Yesterday, fire behavior was moderated by .08-.14 inches of rain that fell over the fire area in the late afternoon. No new growth or active fire behavior was observed; however, visibility continues to be a challenge to firefighters. Estimations on the total acreage are based on aerial observation which has been limited due to smoke. Acreage numbers could increase or decrease over the coming days with improved visibility and more accurate assessments of the fire perimeter. The fire continues to burn within the Welcome Creek Wilderness boundary, on the Lolo National Forest in Granite County.

John Thompson’s Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team arrived last night and will be shadowing crews and staff today in preparation to take over command of the fire at 6 am tomorrow morning.

Yesterday’s Actions: Crews strengthened and improved fire lines along the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 by removing fuels and maintaining the hose lay.

Today’s Planned Actions: Crews will continue to take indirect suppression actions today and will develop and improve containment line along the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 north toward Cleveland Mountain. Crews are scouting opportunities to improve existing fuel breaks and burned areas to the north and south of the fire as potential opportunities for future containment lines. All indirect suppression work is occurring alongside Trail #313.

Closures: An emergency closure is in place for National Forest System lands on the Missoula Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, and Stevensville Ranger District, Bitterroot National Forest. The closure includes the entire Welcome Creek Wilderness, and additional roads and trails adjacent to the Wilderness for public and firefighter safety. Please visit Inciweb for a map of the closure area and a list of closed trails and roads. The Rock Creek Road #102 corridor and recreation access remains open.

Cinnabar Fire Facts

Location

Welcome Creek Wilderness; Missoula Ranger District, Lolo National Forest within Granite County

Start Date and Cause

August 19, lightning

Size

Estimated to be 2,000 acres *improved visibility may result in a more accurate acreage amount

Vegetation and topography

Burning in heavy, dead, down, and beetle-kill timber; steep, inaccessible terrain

Resources

77 personnel; 1 Hotshot crew, 1 Type 2 Hand Crew; 1 engine (*please note yesterday we reported 5 engines, that was a typo); miscellaneous crew modules and overhead; 2 water tenders

Weather

Chance of thunderstorms and precipitation this afternoon with strong outflow winds and the potential for gusts up to 30 mph

Inciweb

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7063/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/lolonationalforest

Closures: The emergency closure area is as follows for National Forest System lands on the Missoula Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, and Stevensville Ranger District, Bitterroot National Forest:

 The entire Welcome Creek Wilderness, including all interior trails, is closed to public entry; all National Forest System lands south of the Welcome Mountain Road #4249 and Solomon Ridge Trail #142; all National Forest System lands west of Rock Creek beginning above high water mark on the western bank of Rock Creek; all National Forest lands north of the Wahlquist Ridge Trail #233, including the trailhead, to its intersection with the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313; and all National Forest System lands to the east of the Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 at its intersection with Cinnamon Bear Saddle.

The Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 are closed north of Ambrose Saddle. Everything south of Ambrose Saddle and Wahlquist Ridge Trail #233 remains open.  

Trail Closures:

Cinnabar Fire Update - August 25: 
 

Fire activity on the Cinnabar Fire greatly increased yesterday afternoon and late into the evening and is now estimated to be 2,000 acres in size. Due to smoke and low visibility, air assessments of the fire did not occur until late yesterday evening and this morning. Aerial assessments indicate substantial fire growth has occurred to the north, northeast, and southeast away from the Bitterroot Divide and back into the Welcome Creek Wilderness. The fire perimeter is now approximately 3 miles west of the bottom of Rock Creek. The fire is still burning within the Welcome Creek Wilderness boundary, on the Lolo National Forest in Granite County.

Active fire behavior is attributed to heavy, dead and downed fuels from previous burned areas and beetle-kill; dry and warm conditions; and terrain-driven fire activity. The fire is making short runs up steep slopes, group torching, and backing downslope. No structures or infrastructure are threatened at this time.

Due to complexity of the incident and location, a Type 2 Incident Command Team has been ordered for the fire and is expected to arrive tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Actions: Crews continued indirect suppression tactics and accomplished hose lay along the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313. Prep work of the trail and the Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 continued by removing fuel from the edges of the trail and road to strengthen the fire lines. Indirect suppression work is occurring outside of the Wilderness boundary. Helicopters did not conduct bucket drops due to visibility and ineffectiveness.

Today’s Planned Actions: Crews will continue to strengthen and remove fuel along the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 and Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 north toward its junction with Eightmile Saddle.

Closures: The emergency closure area is as follows for National Forest System lands on the Missoula Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, and Stevensville Ranger District, Bitterroot National Forest:

The entire Welcome Creek Wilderness, including all interior trails, is closed to public entry; all National Forest System lands south of the Welcome Mountain Road #4249 and

Solomon Ridge Trail #142; all National Forest System lands west of Rock Creek beginning above high water mark on the western bank of Rock Creek; all National Forest lands north of the Wahlquist Ridge Trail #233, including the trailhead, to its intersection with the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313; and all National Forest System lands to the east of the Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 at its intersection with Cinnamon Bear Saddle.

The Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 are closed north of Ambrose Saddle. Everything south of Ambrose Saddle and Wahlquist Ridge Trail #233 remains open. 

Remaining Open:

Rock Creek, Missoula Ranger District (Granite/Missoula Counties): The Rock Creek Road #102 corridor and recreation access remains open. The Welcome Creek bridge remains open for fishing access only, below the high-water mark on the west bank of Rock Creek. All fishing access sites and campgrounds in Rock Creek remain open.

Cinnabar Fire Update - Morning of August 24:

The Cinnabar Fire is burning in the Carron Creek drainage within the Welcome Creek Wilderness. The fire is located approximately ten air-miles east of Stevensville, Montana, a quarter of a mile to the east the Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313, and 15 miles south of I-90 up the Rock Creek drainage on the Missoula Ranger District. Smoke is visible from parts of the Rock Creek drainage, Stevensville and surrounding areas in Ravalli County. There are no structures threatened at this time. Yesterday, the fire became active due to dry, breezy conditions and terrain-driven burning that caused the fire to occasionally torch near the top of the ridge above and to the north of Carron Creek.

The fire is now estimated to be approximately 90 acres in size and transitioned to a Type 3 Incident Command Structure this morning. Ground crews are taking indirect suppression actions along the Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 north of Ambrose Saddle which will be used as key holding lines over the next few days. Firefighters will work indirectly along this road and trail to strengthen these areas by reducing fuels with the objective of keeping the fire to the east of the Bitterroot Divide in the Welcome Creek Wilderness. These roads and trails are outside of the Wilderness boundary.

A hose lay will also be put in place along parts of the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 to further strengthen fire line in this area. A helicopter is available as needed for direct suppression of hotspots within the interior or perimeter of the fire. Fire behavior is expected to be active later in the afternoon, with the potential for smoke production.

Several previous burned areas surround the fire which will also be used as natural barriers to moderate fire spread. These include the Cooney Ridge Fire (2003) directly to the north of the fire; the Sawmill Fire (2007) to the east of the fire between the existing fire down to Rock Creek; and Harry’s Flat Fire (2013) to the southeast.

Officials from the Stevensville Ranger District on the Bitterroot National Forest and the Missoula Ranger District are coordinating closely on this fire, an area closure will be coming later in the day for public and firefighter safety. This closure will include both Lolo and Bitterroot National Forest lands.

Cinnabar Fire Facts:

• Location: Carron Creek drainage, Welcome Creek Wilderness, 10 miles east of Stevensville
• Start Date: August 19
• Cause: Lightning strike
• Acres: Approximately 90
• Vegetation: Burning in heavy, dead, down, and beetle-kill timber
• Resources: 65 firefighters, including one hotshot crew; one Type 2 hand crew and miscellaneous overhead, one helicopter.
• Weather: Today will be warm, dry and breezy with winds from the west, fire managers are also expecting higher relative humidity.

Woodward Fire Update 09/10/20

Woodward Fire Daily Update - September 11, 2020