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. Fuels in
the complex include ponderosa pine, larch, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and
whitebark pine. These fires are creating a mosaic pattern consisting of stand
replacement timber and varied age classes, as is naturally found in the
Wilderness. Extremely dry fuels combined with continuously warm temperatures and
low relative humidity have kept these fires alive for several weeks.
Summary of Activity: Temperatures on Wednesday again reached
the mid-80s and relative humidity was in the teens. The inversion layer,
experienced for several consecutive days, remained over the fires until
mid-afternoon. The morning inversion condition combined with the lower zenith of
the sun, has been causing a shorter active burning period this week. With the
lifting of Wednesday’s inversion, fire activity became very active on several
fires in the complex, but again the active burning period was only several hours
in length.
The most active fires in the complex were the Gordon and Gyp fires, which
created plumes heights visible from several miles away. The following activity
was observed from the air patrol conducted early Wednesday evening. The Gordon
fire, nearly in the middle of the Little Salmon Complex, burned into the old Kid
Mountain fire and appeared to be torching on the east/northeast edge. The Little
Salmon Fire, while too smoky to see clearly, appeared to be active on the
southeast and southern perimeter. The Some Creek Fire, which had reached the
west side of the South Fork of the Flathead River on Monday evening, was also
too smoky to distinguish where the hottest edge was burning. The Casey fire
exhibited active burning on the southeast side and was burning into the 1985
Charlotte Peak fire, something it has done for several burn periods.
Independence Fire, a small fire located north of Salmon Lake, moved
approximately 100 yards to the north and remained predominantly a ground fire.
No smoke was observed on High Fire on Wednesday. Fire growth on the Gyp Fire was
mainly to the east and south.
As a precautionary measure, firefighters from Spotted Bear traveled south to
the Meadow Creek bridge and ran the pumps to thoroughly wet the structure.
On Thursday, fire crews will continue implementing fire strategies for
structural protection around Big Prairie and Spotted Bear administrative sites.
An aerial patrol will be made to visually check the High Fire. Depending on the
available flight time which is inversion dependent, fire fighters at Black Bear
will receive a pump and replace out a malfunctioning unit. Several firefighters
will be diverted to the Salmon Forks administrative site to test the sprinklers
there, as well.
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.
Location: The Little Salmon Complex is located 47 miles southeast of
Kalispell, Montana, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Current Size: Total: 44,385 acres. Wildland Fire Use fires in the
complex: Little Salmon Creek: 29,315 ac.; Pagoda Mountain: 320 ac.; Lime Creek:
1,998 ac.; Independence Park: 68 ac.; Salmon Point: 0.1 ac.; Casey Creek: 44
ac.; South Spud: 0.1 ac.; and Little Hammer: 1 ac. Suppression in the complex
include: Some Creek: 9,772 acres; Gordon: 472 acres; Leota Peak: 1,559 acres;
Gyp: 642 acres; High: 122 acres; Crimson: 3 acres; and Molly Creek: 39 acres.
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 79 personnel worked directly related to
this fire complex.
Remarks:
- 9/2 - Temperatures on Tuesday again reached the mid-80s; however humidity
recovery was better than it had been in many days. The inversion layer,
which has been burning off by early afternoon, remained over the fire all
day and resulted in less fire activity than previous days. Tuesday morning’s
mild cold front was predicted to bring 6-10 mph winds from the NE; shifting
to a SE direction in the afternoon. However, light winds appeared to remain
from the north most of the day. The inversion trapped the smoke,
obliterating visibility, grounding aircraft, and delaying planned operations
until Wednesday.
No aerial suppression activities were possible on Tuesday; and an aerial
observation in the late afternoon reported the favorable light winds from the
north pushed the fire back into the Wilderness. The Mid Fire appeared to have
minimal growth on Tuesday; however, some single tree torching was observed in
the late afternoon, particularly on the southwest flank.
Since Tuesday’s air operations were grounded due to the inversion, the
original operational plan will be enacted on Wednesday. On Wednesday, two Type I
helicopters will provide aerial suppression. The portable retardant batch plant,
located at the Spotted Bear Helibase, is now operational and one helicopter will
drop retardant along the western perimeter and where necessary along the
ridgetops, away from water sources. The other helicopter will drop water where
hotspots are located in riparian and creek zones. The objective is to slow the
fire’s progression towards the South Fork of the Flathead. The retardant line
will be anchored to a rocky bluff on the west side of the fire.
- 9/1 - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Earlier News Releases
[ Back to Top ]
