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Little Salmon Creek Complex |
Incident Information Contacts:
(406)755-3910 (voice) and (406)755-3931 (fax)
Contact: Flathead National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District, 406-758-6470
or -5376
What: Lightning-caused wildland fires.
Status: The Little Salmon Complex comprises 15 active fires. Eight of them are Wildland Fire Use fires; seven are in suppression strategy. NAME CHANGE: The Barsomuna, named when the Bartlett, Some, and Una fires burned together has been renamed the Some Creek Fire and has been classified as a suppression fire. Fuels in the complex include ponderosa pine, larch, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and whitebark pine. Inaccessibility, steep terrain, extreme fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns on fires in the Little Salmon Complex.
Summary of Activity: Temperatures on Labor Day remained in the mid-80s. Inversion conditions remained until about 1:00 pm, again keeping fire behavior relatively quiet in the morning hours. The mid-slopes and ridgetops remained extremely dry because of poor humidity recovery. Throughout the afternoon, torching and short fire runs were seen on several of the fires in the complex. Little Salmon Fire burned actively on the north side of Salmon Lake and on the northern perimeter of the fire into Snow Creek. Lime Creek Fire continued its slow backing downhill and runs back onto itself. Some Creek Fire, which had spotted over the South Fork of the Flathead River Sunday evening, continued to actively burn in a southerly direction along both sides of the river. With the anticipated fire activity at Big Prairie, the three short pack strings at Salmon Forks Cabin were instructed to return to Spotted Bear and they safely returned by mid-afternoon.
Firefighters who had been preparing the structures at Big Prairie enacted their operational plan when the Some Creek fire burned along the South Fork of the Flathead River, cold trailing the fire along the river and conducting a small burnout to even up the edge of the burn. By early evening, the fire was progressing as expected along the river, creating a burned firebreak around the administrative site. Incident Commander, George Weldon, was extremely pleased that the operations appeared to be going well. Leota Fire in the southwest portion of the Complex was burning actively to the east and showed no spread to the south or southwest, again moving toward the interior of the Wilderness. By early evening, the Gordon Fire was reportedly moving south towards Kid Mountain with some spotting possibly over the ridgetop. Gyp Fire, located southwest of Little Salmon Fire, developed a plume as it moved southwest with torching on three sides. Firefighters from the Lewis and Clark Fire Use Module were inserted by helicopter into the Black Bear administrative site where they started the sprinkler system.
Two spots were seen on High Fire, in the southern end of the complex where a Type III helicopter again made one fuel cycle of water drops on the fire. As a precautionary measure, fire fighters finished their work wrapping Spotted Bear Lookout, located approximately 4 miles southeast of the Ranger Station. Work continued on structure protection at Spotted Bear Ranger Station where crews continued to operate sprinkler systems around the structures and cleared brush and woody debris from the site. The ranger station has NOT been in any immediate danger. For public safety related to fires in the Blackfoot Lake Complex, the west (#895) side Hungry Horse Reservoir road remained closed south of U.S. Highway 2. The east (#38) side road was reopened Friday, August 29.
On Tuesday, fire crews will continue implementing fire strategies for structural protection around Big Prairie. Water drops over the High Fire will be done again on Tuesday if necessary and an aerial patrol is scheduled. The fire fighters at Black Bear will continue running the sprinklers around the structures and begin work on corrals for holding stock at Black Bear in support of the fire use management efforts.
Location: The Little Salmon Complex is located 47 miles southeast of Kalispell, Montana, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Current Size: Total: 39,888 acres. REMINDER: Acreage change resulting from the Mid Fire being reassigned to the Blackfoot Lake Complex. Wildland Fire Use fires in the complex: Little Salmon Creek: 28,053 ac.; Pagoda Mountain: 320 ac.; Lime Creek: 1,723 ac.; Independence Park: 51 ac.; Salmon Point: 0.1 ac.; Casey Creek: 16 ac.; South Spud: 0.1 ac.; and Little Hammer: 1 ac. Suppression in the complex include: Some Creek: 8,322; Gordon: 40; Leota Peak: 1,168;Gyp: 32; High: 122 ac.; Crimson: 3; and Molly Creek: 39.
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 buildup. Future fire size and intensity will be reduced.
Trail Closures: The Spotted Bear River drainage; access to trailheads for Meadow Creek and Gorge Creek. South Fork Flathead River drainage of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Also, trails #83, #87, #88, #89, #90, #102, upper end of #112, #173, #176, #177, #243, #359, and #584 in the Silvertip area.
East side Hungry Horse Reservoir road access via road #38 reopened Friday from U.S. Highway 2 to Wilderness Lodge, Diamond R Guest Ranch, Spotted Bear Ranch, and Spotted Bear Ranger Station, along with 7 miles of the South Fork of the Flathead River outside the Bob Marshall Wilderness, from Spotted Bear Ranger Station to Hungry Horse Reservoir.
The Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Lewis and Clark National Forest has closed several trails east of the Little Salmon Creek Complex: #202 from the junction of #226 to its southern terminus; #219 from the junction with #229 to the Forest boundary at Red Mountain; #226 from the Continental Divide to the junction with #202; #266 from the junction with #229 to the Forest boundary at the Continental Divide; #227 from the Continental Divide to the junction with #202; #229 from the Lewis and Clark National Forest boundary 1 mile south of County Road 577 (Dearborn River Road) to the Forest boundary at the Continental Divide; #246 from the Continental Divide to the junction with #202; #248; #247; Indian Creek #211; Ahorn Creek #209; and East Fork Ahorn #225.
All Helena National Forest lands north of Montana Highway 200, including the portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Helena National Forest, remained closed.
NOTE: The Lolo National Forest portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness is open to public use.
Closures will be lifted once public safety hazards are removed. Ensure you are aware of current fire restrictions and area closures before you head outdoors.
Trailheads for Monture; North Fork Blackfoot; Benchmark; West, Middle, and South forks of the Teton River; Morrison Creek; and Bear Creek can still be used to access open areas.
The Small Business Administration approved a disaster declaration, allowing qualified small businesses affected by the fires and closures to apply for assistance. The SBA has scheduled public meetings.
Jurisdiction: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service - Flathead National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District.
Resources on Fire: George Weldon’s fire use team is managing the complex. District and other resource overhead and field people continued making visitor contacts and implementing structure protection measures on administrative cabins. Approximately 78 personnel worked directly related to this fire complex.
•
8/31 – Temperatures on Sunday reached the low 90s and humidity dropped
into the single digits. Inversion conditions remained until about 1:00 pm,
restraining the fire behavior with only moderate rates of spread in heavy
fuels in the morning hours. Although dew points were higher in the valleys,
air at mid and upper slopes remained extremely dry, and when the inversion
lifted several of the fires in the complex became active. Throughout the
afternoon, fire made runs and spotted ahead on several of the fires in the
complex. In the early evening, the Morrell Lookout patrol reported a column
from the Leota Fire which showed active burning on the northeast section
near Crimson Peak. By dinnertime, Some Creek Fire was reported having made
significant movement to the northeast with flame lengths of 200 feet. Aerial
patrols reported seeing movement northeast towards the South Fork of the
Flathead River. A fire use module continued fire protection activities on
structures in Big Prairie where fire is located on three sides of the site.
Three short pack strings made it into Salmon Forks Cabin to resupply the
site and a clearing team accompanied the pack strings, cutting snags and
assessing the need to remove burnt timber along the burned edges of Trail
80.
•
Active burning was seen on all fires in the complex with the exception of
High Fire, in the southern end of the complex where a Type III helicopter
again made one fuel cycle of water drops on the fire. Poor visibility over
Pagoda Fire (320 acres) prevented a clear observation of the fire activity
on Sunday. As a precautionary measure, fire fighters continued their work
wrapping Spotted Bear Lookout, located approximately 4 miles southeast of
the Ranger Station. It is anticipated that this work will be completed by
day’s end. Work continued on structure protection at Spotted Bear Ranger
Station where crews continued to operate sprinkler systems around the structures
and cleared brush and woody debris from the site. The ranger station has
NOT been in any immediate danger. For public safety related to fires in the
Blackfoot Lake Complex, the west (#895) side Hungry Horse Reservoir road
remained closed south of U.S. Highway 2. The east (#38) side road was reopened
Friday.
•
On Monday, fire crews will continue observation of the fires and structural
protection around Big Prairie. Two pack strings will return to Spotted Bear
from Salmon Forks and the assessment team will continue to Big Prairie. Water
drops over the High Fire will be done again on Monday if necessary and an
aerial patrol is scheduled.
•
8/30 evening - Temperatures on Saturday were in the mid 70s and humidity
remained in the high teens. Inversion conditions remained until mid-day,
moderating the fire behavior. Although dew points remained high in the valleys,
air at mid and upper slopes remained extremely dry. These conditions coupled
with north-northwest winds caused isolated torching and creeping spread amongst
the ground fuels. Smokes were visible on both Leota and High fires. A Type
III helicopter (light helicopter) dropped water on the southern end of the
High Fire for one fuel cycle. Pour visibility over Little Salmon fire prevented
a clear observation of the fire activity throughout the day. A crew worked
to wrap Spotted Bear Lookout, located approximately 4 miles southeast of
the Ranger Station. These structural protection measures will be completed
later this week. A fire use team continued fire protection activities on
structures in Big Prairie where fire is located on three sides of the site.
Lookouts were posted to observe Lime Creek, Little Salmon and Barsomuno fires.
Work continued on structure protection at Spotted Bear Ranger Station where
crews dug to mineral soil around propane tanks and cleared brush and woody
debris around the buildings. The ranger station has NOT been in any immediate
danger. For public safety related to fires in the Blackfoot Lake Complex,
the west (#895) side Hungry Horse Reservoir road remained closed south of
U.S. Highway 2. The east (#38) side road was reopened Friday.
•
On Sunday, fire crews will continue observation of the fires and structural
protection around Big Prairie. Water drops over the High Fire will be done
again on Sunday, and operations to complete the wrapping and protection of
the Spotted Bear Lookout will continue throughout the coming days. The protective
sprinkler system at Black Bear will be checked also. A short pack string
and a couple of crew members will pack into Salmon Forks Cabin to resupply
the site. A clearing team will accompany the pack strings and cut snags and
assess the need to remove burnt timber along the burned edges of Trail 80.
•
8/29 evening - Temperatures in the mid 70s), humidity in the high teens,
and light winds generally limited most fire activity to isolated torching
Friday, with 1- to 5-foot flame lengths. Winds out of the east encouraged
burning on the western fringes of several fires, including the Little Salmon
Fire’s movement through the 1985 Charlotte Peak Fire area. Additional
portable water tank capacity was added at Big Prairie to increase ability
to protect structures in case the Barsomuna or Lime Creek fires threaten
them. Between those two fires, Big Prairie has fire on three sides. Lookouts
were posted to keep eyes on the two fires. One helicopter dropped water on
the west side of Mid Fire to retard its movement to the west. A sprinkler
was replaced at Black Bear, and a pump was replaced at Salmon Forks. Work
continued on structure protection at Spotted Bear Ranger Station, approximately
10 miles north of the Mid Fire. The ranger station was in no immediate danger.
For public safety related to fires in the Blackfoot Lake Complex, the west
(#895) side Hungry Horse Reservoir road remained closed south of U.S. Highway
2. The east (#38) side road was reopened Friday.
•
8/29 morning ~ 43,100 acres. Continued cool (60s to upper 70s), partly cloudy,
slightly higher (21-30 percent) humidity, and light (4-14 mph) winds were
expected Friday, generally limiting fire activity. Work continued on structure
protection at Spotted Bear Ranger Station, approximately 10 miles north of
the Mid Fire. The ranger station was in no immediate danger. For public safety
related to fires in the Blackfoot Lake Complex, the west (#895) side Hungry
Horse Reservoir road remained closed south of U.S. Highway 2. The east (#38)
side road was reopened Friday.
•
8/28 ~ 43,100 acres. With temperatures in the low 70s, relative humidity
in the mid 20s and winds less than 20 mph Thursday, fires were relatively
quiet. Structure protection at Spotted Bear Ranger Station, approximately
10 miles north of the Mid Fire; was strengthened and tested. The ranger station
was in no immediate danger. The Leota Fire moved east and south along a ridge
system, nearly doubling in size since last mapped. Fire continued to move
toward Big Prairie on three sides, from the Little Salmon Creek, Bartlett
Mountain, and Lime Creek fires; the structure protection system was improved.
For public safety related to fires in the Blackfoot Lake Complex, both the
east (#38) and west (#895) side Hungry Horse Reservoir roads remained closed
south of U.S. Highway 2. Inaccessibility, steep terrain, extreme fire weather,
and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns on fires in the Little Salmon
Complex.
•
8/27 evening ~ 40,000 acres. Breezy westerly winds with gusts into the upper
30s failed Wednesday afternoon to produce a repeat of the intense fire activity
seen early Tuesday afternoon through 2 a.m. Wednesday. The extreme fire behavior
Wednesday saw the Some Creek, Una, and Bartlett fires burn together into
what is now called Barsomuna Fire. A Red Flag Warning was cancelled late
Wednesday, although humidity was down to 11 percent and temperatures were
in the mid 70s. Structure protection was reinforced at Spotted Bear Ranger
Station, approximately 10 miles north of the Mid Fire; the ranger station
was in no immediate danger. To ensure public safety related to fires in the
Blackfoot Lake Complex, the west side Hungry Horse Reservoir road (#895)
remained closed from U.S. Highway 2 south to its junction with the Meadow
Creek Road (#2826). Meadow Creek Road (#2826) remained open. The east-side
Hungry Horse Reservoir road (#38) was closed late Wednesday due to extreme
fire behavior on the Beta Lake Fire near Hungry Horse, part of the Blackfoot
Lake Complex. Inaccessibility, steep terrain, extreme fire weather, and extremely
dry fuels continued to be concerns on fires in the Little Salmon Complex.
•
8/27 morning ~ 38,500 acres. Breezy westerly winds with gusts to 35 mph were
expected to continue through Wednesday evening – part of a Red Flag
Warning. Rain sprinkles were reported across the southern portion of the
complex Wednesday morning. Winds up to 30 mph Tuesday combined with temperatures
near 90 and relative humidity less than 10 percent to push intense fire through
heavy dead and down fuel. Similar conditions were expected Wednesday. Pumps
for structure protection were being refueled at Salmon Forks and Black Bear
backcountry cabins, where they were started Tuesday afternoon. Large smoke
plumes from the Una Fire were visible Tuesday from the Swan Valley, but the
fire was at least 10 miles east of Holland Lake and moving east-northeast.
The southern edge of the Lime Creek Fire reached the Big Prairie backcountry
cabin, but it didn’t damage any structures. Structure protection at
Spotted Bear Ranger Station, approximately 10 miles north of the Mid Fire,
was being strengthened Wednesday. The lookout on Spotted Bear Lookout was
to be returned to the mountain Wednesday, after being removed late Tuesday
as a safety precaution with the growth of the Mid Fire. The fire crossed
Jack Creek in at least one spot. To ensure public safety related to the Little
Salmon Complex and other fires in the area, the west side Hungry Horse Reservoir
road (#895) remained closed from U.S. Highway 2 south to its junction with
the Meadow Creek Road (#2826) due to the Beta Lake Doris Ridge fires near
Hungry Horse Dam and the Ball Fire between Ball and Quintonkon creeks. Meadow
Creek Road (#2826) remains open. Inaccessibility, steep terrain, extreme
fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/26 ~ 35,000 acres. Winds up to 30 mph combined with temperatures near 90
and relative humidity less than 10 percent to push intense fire through heavy
dead and down fuel. Flame lengths between 100 and 200 feet were common. Firefighters
were flown into backcountry cabins at Salmon Forks and Black Bear to start
pumps that are part of the structure protection systems; then, the firefighters
were flown out. By the end of the day, everyone was in safe locations. The
intense fire activity started in early afternoon and continued into the evening,
making it impossible to get accurate acreages for the fires. Large smoke
plumes boiled into the sky from several fires, including Line, Una, Mid,
Independence, Bartlett, Leota, and Some Creek. Near sunset, Una produced
an enormous column of smoke. The lookout stationed at Spotted Bear Lookout
was flown out late Tuesday as a precaution with the growth in the Mid Fire,
which was still an estimated 5 miles from the fire. Winds were expected to
continue through Wednesday - part of a Red Flag Warning. Structure protection
at Spotted Bear Ranger Station will be strengthened Wednesday; the nearest
fire, Mid, is approximately 10 miles south of the ranger station. Structure
protection will continue at Big Prairie, Salmon Forks, and Black Bear backcountry
cabins. Mid Fire burned out Mid Creek canyon and spotted into Lost Jack Creek.
Little Salmon Fire was very active in White River, Little Salmon, Big Salmon,
and Holbrook drainages. To ensure public safety related to the Little Salmon
Complex and other fires in the area, the west side Hungry Horse Reservoir
road (#895) remained closed from U.S. Highway 2 south to its junction with
the Meadow Creek Road (#2826) due to the Doris Beta Complex of fires near
Hungry Horse Dam and the Ball Fire between Ball and Quintonkon creeks. Meadow
Creek Road (#2826) remains open. Inaccessibility, steep terrain, extreme
fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/25 ~ 31,658 acres (no new perimeter data collected). Warm, dry weather
returned with light winds Monday, sparking an increase in fire activity.
Isolated areas of open flame were observed on several fires, and activity
was observed in several areas previously relatively inactive. Most of the
flame lengths were 3-6 feet, although 100- to 200-foot flame lengths were
seen late in the afternoon on the Lime Fire. The Little Salmon Fire moved
into part of the 1985 Charlotte Peak fire, and it backed into areas of dead
and down fuels. The west side Hungry Horse Reservoir road (#895) is now closed
from U.S. Highway 2 south to its junction with the Meadow Creek Road (#2826)
due to the Doris Beta Complex of fires near Hungry Horse Dam and the Ball
Fire between Ball and Quintonkon creeks. Meadow Creek Road (#2826) remains
open. This is a southward expansion of the closure. Structure protection
was completed at Pentagon backcountry cabin. Inaccessibility, steep terrain,
extreme fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/24 ~ 31,658 acres. After a couple days of mostly cloudy skies and good
humidity due to scattered showers, minimal fire activity was observed. The
west side Hungry Horse Reservoir road (#895) remained closed due to the Doris
and Beta fires near Hungry Horse Dam and the Ball Fire between Ball and Quintonkon
creeks. Trail closures in the Bob Marshall Wilderness remained in effect
for the safety of backcountry travelers and so scarce resources can concentrate
on fires. Structure protection at Pentagon backcountry cabin started, and
it is expected to take a couple days. Inaccessibility, steep terrain, extreme
fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/23 6:30 p.m. ~ 30,906 acres. Cool, humid conditions - thanks to .13 inch
of scattered light rain late Friday night and early Saturday – helped
hold down fire activity to creeping and backing. Visibility dramatically
increased after the rain. The west side Hungry Horse Reservoir road (#895)
remained closed due to the Doris and Beta fires near Hungry Horse Dam and
the Ball Fire between Ball and Quintonkon creeks. Trail closures in the Bob
Marshall Wilderness remained in effect for the safety of backcountry travelers
and so scarce resources can concentrate on fires. Structure protection was
completed at the Silvertip backcountry cabin Saturday. Inaccessibility, steep
terrain, extreme fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/23 10:30 a.m. ~ 30,906 acres. Scattered light rain continued early Saturday,
with .13 inch recorded at Spotted Bear Ranger Station overnight. The moisture
kept fire activity low. Public access to the Spotted Bear Ranger Station,
including the Incident Command Post at Spotted Bear, was reestablished with
the opening of the road (#38) along the east side of Hungry Horse Reservoir.
The west side reservoir road (#895) remained closed due to the Doris and
Beta fires near Hungry Horse Dam and the Ball Fire between Ball and Quintonkon
creeks. Trail closures in the Bob Marshall Wilderness remained in effect
for the safety of backcountry travelers and so scarce resources can concentrate
on fires. Structure protection was expected to be completed at the Silvertip
backcountry cabin Saturday; and structure protection work on the Pentagon
back country cabin was expected to start. Inaccessibility, steep terrain,
extreme fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/23 6:30 a.m. ~ 30,906 acres. Scattered light rain continued early Saturday,
with .13 inch recorded at Spotted Bear Ranger Station overnight. The moisture
kept fire activity to a minimum. Access to the Spotted Bear Incident Command
Post at Spotted Bear Ranger Station remained closed due to a road closures
between the ranger station and U.S. Highway 2. The road along the east side
of Hungry Horse Reservoir was closed Friday because of the possible spread
of the Doris and Beta fires on the west side of the reservoir near Hungry
Horse Dam. Those two fires forced the closure of the west side road earlier.
Trail closures in the Bob Marshall Wilderness remained in effect for the
safety of backcountry travelers and so scarce resources can concentrate on
fires. Structure protection was expected to be completed at the Silvertip
backcountry cabin Saturday; and structure protection work on the Pentagon
back country cabin was expected to start. Inaccessibility, steep terrain,
extreme fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to be concerns.
•
8/22 ~ 31,658 acres. Smoky and overcast skies kept fire activity to a minimum
most of Friday. Flame lengths of 1-3 feet in the surface fuels, with occasional
torching, were observed. Parts of the area received light rain in the late
afternoon. Access to the Spotted Bear Incident Command Post at Spotted Bear
Ranger Station was closed due to a road closure on the east side of Hungry
Horse Reservoir in anticipation of spread of the Doris and Beta fires on
the west side of the reservoir near Hungry Horse Dam; it joined the earlier
closure of the west side road along the reservoir. Additional trail closures
went into effect Friday for the safety of backcountry travelers and so scarce
resources can concentrate on fires.
•
8/21 ~ 25,454 acres. With numerous new fires in the region, additional trail
closures went into effect Thursday for the safety of backcountry travelers
and so scarce resources can concentrate on fires. The Mid Fire increased
by more than 2,000 acres. Fires being managed for fire use continued to grow
and to burn as expected for these events. Suppression of other fires was
occurring where appropriate. In coordination with the Rocky Mountain Ranger
District of the Lewis and Clark National Forest, plans were being initiated
to suppress the High Fire between Ayers Peak and Sugarloaf Mountain. Inaccessibility,
steep terrain, extreme fire weather, and extremely dry fuels continued to
be concerns. Total acres: 25,454 acres. Little Salmon Creek: 20,891 ac.;
Pagoda Mountain: 309 ac.; Lime Creek: 582 ac.; Independence Peak: 20 ac.;
Salmon Point: 0.1 ac.; Casey Creek: 15 ac.; South Spud: .25 ac.; Bartlett
Mountain: 2 ac.; Little Hammer: .25 ac. Wildland suppression fires: Some
Creek: 314 ac.; Mid: 2,620 ac.; Leota: 400.
•
8/20 ~ 22,744 acres. With light winds and dry conditions, fire spread increased
Wednesday. Additional trail closures take effect Thursday. The Little Salmon
Creek complex now includes 22 fires; eight of them are being managed as fire
use fires for resource benefits: Little Salmon Creek, Pagoda Mountain, Lime
Creek, Independence Peak, Salmon Point, Casey Creek, South Spud, Bartlett
Mountain. Two are proposed for fire use, and the remainder are in suppression
strategy. The remaining fires are less than 15 acres, except for Some Creek,
Mid, and Leota fires. Three new fires were reported Wednesday from numerous
lightning strikes overnight: High, Schafer, and East Crimson.
•
8/19 ~ 21,404 acres. Fire activity increased, with open flames observed.
The Lime Creek Fire made a small slope run. The Little Salmon and Mid fires
have been moderately active. Fire spread and aviation activity generally
have been limited by humidity and smoke from the Crazy Horse Fire near Condon.
The fires 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 fires are hard to detect due to smoke. Fires are burning
in steep and rugged terrain.
•
8/18 ~ 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 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 fires are hard to detect due
to smoke and are burning in steep and rugged terrain.
•
8/16 ~ 19,000 acres. 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 ~ 18,334 acres. 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 ~ 18,334 acres. 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 ~ 18,237 acres. 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 ½ 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.
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8/2 6,472 acres (+909) grew south to Lamoose Creek.
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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.
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7/31 2,961 acres (+578) grew north to Damnation Creek.
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7/30 2,383 acres (+812) grew a little south and north.
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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.
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7/25 134 acres, grew down to Little Salmon Creek and South Fork Flathead
River.
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7/21 Pagoda Fire detected just north of Pagoda Mountain.
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7/18 Little Salmon Creek Fire detected just south on ridge at mouth of Little
Salmon Creek.
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7/16 Little Salmon Creek and Pagoda Fires started by lightning.
Community meetings: none scheduled.
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