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FLATHEAD NATIONAL FOREST |
NEWS RELEASE |
August 23, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dale Luhman 406-758-5376
Additional Fires and Fire Weather Necessitate Increased Bob Marshall Wilderness Closures
The Flathead and Lewis and Clark National Forests are increasing the areas of closure on the Spotted Bear and Rocky Mountain Ranger Districts. These additional closures are due to the numerous new fire starts over the past few days, anticipated weather, and the concern for public safety.
The existing closure from the northern section of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex Area, South Fork Flathead River Drainage from Mid Creek (3 miles south of Meadow Creek Trailhead), will be expanded to the northeast into the Spotted Bear River area to include the Silvertip area and Trails 89, 88, 584, and the wilderness portion of Trail 102 on the Spotted Bear Ranger District. The Spotted Bear River Trail 83 remains open. The Mid Fire has increased to 4,600 acres.
The Rocky Mountain Ranger District is adding an area closure west of Benchmark Trailhead. It includes Trail 202 from the junction with Trail 226 to its southern termini; Trail 226 from the Continental Divide to the junction with Trail 202; Trail 227 from the Continental Divide to the junction with Trail 202; Trail 246 from the Continental Divide to the junction with Trail 202; and Trails 248 and 247. The High Fire has increased to 238 acres.
The Rocky Mountain Ranger District also has a closure in effect in the Falls Creek Area including Trail 229 within the National Forest boundary; Trail 266 from the junction with Trail 229 to the Continental Divide; Trail 219 from the junction with Trail 229 to Red Mountain; and to be on National Forest System lands within the Falls Creek drainage.
The previous closure still in effect on the Rocky Mountain Ranger District includes the Ahorn Area and Trails 211, 209, and 225. The West Fork Sun River Trail #203 remains open
The Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena National Forest still has their portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness closed.
The Little Salmon Creek Complex is located 47 miles southeast of Kalispell, Montana in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and totals 30,906 acres. It is comprised of 9 wildland fire use fires being managed under a wildland fire use strategy for resource benefits. Most of these use fires are located in close proximity to the main Little Salmon Creek Fire. These use fires include Little Salmon Creek at 23,490 acres, Pagoda Mountain 320, Lime Creek 908, Independence Park 23,
Salmon Point 0.1, Casey Creek 16, Bartlett Mountain 27, South Spud 0.1, and Little Hammer 0.25 acres. 11 fires have been identified as suppression fires and all are 15 acres or less except for Mid 4,600, Some Creek 502, Leota Peak 531, and High 238 acres.
On the Spotted Bear Ranger District over the past week there have been numerous additional fire starts in the Wilderness. There have also been numerous starts outside of the Wilderness. Fire weather has increased the sizes of many of the fires. Crews and resources have been stretched very thin by all of these demands. Weather and fire conditions have caused many of these fires to spread at rapid rates. We are accommodating public use in the open areas as best we can, but we are also concerned with public safety during these extreme conditions.
Trails and areas affected by the fires will be reopened as soon as trail crews can remove debris and ensure that traveling in the area is safe. Current maps of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex trail closures can be found at the websites below.
For more information about closures associated with these fires, please call the Spotted Bear Ranger District at 406-758-5376 or visit the following websites:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/flathead/fire/new/fire_index.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/ciimt5/ac/salmon/index.htm
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