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Contact: Flathead National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District, 406-758-5376
What: Lightning-caused wildland fires.
Status: A recent increase in humidity has kept the fire spread to a
minimum. The Charlotte and Little Salmon Fires have joined and all acres will
now be reported with the Little Salmon acreage. The complex now includes 22
fires; six of them are being managed for resource benefits: Little Salmon Creek,
Pagoda Mountain, Lime Creek, Independence Peak, Salmon Point, Casey Creek. The
remaining 16 fires are wildfires; all less than 15 acres in size with the
exception of Some Creek and Mid fires. Two new fires are being evaluated for
fire use status.
Summary of Activity: The Little Salmon and Mid Fires have been
moderately active. Fire spread and aviation activity have been limited by
humidity and smoke from the Crazy Horse Fire near Condon. The fires that are
being managed for fire use continue to burn as expected for these events.
Wildfire activity around the Bob Marshall Wilderness area continues to be a
challenge as the fires are hard to detect due to smoke and are burning in steep
and rugged topography.
Location: The Little Salmon Creek Complex is located 47 miles
southeast of Kalispell, Montana in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Current Size: Total: 21,135 acres. Little Salmon Creek: 19,870 ac.,
Pagoda Mt: 308 ac., Lime Creek: 316 ac.; Independence: 11 ac.; Salmon Point: 0.1
ac.; Casey Creek: 1 ac. Wildland suppression fires: Some Creek: 281 ac., Mid: 97
ac.
Concerns: Firefighter and public safety, aviation, and the effects of
smoke on surrounding communities.
Resource Benefits: Preserving natural processes will be the key
benefit of restoring fire to the wilderness. In addition, this fire will help to
minimize future threats to firefighters and wilderness users by reducing fuel
build up. Future fire size and intensity will be reduced.
Trail Closures: A new trail closure went into effect on August 14 on
Trail #35 from Upper Holland Lake over Gordon Pass to the junction with Trail #
125; west side of the South Fork Trail; Trail # 291 from the junction of Trail
#35 to Doctor Lake; Trail #135 from the junction of Trail #35 to George Lake;
Trail #628 from the junction of Trail #35 over Kid Mountain where the trail
becomes Trail #135 to Gordon Mountain where the trail becomes Trail #128 to the
junction of Trail #125; west side of the South Fork Trail.
Trailheads including Pyramid Pass, Monture, North Fork Blackfoot, and
Benchmark can still be used to access open areas. The rest of the Bob Marshall
Wilderness Complex is open for use.
Jurisdiction: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service - Flathead
National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District.
Resources on Fire: Dick Rath’s interagency fire use team is managing
the complex. District and other resource overhead and field people are making
visitor contacts and implementing structure protection measures on
administrative cabins. There are approximately 80 personnel directly related to
this fire complex.
Remarks:
- 8/16 ~ Little Salmon Creek Complex includes 19 fires. Seven are fire use
fires: Little Salmon Creek, Pagoda Mountain, Lime Creek, Charlotte,
Independence, Salmon Point, and Casey Creek. The wildland fires are 15 acres
or less except for the Some Creek and Mid Fires. The fire use fires are being
managed to accomplish resource benefits. The wildfires, which are
lightning-caused ignitions, are being managed as suppression fires because of
potential effects to recreation values and the other ongoing fire activity.
- 8/15 ~ The Little Salmon Complex is currently comprised of 19 fires. Seven
of them are fire use fires and are being managed for resource benefit. Fire
activity today was moderately active but fire spread and aviation were both
moderated somewhat by smoke from the adjacent Crazy Horse fire. Cabin
protection and appropriate management responses were the primary activities.
- 8/14 ~ Two new, very small fire use fires (1 acre or less) were detected
today. Fire behavior was rather subdued today due to an inversion below 6000
feet. A new trail closure from Upper Holland Lake to the west side of the
South Fork Trail south of Big Prairie is in effect today, due to the fire
activity. Cabin protection measures and appropriate fire use management
responses were the primary activities.
- 8/12 ~ Infrared reconnaissance of the area occurred last night resulting
in a more accurate acreage estimate. Smoke covered the fire for most of the
day making for a quiet day on the fire. On the south end of the Little Salmon
Creek fire, the fire burned southwest toward Charlotte Peak, and southeast up
White River. Structure protection on administrative cabins completed. A fire
was reported late in the day at Leota Peak.
- 8/11 ~ 18,100 acres. Most of today’s fire activity occurred north and east
of the White River on the southeast corner of the Little Salmon Creek Fire.
Large areas of unburned ground still exist throughout the fire’s perimeter.
(increases in acres due to better mapping)
- 8/10 ~ 14,345 acres. The fire is generally moving into the wind to the
west, moving with the wind to the east in the vicinity of White River and
Charlotte Peak. The fire is backing west to Charlotte Peak and moving east
into the junction of the White River and South Fork Flathead River. Molly
Creek fire was detected today in the upper White River and it was determined
to be a suppression fire. Several other ignitions have recently become active.
Many are being suppressed. Those that are not are expected to burn into the
larger Little Salmon Creek Fire. The fire is mostly in and around the South
Fork drainage between Big Prairie and Black Bear.
- 8/9 ~14,300 acres estimated. On the south end of Little Salmon fire, some
fire activity burning up Holbrook Creek and White River. Structure protection
ongoing. From 8/5-8/9 received 13 lightning starts- 9 are suppression fires, 4
are Fire Use Fires. The Fire Use Fires are located near the Little Salmon Fire
and are likely to be consumed by the main fire. In the same time frame, 5
lightning starts outside the wilderness were suppressed. One new initial
attack fire outside the wilderness last night.
- 8/9 ~ 152 acres Pagoda – little change in fire. Lookouts posted on Pagoda
Mountain to observe fire behavior removed today due to low fire activity.
- 8/8 ~14,300 acres estimated. On south end of Little Salmon Fire, east and
west edges show the most heat. Structure protection work complete at Black
Bear. Structure protection work to begin on Shaw, Pendant, Hahn and Basin
Cabins tomorrow. Some Creek grew to 150 acres. Una and Charlotte are still
spots. New lightning starts discovered on Gordon Creek, Independence Park,
Salmon Point, and Limestone. 77 people on fire. Non-wilderness fires on Cedar
Creek, Lake, North Lake, and Divine Peak. The first 3 were suppressed today.
- 8/8 151 acres Pagoda – little change in fire. More precipitation in the
past few days has slowed progress of fire.
- 8/7 ~14,300 acres estimated. On south end of Little Salmon Fire, east and
west edges grew maybe 100 acres. New fire starts discovered on Charlotte, Some
Creek, and Una. Dick Rath Wilderness Fire Use Management Team assumed command
of complex. Structure protection work complete at Indian Point and Rock Creek
Cabins. Work almost completed at Black Bear and Big Prairie. 44 people on
fire.
- 8/6 ~14,300 acres estimated, winds up to 49 mph blew last night, with
0.24" rain at Big Prairie and 0.10" at Spotted Bear. Little Salmon not much
increase in size. 44 people on fire. Lightning caused starts in wilderness at
Meadow Mountain, Cathedral, and 2 on Black Bear Mountain. Non-wilderness fires
on Stoney Mountain and Horse Ridge. All are suppression fires.
- 8/6 151 acres Pagoda – little change in fire. Lookouts flown into Pagoda
Mountain to monitor fire.
- 8/5 11,789 acres (net decrease in acres due to better mapping) Little
Salmon Creek - fire grew slightly west, north of Holbrook Creek, and east on
Pine Creek. Crews continue implementing structure protection plans on Big
Prairie and Indian Point Cabin.
- 8/5 151 acres Pagoda – little change in fire. Crews are in the process of
implementing structure protection plans at Rock Creek Cabin.
- 8/4 12,564 acres (+339) lower temperatures dropped into the 70s, light
rain, and higher humidity’s slowed growth. 36 people on fire planning,
monitoring, patrolling, and structure protection. Crews have finished wrapping
Black Bear and Salmon Forks administrative cabins, and Little Salmon Creek
Bridge; and set up sprinkler systems on Big Salmon Creek and Black Bear
bridges. Crews are in the process of implementing structure protection plans
at Big Prairie and Indian Point Cabin.
- 8/4 Little Pagoda has grown to 151 acres and continues to grow slowly
downhill and is ˝ mile from White River Trail #112. Crews are in the process
of implementing structure protection plans at Rock Creek Cabin.
- 8/3 12,225 acres (+5,753) late night winds on 8/2 shifted and blew fire to
the southeast, grew 4 miles and went south past Holbrook and Woodfir Creeks,
and 1 mile past White River. Fire burned Holbrook Cabin.
- 8/2 6,472 acres (+909) grew south to Lamoose Creek.
- 8/1 5,563 acres (+2,602) grew north ad west, south to the eastern edge of
Big Salmon Lake. Burned through Salmon Forks Cabin site. Wrapped cabin and Big
Salmon Creek suspension bridge survived.
- 7/31 2,961 acres (+578) grew north to Damnation Creek.
- 7/30 2,383 acres (+812) grew a little south and north.
- 7/29 1,571 acres (+1,437) grew across Little Salmon Creek, across the
South Fork Flathead River and mostly stopped burning east after fire ran into
the 2000 Lewis Creek 2 Fire.
- 7/25 134 acres, grew down to Little Salmon Creek and South Fork Flathead
River.
- 7/21 Pagoda Fire detected just north of Pagoda Mountain.
- 7/18 Little Salmon Creek Fire detected just south on ridge at mouth of
Little Salmon Creek.
- 7/16 Little Salmon Creek and Pagoda Fires started by lightning.
Community meetings: none scheduled.
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Little
Salmon Creek Complex