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Crazy Horse Fire |
September 3, 2003 8:00 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: 11,100 acres Containment: 70%
Estimated Containment Date: 9/15/03
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 260 people, including three 20-person hand crews, assigned to the fire. Equipment includes four helicopters, eighteen engines/water tenders, and fourteen 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 and fireline rehabilitation measures completed. Crews continue to patrol and mop-up in these areas.
Inside the Wilderness, a contain and confine suppression strategy utilizing natural barriers is being implemented on the west flank. The upper reaches of Hemlock Creek and Red Butte Creek continue to burnout with isolated torching and creeping ground fire.
Today’s Plan: A stronger high-pressure system will rebuild bringing warmer temperatures with lower relative humidities. Crews will continue mop-up and rehabilitation operations on the north, east, and south flanks of the fire. As weather conditions become warmer and dryer, expect to see isolated torching of trees in unburned, interior islands in the coming days. These situations will be monitored and pose no threat to the fire perimeter.
Inside the Wilderness, no spot fires have been found outside of containment lines from the past burnout operations. These burnouts, when utilizing natural barriers, will become a major portion of the containment line on the west flank. Helicopter water bucket drops were used to cool hotspots, as crews continued to patrol and mop-up.
A public meeting, hosted by Chrisman’s IMT, will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Center to update the 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 check the 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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