is currently in Stage 1 fire restrictions. Residents and visitors are asked to be extra careful when outdoors to limit human caused sparks. We cannot control the lightning, but we can prevent unintended human caused wildfires. Visit www.MTFireInfo.org for specific fire restriction information and fire prevention tips. 

Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 assumes command of four northeast Wyoming/southeast Montana fires

Daily Update August 25, 2024

Fire Information Phone: 307-201-3885 (8am-8pm) Media Information Phone: 307-543-7202 (8am-8pm) Email: 2024.housedraw@firenet.gov

Acres: Flat Rock – 41,839; Remington – 184,127; Constitution – 12,080; House Draw – 174,448 Acreage changes may occur due to overnight operations and infrared mapping.

Containment: Flat Rock – 35% Remington – 0%; Constitution – 28%; House Draw – 88%

Location: Flat Rock – 11 miles NW of Gillette, WY; Remington – 20 NE of Leiter WY, multiple counties in SE Montana; Constitution – 15 miles north of Gillette, WY; House Draw – 40 miles southeast of Gillette, WY Start Date: August 21, 2024                                               Personnel: 655                                                            Fuels: Grass, brush and timber Resources: 17 crews | 2 helicopters | 107 engines | 9 bulldozers | 2 water tenders

Highlights: On Sunday, August 25 at 6:00 a.m., Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 assumed command of fires located in northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana, including the Flat Rock, Remington, Constitution and House Draw fires.

Fire Activity: Ground resources, including heavy equipment crews and firefighters are responding to the four fires currently burning in the area. Resources on the ground will utilize direct and indirect attack tactics to respond to on-going fire threats. Brief updates are provided for each incident.

Flat Rock – Firefighters observed extreme behavior on Flat Rock fire on Saturday, August 24. The fire area encompasses challenging and inaccessible terrain and hot, dry and windy conditions are expected today as crews utilize direct and indirect tactics.

Remington – Extreme fire behavior was observed on the Remington fire on Saturday, including wind- driven runs, torching and spotting. Today, crews will secure containment lines and protect values at risk including infrastructure and structures.

Constitution – Today, heavy equipment crews will construct line on the north side of the Constitution fire (towards Horse Creek). Fire fighters will scout additional anchor point(s) on the east flank, moving north to protect values and communities at risk.

House Draw – The House Draw fire experienced minimal fire behavior on Saturday. Today, firefighters will mop-up, extinguish hot spots and secure the fire perimeter.

Evacuations: An evacuation notification is in place for Sheridan County, Wyoming. No active evacuation orders are in place for Johnson or Campbell Counties, Wyoming. A Level 2 evacuation notice is in effect in for Big Horn, Rosebud, and Powder River Counties in Montana.

Weather: Hot, breezy conditions will exist across the region.

Fire Restrictions and Closures: Several Fire Restrictions are in place across the fire area including:

• Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for Custer Gallatin National Forest Ashland Ranger District. More information available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/custergallatin/alerts-notices/?aid=89447.
• State 1 Fire Restrictions for Bureau of Land Management Buffalo Field Office in Johnson County (as of July 1, 2024) and Campbell County and Sheridan Counties (as of July 9, 2024). More information available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/wyoming/fire.

More Information:

InciWeb (House Draw Fire): https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wyhpd-house-draw-fire InciWeb (Remington Fire): https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtgnf-remington-fire Public Information Linktree: https://linktr.ee/housedrawfire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5/

Dealing with many aspects of a wildland fire requires people with a variety of skills. On Sunday, August 25, engine crews traveled through portions of Crouch. They were checking out access and becoming more familiar with roads, residences, and natural features in the unlikely event the fire were to advance into that area. Engines rolled down the Middle Fork Road, turning off into some of the neighborhoods of Crouch as part of the Structure Protection Group.

One of their tasks was to check bridges to see if they could handle the size and weight of a variety of firefighting vehicles. Damon Anderson, with Engine 191 Outback from Utah, explained, "Today we're looking at properties where we could assess driveways, look at what's around the structures, and maybe get water and Mark III pumps into those areas in the event the fire would come into this section of the town."

The firefighters walked the neighborhoods, talking with residents. They wanted to make sure homeowners had current information on the fire. They also wanted to reassure them that firefighters are ready to respond to their homes if necessary.

"A lot of these homeowners have cut grass around their properties, done a lot of their own, delimbing and making their structures and properties a lot more defensible," Anderson continued. "That makes our job a lot easier for the event if it were to come through the area."

If you see engine crews traveling through your neighborhood, know they're out there working to keep you safe.

See photos below of Anderson's engine crew making home visits. (Note: due to the size of the images, each one may take several seconds to load.)

• Crew members from E191 Outback (UT) assess a bridge to ensure it could handle the size and weight of a variety of firefighting vehicles.
   
• Part of the Structure Protection Group walks a bridge on the Middle Fork Road to assess its weight limit.
   
• Anderson knocks on a door to introduce himself and visit with homeowners.
   
• A firefighter with the Structure Protection Group visits with homeowners on their property.
   

The Eastern Area Complex Incident Management Team 1 assumed Willamette Complex South command on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. with Brian Jenkins, Incident Commander. The team is excited to provide you with current and up-to-date fire information. Check the "News" tab for the daily fire update and watch for further announcements.

The next community meeting for the Middle Fork Complex will be held on Monday, August 26 at 6:00 p.m. at the white barn building, located at 85 Severance Road, Garden Valley, ID. The Incident Commander and other key incident command team members, along with representatives from the Boise National Forest, will provide updates on the fires and address any questions.

You can view the Community Meeting from 8/24/24 in Crouch, Idaho on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/PrjTSlI2spk 

Be sure to join us Monday August 26, 2024 at 6:00pm for our next meeting providing information on the Middle Fork Complex Fires in Garden Valley at White Barn near 85 Severance Road.

Join representatives from Fire Incident Management Team, National Forests, and other local cooperators as they provide an update on the current fire situation. Our goal is to align incident objectives with planned actions for the upcoming days.

Attend in person:
National Museum of Military Vehicles - Poolaw Building
6419 US Highway 26
Dubois WY 82513

Or attend virtually through Facebook LIVE on Bridger-Teton National Forest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/pFhGSeTrmr3ye7Qn/. 

Event will be one hour, from 6pm - 7pm.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions both in person and online through facebook.

FISH CREEK FIRE Community Meeting Flyer.jpg

Sun, 08/25/2024 - 17:16

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FISH CREEK FIRE Community Meeting Flyer.jpg

Aided by recent rains, crews were able to increase containment to 73%!  14 miles of hose lay have been installed around parts of the fire perimeter, and operations are beginning to shift back to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympic Region. The Western Washington and Georgia Forestry Commission Type 3 Incident Management Teams continue to evaluate resource needs according to fire activity so that the local jurisdiction has what it needs to continue managing the fire. 

As fire operations begin to wind down, detailed mapping of smoke, and hot spots, are being given to the local resources to continue mop up operations.  Beginning today, tools and equipment that are no longer needed on the fire-line are being hauled back out, and the process of rehabilitating the fire area will begin. Heavy equipment and hand-lines will have their berms removed, flagging will be taken down, roads, gates, and culverts will be assessed. Wildfire suppression can be overwhelming to residents, and it is the Incident Management Teams goal to leave the area, and its Community, in the same or better condition than before the fire. 

The Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team in cooperation with the Georgia Forestry Commission Type 3 Incident Management Team would like to thank the Town of Brinnon, the Brinnon FD, and everyone in the community that stepped up to help and allow us to do what was needed to suppress the 2620 Road Fire.  The last few weeks have been very busy, and we would not have been successful without support from the community.