CURRENT SITUATION
The Deep Fire is expected to have moderate burning conditions today and is currently mapped at 4,192 acres with 60% containment.

Heli-rappelers and multiple Wildland Fire Modules (WFM) crews plan to go direct on the northernmost portion of the fire today to look for heat in areas that continue to smolder even after recent rains.  An infrared flight flown yesterday shows heat signatures within the fire footprint and some rollout.  The fire remains south of Little Salt Creek.

Crews continue to enhance and reinforce containment lines and search for hot spots where burned snags or logs are still retaining heat.  Firehose and pumps are being backhauled off the southern portion of the fireline along the Stuart Fork Trail.  Heavier fuels such as branches and logs absorbed moisture from the recent storms and minimal movement of the fire is expected.  Hazards such as fire weakened trees, log and rock roll out, and slick driving and hiking conditions remain safety concerns. 

Crews are evaluating opportunities to continue suppression repair as soils dry.  Focus remains on ensuring wilderness characteristics is protected during and after fire operations by following Leave No Trace principles and using minimum impact suppression techniques.

WEATHER

After a moist and very cool weekend, today’s conditions will trend warmer and drier.  Temperatures are expected to trend upward with highs warming into the 60s and 70s this afternoon.  Rain is not in the forecast.  The trend of warmer and drier days will continue through the week.  Light winds out of the west will have a slow drying effect.  Cloud cover will decrease and minimum relative humidity will remain fairly high.

FOREST CLOSURES

There is a forest closure associated with the Deep Fire. For current information on forest closures, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/stnf

EVACUATION UPDATES

For the latest evacuation information from the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department: https://www.facebook.com/people/Trinity-County-Sheriffs-Office/100064589806351/

For information on evacuation resources from the Trinity County Office of Emergency Services: https://www.trinitycounty.org/OES

To sign up for codeRED notifications: text “TrinityCA” to 99411.

Louisiana Statewide Burn Ban: The state of Louisiana has declared a statewide burn ban to include any open flame outdoors. The message from the State Fire Marshal’s Office is “don’t burn anything” until further notice. Citations and arrests ARE happening across this state in partnership with local and state law enforcement agencies. 

Personnel and Equipment:   

Tiger Island: 1 Type-1 Crew; 1 Type-2 Crew; 17 Type-6 Engines; 7 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units; 4 Water Tenders and 4 Ambulances.  

Hwy 113: 1 Type-1 Crew; 15 Type-6 Engines; 4 Type-2 Tractor Plow Units; 8 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units; 3 Water Tenders and 3 Ambulances. 

Lions Camp Road: 2 Type-6 Engines; 3 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units and 1 Ambulance 

Elizabeth: 4 Type-6 Engines; 7 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units and 3 Ambulances 

Air Resources Assigned to all Fires: 14 Helicopters and 2 Air Attacks 

Additional support is being provided to all fires by the National Guard, Parish authorities and departments, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal Team, Sheriff’s offices, and the Offices of Emergency Preparedness.  

Tiger Island Fire: The Tiger Island Fire was first reported on Tuesday, August 22nd. The fire is located East of Merryville, south of Hwy 190, SW of DeRidder and North of Singer. The fire is burning in pine plantations of multiple ages. Heavy residual fuels because of Hurricane Laura in 2020 exist and contribute to extreme fire behavior.  

Operations: The Tiger Island Fire is currently 55% contained.  Yesterday, there was high reburn potential due to needlecast scattered throughout the burned area. Crews continued to mop up and patrol for hotspots within the fire footprint. Today, leaf blowers will be used to clear firelines of any needlecast that may have fallen overnight. Also, crews will patrol for any hotspots that persist inside the fire containment lines and will mop up as needed using dozers to break up pockets of burned materials along the fire perimeter.   

Hwy 113 Fire: Located 14 miles northwest of Oakdale. This fire is burning in loblolly pines and hardwoods. 

Operations:  The Hwy 113 fire is currently 50% contained. Yesterday, crews worked to improve and widen dozer lines, and tied existing lines into wet areas in Tenmile Creek using hand crews. Pockets of smoke were seen in the in the fire area, however there is not currently any threat to containment as these areas of heat are well interior of containment lines. Today, crews will continue mop up and patrol and monitor for needlecast accumulation in the fire area, which has a potential to reburn where heat persists. 

Lions Camp Road: Five miles northwest of Leesville. This fire is burning is southern rough, timber and brush. 

Operations: The Lions Camp Road Fire is 10% contained. Crews worked to install and improve dozer lines. An infrared flight detected isolated pockets of heat in the interior of the fire and no heat was detected on the northeast containment line. Today, crews will continue to mop up and patrol the fire perimeter for hotspots.  

Elizabeth: Located in southwest Rapides Parish. The fire is south of Ten Mile Road and northeast of state Louisiana Hwy 462. 

Operations:  The Elizabeth fire is 50% contained. Yesterday, containment lines were installed and improved on the west side of the fire. Crews installed dozer line along Tenmile Creek working to get closer to the burn area and connected lines on the south side of the fire where access was limited. Isolated pockets of heat were identified in the fire perimeter where heavy logs were burning. Crews monitored the fireline for hotspots. Today, crews will continue mop up around the fire perimeter and will improve existing dozer lines for fire engine and firefighter access. The entire fire perimeter will continue to be monitored for hotpots. 

Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures will be in the mid to high 90’s today with humidity in the 40-50 rang with a high heat index. Isolated showers and thunderstorms may develop by this afternoon producing gusts of wind up to 45 mph, lightning, and heavy rain. Showers and storms are expected to gradually diminish through the evening. Heat scorched leaves and pine needles have started to fall and could cause reburn in the fire area. 

Air Quality: Expect low levels of smoke near fires and on roads adjacent to them. Smoke from the Tiger Island Fire will be most apparent in the Merryville and Junction areas. Smoke from the Elizabeth and Hwy. 113 fires will be most noticeable in the Cora area and between the two fires. Light smoke from the Lions Camp Rd Fire may occur today on roads within the fire perimeter. For near time air quality information see EPA's Fire and Smoke Map: https://fire.airnow.gov/  

Temporary Flight Restriction: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Tiger Island Fire and Hwy 113 and Elizabeth Fire areas. This is necessary to protect aerial operations. If you fly, we can’t. If there are drone intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must ground all aircraft.  

Evacuations: Updates on evacuations and shelters for the Tiger Island Fire can be found on the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/beauregardsheriff.  

Fire Size: 1,902 acres
Containment: 11%
Total Personnel: 540

Weather, Fire Behavior and Safety:
Temperatures are forecasted to reach a high of 60 degrees today, a generally cool and cloudy day. Winds are moving from the west in an easterly direction and may continue this trend through the next week. In the coming days, weather is expected to get warmer and drier with a 5% chance of rain.

Fire behavior continues to mimic previous days with creeping, smoldering, and small pockets of flames where wind, heat and upslope conditions meet. An increased use of heavy equipment and chainsaws poeses another safety hazard to firefighters in addition to silently falling trees and burning snags.

Operations:
South to southeast of the fire, between the fire’s perimeter and Forest Road 14, firefighters are using large equipment to construct fireline.

In the green pockets between Forest Roads 12 and 14, adjacent to the fire, crews continue firing operations where conditions are favorable. Firing operations refers to firefighters burning off small pockets of vegetation to reduce the amount of available fuel along the fire’s perimeter.

In addition to firing operations, crews are limbing and thinning trees and improving old logging roads. This work will create a fuel break and reduce ladder fuels. Ladder fuels refers to smaller trees and the lower limbs of trees, lichen, moss, and shrubs. Removing these ladder fuels reduces the chance of fire climbing into the canopies of the larger trees.

Along Forest Road 12, firefighters used chainsaws and chipped “slash,” cut brush and woody material, to remove vegetation. Firefighters are also using large chippers to reduce this material to wood chips. They then move these burnable materials into the “green” or unburned side of the control line, distributing it outside of the fire area where it’s unlikely to ignite. A secure fireline will have no burnable vegetation adjacent to it so a ground fire cannot cross it.

Today, fire information officers will be stationed at Hoodland Thriftway in Welches, OR., from 1 – 6 p.m., Country Market in Corbett, OR, from 12 – 2 p.m., and Aims Community Church in Aims, OR, from 3 – 6 p.m. to provide fire information and answer questions in-person.

Additional Information:
Current smoke outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/2c7a8f9b

Closures and Evacuations:
Barlow Wayside Park and the Sandy Ridge Recreation Site are temporarily closed due to fire activity. Clackamas County residents can receive critical emergency messaging by email, phone call, or text by signing up at https://www.clackamas.us/dm/publicalerts

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR):
There is a TFR over the fire area, which includes public drone use. If you fly, we can’t – illegal drone use in a TFR area can halt critical air resource support and may result in high fines to the user.

Videos:
Two video links have been added below to give you an operational overview and view some of the work being done:

• Morning video update for Monday, September 4 by Operations Section Chief Matt Call
   
• Morning video update with Spanish subtitles: Actualizaciones Operacionales Camp Creek Fire 4 de septiembre de 2023
   
• Camp Creek Fire Crews Working Along Road 14 

River Road East Fire

Fact Sheet

Monday, September 4, 2023

NORTHERN ROCKIES TEAM 1                                          

INCIDENT COMMANDER: BRENT OLSON

Information Phone: 406-345-5972           

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/mtlnf-river-road-east-fire

Email: 2023.RiverRoadEast@firenet.gov  

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

Location:  6 miles southeast of Plains, Montana                                               

Start Date: 8/18/2023         Cause: Unknown                 Size: 17,310 acres        Containment: 54%           

Total Personnel: 282         Crews: 6                             Engines: 14                 Helicopters: 2  

KEY MESSAGE: This will be the final Fire Fact Sheet produced for the River Road East Fire unless fire activity increases. Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 is transitioning management of the fire to a local Type 3 organization on the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest. Transfer of Command of the fire will occur at 7:00 am on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. NR Team 1 thanks you for supporting our firefighters over the past 18 days.

CURRENT STATUS: Approximately 0.2” of rain fell across the fire area yesterday. No fire activity was observed on the fire's north containment lines near Henry's Creek and Henry's Peak. The eastern line along the forest and CSKT boundary also had no fire activity. Crews located and eliminated several hotspots on the southeast corner of the fire. Firefighters patrolled the fire's northwest perimeter. Crews continued chipping vegetation removed while constructing a shaded fuel break north of Pat’s Knob. On the southwest corner of the fire, crews continued constructing an indirect fuels break and looked for hot spots along the fire’s edge.

PLANNED ACTIONS: On the fire's northwest corner and west side, crews will patrol and monitor for any heat or smoke along the containment and control lines. The indirect control lines on the west side (north of Pat's Knob) and southwest corner of the fire will be in place if the fire moves in those directions this fall. An indirect control line on the southeast corner of the fire area will exist if that portion of the fire moves in that direction. Firefighters constructed indirect control lines where access to the fire edge was difficult due to steep, rocky terrain. Crews will continue to monitor the northern, northeastern corner, and eastern containment lines where there has been little fire activity over the past week. These areas include the Henry's Creek and Henry's Peak areas, as well as along the forest and CSKT boundary. Fire suppression repair work will begin on containment lines along the fire's north side. A local Type 3 incident management organization has been working with Northern Rockies Team 1 for the past several days in anticipation of transitioning management of the fire on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

WEATHER: The weather will be mostly cloudy with rain in the morning, then rain, and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Temperatures will be 60-65 degrees in the valleys and 56-61 degrees on the ridges. Minimum relative humidity levels will be 45-55% in the valleys and 62-72% on the ridges. Winds will be from the west at 5-15 mph on the ridge tops and from the west at 8-18 mph at lower elevations.

CLOSURES: The Lolo National Forest has an emergency closure of roads and trails (Closure #23-010-Lolo-D5) effective August 21, 2023. This Order is for public and firefighter safety during fire suppression efforts of the River Road East Fire. For a complete listing of the closed roads & trails, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lolo/alerts-notices.

South Fork Complex Update
Monday, September 4, 2023

Fire Information: 530-638-2830, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Email: 2023.southforkcomplex@firenet.gov
Linktree: linktr.ee/southforkcomplex2023

3-9 Fire:          2,855 acres with 35% containment              
Pellitreau Fire:    3 acres with 100% containment
Pilot Fire:        1,055 acres with 100% containment            
Sulphur Fire:      31 acres with 100% containment

3,945 acres and 52% overall containment for the South Fork Complex

A total of 760 personnel, crews, air support, engines, dozers, and water tenders support the incident.

3-9 Fire – Fire behavior and spread potential will continue to be mostly low today, but as temperatures rise and fuels begin to dry out from recent rains, the opportunity for increased fire behavior will continue over the coming days. Dozers completed contingency line in the area east of Torrey Corrals and hand crews went direct where it was safe to do so. Today, hand crews will evaluate areas where rollout is a concern and begin installing chicken wire in those areas to prevent burning material from rolling down steep terrain and across containment lines. Hotshot crews were able to secure the 03N06 road and construct hand line along the southern perimeter in areas where the fire was creeping and smoldering. They will continue to construct hand line along the southern perimeter to tie in with control lines west of the Berry-Summit-Mad River Road (Route 1). Helicopters were able to assist ground crews with bucket support along the southwestern perimeter of the fire yesterday and will continue to assist with suppression efforts today as weather allows. Along the eastern flank, crews are making good progress cutting and removing hazard trees in order to make the area safe for firefighters to continue building containment lines. Along the northern portion of the fire, firefighters continue to patrol and mop up the fire perimeter to ensure there is no threat of fire spread.

Pilot Fire is 100% contained. Crews identified and mopped up remaining areas with heat and smoldering material and will continue to patrol the fire perimeter to ensure that the fire remains within the containment lines.

The Pellitreau Fire and the Sulfur Fire are 100% contained. Firefighters continue to patrol the fires periodically to ensure fire remains within containment lines.

Weather: Partly cloudy today. Maximum temperatures are expected to be 62-67 ºF, and minimum relative humidities are expected to be 45-50%. Northwest winds are predicted to be 6-10 mph with gusts up to 15 mph.

Evacuation Warning: In Humboldt County, an Evacuation Warning continues to be in place for Zone HUM-E114-A and Zone HUM E114-B. For more information go to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office website. In Trinity County, an Evacuation Warning continues to be in effect for Zone HYM-505 and Zone HYM-509. Please continue to check the Trinity County Wildfire and Evacuation website for up-to-date information.

Forest Closure: Forest Closure orders for the South Fork Complex Fire continue to be in effect and are posted on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and the Six Rivers National Forest websites. Please avoid closed areas.

Louisiana Statewide Burn Ban: The state of Louisiana has declared a statewide burn ban to include any open flame outdoors. The message from the State Fire Marshal’s Office is “don’t burn anything” until further notice. Citations and arrests ARE happening across this state in partnership with local and state law enforcement agencies. 

Personnel and Equipment:   

Tiger Island: 1 Type-1 Crew; 1 Type-2 Crew; 17 Type-6 Engines; 7 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units; 4 Water Tenders and 4 Ambulances.  

Hwy 113: 1 Type-1 Crew; 15 Type-6 Engines; 4 Type-2 Tractor Plow Units; 8 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units; 3 Water Tenders and 3 Ambulances. 

Lions Camp Road: 2 Type-6 Engines; 3 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units and 1 Ambulance 

Elizabeth: 4 Type-6 Engines; 7 Type-3 Tractor Plow Units and 3 Ambulances 

Air Resources Assigned to all Fires: 14 Helicopters and 2 Air Attacks 

Additional support is being provided to all fires by the National Guard, Parish authorities and departments, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal Team, Sheriff’s offices, and the Offices of Emergency Preparedness.  

Tiger Island Fire: The Tiger Island Fire was first reported on Tuesday, August 22nd. The fire is located East of Merryville, south of Hwy 190, SW of DeRidder and North of Singer. The fire is burning in pine plantations of multiple ages. Heavy residual fuels because of Hurricane Laura in 2020 exist and contribute to extreme fire behavior.  

Operations: The Tiger Island Fire is currently 55% contained.  Yesterday, there was high reburn potential due to needlecast scattered throughout the burned area. Crews continued to mop up and patrol for hotspots within the fire footprint. Today, leaf blowers will be used to clear firelines of any needlecast that may have fallen overnight. Also, crews will patrol for any hotspots that persist inside the fire containment lines and will mop up as needed using dozers to break up pockets of burned materials along the fire perimeter.   

Hwy 113 Fire: Located 14 miles northwest of Oakdale. This fire is burning in loblolly pines and hardwoods. 

Operations:  The Hwy 113 fire is currently 50% contained. Yesterday, crews worked to improve and widen dozer lines, and tied existing lines into wet areas in Tenmile Creek using hand crews. Pockets of smoke were seen in the in the fire area, however there is not currently any threat to containment as these areas of heat are well interior of containment lines. Today, crews will continue mop up and patrol and monitor for needlecast accumulation in the fire area, which has a potential to reburn where heat persists. 

Lions Camp Road: Five miles northwest of Leesville. This fire is burning is southern rough, timber and brush. 

Operations: The Lions Camp Road Fire is 10% contained. Crews worked to install and improve dozer lines. An infrared flight detected isolated pockets of heat in the interior of the fire and no heat was detected on the northeast containment line. Today, crews will continue to mop up and patrol the fire perimeter for hotspots.  

Elizabeth: Located in southwest Rapides Parish. The fire is south of Ten Mile Road and northeast of state Louisiana Hwy 462. 

Operations:  The Elizabeth fire is 50% contained. Yesterday, containment lines were installed and improved on the west side of the fire. Crews installed dozer line along Tenmile Creek working to get closer to the burn area and connected lines on the south side of the fire where access was limited. Isolated pockets of heat were identified in the fire perimeter where heavy logs were burning. Crews monitored the fireline for hotspots. Today, crews will continue mop up around the fire perimeter and will improve existing dozer lines for fire engine and firefighter access. The entire fire perimeter will continue to be monitored for hotpots. 

Weather and Fire Behavior: Temperatures will be in the mid to high 90’s today with humidity in the 40-50 rang with a high heat index. Isolated showers and thunderstorms may develop by this afternoon producing gusts of wind up to 45 mph, lightning, and heavy rain. Showers and storms are expected to gradually diminish through the evening. Heat scorched leaves and pine needles have started to fall and could cause reburn in the fire area. 

Air Quality: Expect low levels of smoke near fires and on roads adjacent to them. Smoke from the Tiger Island Fire will be most apparent in the Merryville and Junction areas. Smoke from the Elizabeth and Hwy. 113 fires will be most noticeable in the Cora area and between the two fires. Light smoke from the Lions Camp Rd Fire may occur today on roads within the fire perimeter. For near time air quality information see EPA's Fire and Smoke Map: https://fire.airnow.gov/  

Temporary Flight Restriction: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Tiger Island Fire and Hwy 113 and Elizabeth Fire areas. This is necessary to protect aerial operations. If you fly, we can’t. If there are drone intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must ground all aircraft.  

Evacuations: Updates on evacuations and shelters for the Tiger Island Fire can be found on the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page at https://www.fa

Equipo Dos de Gestión de Incidentes del Complejo del Área de las Montañas RocosasJared Hohn,Comandante del incidente

Situación actual: Un total de 469 personas están asignadas actualmente al Complejo Cowlitz, que permanece al 5% de contención, con un tamaño de 697 acres. Las condiciones climáticas frescas y húmedas ayudarán a suprimir el comportamiento del fuego en los próximos días.

A medida que los bomberos trabajan en el terreno extremadamente escarpado del Bosque Nacional Gifford Pinchot, las rocas y los escombros en llamas siguen rodando cuesta abajo y saliendo de los perímetros del incendio. Esto no es sólo un peligro para los bomberos en la línea, sino también un riesgo para la creación de nuevos incendios que podrían hacerse evidentes más tarde, cuando las condiciones se sequen.

En la Subdivisión 1/División C, los incendios de Carlton Ridge, Berry y Deer Creek se encuentran ahora en estado de vigilancia y patrulla. Las cuadrillas están en sus puestos en los incendios de Skate, Silver, Yew y Pothole, progresando bien bajo las condiciones frescas y húmedas de ayer.

En la Subdivisión 1/División F, los incendios de South Fork, Davis Creek y Davis Mountain se encuentran en estado de vigilancia y patrulla. Se está trabajando en el incendio de Willame y, si el tiempo lo permite, un equipo de rappel podría descender en la zona del incendio de Grassy Mountain para crear un helispot que facilite el acceso y la salida de los equipos de intervención.

En la Subdivisión 2/División L, el incendio de Twin Sisters se encuentra en estado de vigilancia y patrulla. Los bomberos adicionales que estaban trabajando en los incendios de Carlton Ridge y Deer Creek han sido trasladados a los incendios de Adams Fork y Jackpot Creek. Se espera que las cuadrillas se inserten en el incendio de Mission hoy para comenzar a tomar medidas de extinción.

En la Subdivisión 2/División W, el incendio de McCoy Creek se encuentra en estado de patrulla, mientras que otra cuadrilla se está desplazando para trabajar en el incendio de Bear Creek. El incendio de Quartz Junior sigue siendo controlado por rapeladores. Los gestores de incendios están trabajando con los recursos locales para abordar las mejores opciones de acceso para los incendios de Snagtooth y Spencer Quartz.

Restricciones contra incendios: Las restricciones contra incendios están en vigor. Las hogueras están prohibidas en todo el Bosque Nacional de Gifford Pinchot; sólo se permiten hogueras, estufas y linternas alimentadas con propano. Encontrará más información en el sitio web del bosque en Gifford Pinchot National Forest - Fire Management (usda.gov). La decisión de levantar o mantener las restricciones contra incendios depende de diversos factores, como las condiciones meteorológicas actuales y previstas, la humedad del combustible, el nivel de actividad de los incendios y la disponibilidad de recursos de extinción para responder a nuevas igniciones.

Información meteorológica y sobre el humo: Hoy estará nublado y lloviznará hacia el mediodía. El pronóstico prevé que continúen las condiciones húmedas y temperaturas más frescas hasta el martes, lo que ayudará a mantener el comportamiento del fuego y la producción de humo mínimo.

Cierres:En previsión de la actividad del fuego en curso en las proximidades del Snagtooth Fire las siguientes carreteras y senderos estarán cerrados al público para reducir la exposición y ayudar a garantizar la seguridad pública: Carreteras forestales 9300 y 9341 (actualmente fuera de los límites), Boundary Trail #1 (desde Elk Pass hasta la intersección con Summit Prairie), Summit Prairie #2, Craggy Peak #3, Snagtooth #4, Quartz #5, Stabler Camp #17, Wright Meadows #80, Basin Camp #3 A, Quartz #5 B, Quartz #5 C (French Creek), Snyder Pasture #80 A. La carretera forestal 8410 está cerrada para la seguridad de los bomberos y del público en las proximidades del incendio de Pothole. La carretera forestal 78 está temporalmente cerrada entre el cruce 7802 y el cruce 2278 debido a la presencia de escombros peligrosos en la calzada.

Restricciones temporales de vuelo:La restricción temporal de vuelo (TFR) está en vigor entre la autopista 12 y el Parque Nacional del Monte Rainier. La respuesta de la aviación contra incendios se detiene o retrasa si una aeronave no autorizada entra en el TFR. Las restricciones temporales de vuelo también se aplican a los sistemas de aeronaves no tripuladas o drones. ¡Si tú vuelas, nosotros no podemos! Más información sobre el uso seguro y responsable de drones en Home -Know Before You Fly.

NORTHERN ROCKIES TEAM 5     INCIDENT COMMANDER: JOE SAMPSON 

EAST FORK FIRE 

SEPTEMBER 04, 2023 

Location: 12 miles south of Trego, Montana          Information Line: 406-285-8634 

Start Date: 7/30/2023       Cause: Lightning       Size: 5,162 acres       Containment: 35%  

Total Personnel: 545      Engines: 9     Helicopters: 2       Hand Crews: 8  

CURRENT STATUS 

Firefighters are utilizing equipment to improve damaged roads and surfaces to pre-fire conditions. Crews continued suppression efforts, putting out hot spots and exposing burning logs and stumps. On the northern edge of the fire, crews constructed fire line where it was safe to do so. Firefighters utilizing heavy equipment are working around the fire, clearing and brushing previously constructed fuel breaks.    

PLANNED ACTION  

Hand crews will continue mop-up and patrol along the eastern perimeter. In the southern part of the fire, the crews are actively monitoring the fire with the goal being to get all hand lines connected to prevent the fire from moving outside its current area.  An infra-red flight is planned on Tuesday.   

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR 

Clouds moved across the incident early Sunday and remained in place throughout the day. Breaks in the clouds did occur at times. With the cloud cover in place, temperatures only managed to climb into the 60s across the incident, with relative humidity only dropping into the 40th percentile. Winds were predominately from the west to south west, averaging around 10 mph. A few showers were around the area late Sunday morning and again during the afternoon. Rain chances ramp up considerably tonight and Monday as a storm system passes through the region, with ¼ inch of precipitation expected. Highs Monday expected to be in the high 50s and humidity in the 70% range.  Tuesday, there will be leftover showers giving way to partly cloudy skies and temps will be the same as Monday, with the humidity going down later in the day. Precipitation amounts are expected to be minimal. Fire is continuing to creep and smolder, mainly in the Avent and Blessing Creek areas. Heavy canopy may prevent precipitation from reaching the ground in the fire area.  

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS 

There are still road and area closures in place in both the Kootenai and Flathead National Forests around the East Fork Fire. See the Kootenai National Forest and Flathead National Forest websites for the most current closure information and maps.   

Smoke Outlook:

Special Statement

Visibility can be reduced in areas with both smoke and fog. Exercise caution if driving in these conditions. The Hwy. 113 and Hwy. 10 crossings of Ten Mile Creek are where this is most likely.

Fire

The four fires in the area are Tiger Island (31,342 ac); Elizabeth (878 ac); Hwy. 113 (7,321 ac) and Lions Camp Rd. (790 ac). Lower potential for fire activity today because of firefighters’ work and higher humidity. (visit Inciweb Tiger Island Fire for more details) (visit Inciweb Hwy 113 Fire for more details) (visit Inciweb Elizabeth Fire for more details) (visit Inciweb Lions Camp Road Fire for more details)

Smoke

Expect low levels of smoke near fires and on roads adjacent to them. Heat scorched leaves and pine needles have started to fall and could support reburn. There would be increased smoke levels in the immediate vicinity where this occurs. There is a chance for thunderstorms with gusty and erratic winds that could move smoke in any direction. Smoke from the Tiger Island Fire will be most apparent in the Merryville and Junction areas. Smoke from the Elizabeth and Hwy. 113 fires will be most noticeable in the Cora area and between the two fires. There was very little smoke from the Lions Camp Rd Fire yesterday. Light smoke may occur today on roads within the fire perimeter. All monitor locations should see less smoke today due to less fire activity and south winds. Expect mostly GOOD levels of smoke with periods of MODERATE today and tomorrow.

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Two
Jared Hohn, Incident Commander

Current Situation: A total of 469 personnel are currently assigned to the Cowlitz Complex, which remains at 5% containment, with the size of the complex holding at 697 acres. The cool, wet weather conditions will help suppress fire behavior in the coming days.

As firefighters work in the extremely steep terrain of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, rocks and burning debris continue rolling downhill and exiting fire perimeters. This is not only a hazard to firefighters on the line, but also a risk for creating new spot fires that could become evident later when conditions dry out.

In Branch 1/Division C, Carlton Ridge, Berry, and Deer Creek fires are now in monitor and patrol status. Crews are in place on the Skate, Silver, Yew, and Pothole fires, making good progress under the cool, humid conditions yesterday.

In Branch1/Division F, the South Fork, Davis Creek, and Davis Mountain fires are in monitor and patrol status. Work is progressing on the Willame Fire, and if weather allows, a rappel crew may drop into the Grassy Mountain Fire area to create a helispot to facilitate access and egress for hotshot crews.

In Branch 2/Division L, the Twin Sisters Fire is in monitor and patrol status. Additional firefighters that were working on the Carlton Ridge and Deer Creek fires have been moved to the Adams Fork and Jackpot Creek fires. Crews are expected to be inserted on the Mission fire today to begin taking suppression actions.

In Branch 2/Division W, the McCoy Creek Fire is in patrol status, while another crew is moving in to work the Bear Creek Fire. The Quartz Junior fire continues to be worked by rappelers. Fire managers are working with the local resources to address the best access options for the Snagtooth and Spencer Quartz fires.

Fire Restrictions: Fire Restrictions are in effect. Campfires are prohibited across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest – only propane-fueled fire pits, stoves and lanterns are allowed. Additional information is available on the forest’s website at Gifford Pinchot National Forest - Fire Management (usda.gov). The decision to lift or maintain fire restrictions depends on a variety of factors including current and expected weather conditions, fuel moisture, the level of fire activity, and the availability of firefighting resources to respond to additional ignitions.

Weather & Smoke Information: Today will be overcast with drizzle moving into the area around noon. The forecast calls for continued wet conditions and cooler temperatures through Tuesday, which will help keep fire behavior and smoke production minimal.

Closures: In anticipation of ongoing fire activity in the vicinity of the Snagtooth Fire the following roads and trails will be closed to the public to reduce exposure and help ensure public safety: Forest Roads 9300 and 9341 (currently off limits), Boundary Trail #1(from Elk Pass to intersection with Summit Prairie), Summit Prairie #2, Craggy Peak #3, Snagtooth #4, Quartz #5, Stabler Camp #17, Wright Meadows #80, Basin Camp #3 A, Quartz #5 B, Quartz #5 C (French Creek), Snyder Pasture #80 A. Forest Road 8410 is closed for firefighter and public safety in the vicinity of the Pothole Fire. Forest Road 78 is temporarily closed between the 7802 junction and the 2278 junction due to hazardous debris rolling out onto the roadway.

Temporary Flight Restrictions:  The temporary flight restrictions (TFR) is in effect between Highway 12 and Mount Rainier National Park.  Fire aviation response is halted or delayed if an unauthorized aircraft enters the TFR.  Temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems or drones.  If you fly we can't.  Learn more about how to use drones safely and responsibly at Home-Know Before You Fly.