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Crazy Horse Fire |
August 30, 2003 8:30 a.m.
Contact: Information Officers Ted Pettis & Sarah Cooper
Fire Information; Hours 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.: 406-754-4620
What: Wildland fire, lightning-caused
Started: August 10, 2003
Location: Eight miles south of Condon, MT
Latitude/ Longitude: 47 25’ 1” by 113 49’ 55” in Missoula County
Jurisdiction: Flathead National Forest & Montana–DNRC
Cooperating Agencies: Swan Valley Fire Company, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Plum Creek Timber Co.
Current size: 10,500 acres
Containment: 60%
Estimated Containment Date: unestimated
Structures Threatened: none at this time
All evacuation orders for the Swan Valley homes associated with the
Crazy Horse Fire have been lifted.
Injuries to date: 3
Resources on Fire: There are 440 people, including ten 20-person
hand
crews, assigned to the fire. Equipment includes five helicopters,
thirty engines/water tenders, and thirteen pieces of heavy equipment.
A Northern Rockies Incident Management Team from North Idaho, under the
leadership of Incident Commander Allen Chrisman, is assigned to manage
this fire. The IMT will continue to provide initial attack response
and support within the Flathead National Forest and Montana-DNRC
protection areas, as agreed. The Incident Command Post is located on
the Gordon Ranch property, 8 miles south of Condon, MT.
Yesterday’s Activity: The north, south, and east flanks
of the fire
are contained. Many portions have had extensive mop-up completed,
crews continue to patrol and mop-up those areas.
A burnout operation was completed yesterday at the head of Red Butte
Creek to help confine the fire in that drainage. This action secured a
large portion of fireline in the southwest corner of fire, adding to
the acres previously reported.
Today’s Plan: A stronger high-pressure system will
rebuild bringing
warmer temperatures with lower relative humidities. Crews will
continue mop-up operations on the north, east, and south flanks of the
fire. Rehabilitation of firelines has begun on these portions of the
fire area outside the Wilderness.
The upper end of Hemlock Creek is being evaluated to determine the best
way to secure the fire in that area. This evaluation will be made in
conjunction with Flathead National Forest officials. If additional
burnout were necessary to secure the upper end of the Hemlock drainage,
it would not likely be implemented before Monday, September 1.
A public meeting, hosted by Chrisman’s IMT, has been scheduled at the
Swan Valley Elementary School for Saturday, 8/30 at 6:30 p.m. to update
community on the current fire situation.
Special Concerns: Safety is always #1 among all firefighting
agencies. Burned-through green trees and snags continue to be a
hazard. Bees have just recently become a problem.
The Crazy Horse Fire Area Closure is still in effect, but the affected
area is much smaller. A new map has been published by the Flathead NF
to show the changes. Call the Condon Work Center @ 406-754-2295 for
details or a website listed below. Maps are also being posted at
several bulletin boards throughout the Swan Valley.
Prevention Message: The fire danger in western Montana is
very high to
extreme. All federal, state, and private lands have moved into Stage
II fire restrictions effective Monday, July 28. These restrictions
prohibit:
For additional information on this and other fires, Forest Closures, or Stage II fire restrictions, call the Northern Rockies Incident Information Office at 1-800-781-2811 or visit their website at www.fs.fed.us/r1/fire/2003fires.shtml or the Northwest Montana Area Command website at www.fs.fed.us/nwacfire
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