News Release

Fact Sheet #35 for 9-08-03 Monday, 9pm

Contact: Flathead National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District, 406-758-6470 or -5376

What: Lightning-caused wildland fires.

Status: The Little Salmon Complex comprises 16 active fires. Eight of them are Wildland Fire Use fires; eight 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: This summary update applies to all sixteen fires in the Little Salmon Complex. Temperatures on Monday only reached 58 degrees with 23/100 inch of rain at Spotted Bear at 3,750 foot elevation; Spotted Bear Lookout at 7,230 foot elevation reached 42 degrees and received 18/100 inch of rain; and Big Prairie at 4,639 foot elevation got up to 57 degrees but only received 7/100 inch of rain in the past 24 hours. Most precipitation did not get through the tree canopy and the ground and large fuels are still extremely dry. Spotted Bear received drizzle on and off during the day, and was mostly cloudy. This was not a season ending event.

Most fires were fairly quite today. Several air missions were attempted, but weather minimized flight time. More bucket work was done on the northwest corner of Mid fire. Little Salmon had fire that was smoking on the north and south shores above Big Salmon Lake. Gyp Mountain fire was working down the drainage. Some Creek fire was quiet. Gordon fire was active on its southeast flank in the Danaher Creek drainage. Leota Peak fire burned down to Youngs Creek. High fire was quiet. No infra-red flight was done last night so the acreages of the fires remained the same today.

On Tuesday, we will try to do work that was planned for today, but it will still be weather dependent. Firefighters may be transported to Black Bear to start sprinkler pumps and then would be removed. People would go into Pendant to start pumps. People may be transported to Basin to assess the feasibility of installing a sprinkler system. People and materials may be flown in to wrap Danaher Cabin. A flight over High fire is planned since Lewis and Clark National Forest’s plane will be down. Cold Canadian air should come in Tuesday providing isolated thunderstorms and a 7,000 foot snow level. This is the first time that snow has been mentioned in a forecast. Temperatures should be in the 60’s and chance of rain is 50%.

CLOSURES –CHANGE- The East Side Reservoir Road 38 was reopened today with a reduced fire danger from the Blackfoot Lake Complex fires. The area north of Spotted Bear River Road 568 was reopened, but the part south of the road remains closed. Spotted Bear River Trail 83 is only open 2 miles to Blue Lakes.

The West Side Reservoir Road 895 remains closed from Highway 2 south to Spotted Bear Ranger Station because of the numerous fires in the Blackfoot Lake Complex.

WILDERNESS CLOSURE INFORMATION: On the Flathead National Forest, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the entire South Fork Flathead River drainage, as well as the Spotted Bear River and Dean Creek drainages, are closed to entry. The Danaher area is closed to entry. The Middle Fork of the Flathead River drainage in the Wilderness remains open and is accessible from Highway 2 and from east side trailheads.

On the Lewis and Clark National Forest, the upper South Fork Sun River Drainage area has been closed to public use. The Indian Creek and Ahorn area, east of White River Pass remains closed. The Falls Creek area north of the Snow Talon fire remains closed.

On the Helena National Forest, the Scapegoat Wilderness west of Sourdough Creek and Trail 479 is open. The eastern portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Helena National Forest remains closed.

The Lolo National Forest portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness remains open.

Location: The Little Salmon Complex is located 47 miles southeast of Kalispell, Montana, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Current Sizes:
There wasn’t an infrared flight last night, so the acreages stayed the same from yesterday.

33,441 acres in Fire Use strategy: Little Salmon Creek: 30,099 acres (+253); Pagoda Mountain: 320 acres; Independence Park: 68 acres; Salmon Point: 0.1 acre; Casey Creek: 333 acres (+143); Little Hammer: 1 acre; Lime Creek: 2,620 acres (+234); and South Spud: 0.1 acre.

43,018 in suppression strategy: Mid: 11,226 acres (+382); Gyp Mountain: 3,891 acres (+311); Some Creek: 13,228 acres (+1,236); Gordon: 12,765 acres (+3,614); Molly Creek: 43 acres (+4); High: 122 acres; Leota Peak: 1,740 acres; and Crimson: 3 acres. (Note- Mid fire has been added by in to the Little Salmon Complex for management purposes)

76,459 total acres (+6,177)

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 restoring more natural burn patterns on the landscape. Future fire size and intensity will be reduced by breaking up the landscape with these natural ignitions. Note that the fire perimeter acres are just the outside edge of the fire. Some acres have burned hot, some areas have burned in a mosaic pattern, and some areas have not burned at all.

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: Dick Rath’s fire use team assumed command of managing the Little Salmon Complex again this morning. District and other resource overhead and field people continued making visitor contacts and implementing structure protection measures on administrative cabins and the Spotted Bear Ranger Station. Approximately 72 personnel worked directly related to this fire complex on both the fire use and suppression fires.

Trail Closures: On the Spotted Bear Ranger District access to trailheads for Meadow Creek and Gorge Creek and the entire South Fork Flathead River drainage of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The Spotted Bear River and Dean Creek drainages are also closed.

The West Side Reservoir Road 895 remains closed due to fire activity.

The Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Lewis and Clark National Forest has closed several trails east of the Little Salmon Complex: Ahorn Creek Area - Indian Creek #211; Ahorn Creek #209; and East Fork Ahorn #225. Falls Creek Area - #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; #266 from the junction with #229 to the Forest boundary at the Continental Divide; #219 from the junction with #229 to the Forest boundary at Red Mountain; West of Benchmark Trailhead in the Upper South Fork of the Sun River - #202 from the junction of #226 to its southern terminus; #226 from the Continental Divide to the junction with #202; #227 from the Continental Divide to the junction with #202; #246 from the Continental Divide to the junction with #202; #248; #247.

On Helena National Forest lands, all lands east of Sourdough Creek and Trail 479 in the Scapegoat Wilderness, remain closed. The western part of the Scapegoat Wilderness is now open.

NOTE: The Lolo National Forest portion of the Scapegoat Wilderness is open to public use.

Trail 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 reasonably safe. Please be aware that safety is our number one concern and that we will open these areas when we are assured that there is a minimal safety risk from fire. Make sure that 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; Bear Creek and other trailheads can still be used to access open areas in and outside of wilderness.

Remarks:

9/7 – 76,459 total acres (+6,177): 33,441 fire use; 43,018 suppression fires. Temperatures on Sunday again reached the mid-80s; but overnight humidity recovery improved slightly. For the sixth consecutive day, an inversion layer remained over the fires throughout the morning; however it lifted earlier in the afternoon than previous days. Active burning began by noon on all the fires and continued into the twilight hours. Clouds began to come in late afternoon.

All fires on the Little Salmon Complex (including the Mid Fire) were active on Sunday afternoon. Mid fire was fairly active on the NW corner in Lost Jack Creek and the SW corner. A heavy helicopter released a few water drops on NW corner for a delaying tactic. Little Salmon fire was active on all sides, especially the north and west edges. The eastern edge was not viewed because of dense smoke. Gyp Mountain fire has backed down to ½-3/4 mile of Pendant Cabin. Casey Creek fire was active as well. Some Creek and Gordon are trying to grow together. The eastern edge of Gordon was very active into Danaher Creek and on the ridge north of Jumbo Mountain this afternoon. Gordon fire grew 3,614 acres yesterday afternoon. Pendant Cabin received some retardant to help in protecting this facility from possible runs by Gyp Mountain fire. Gordon fire put up a good column today. The High Fire had a few smokes that had water dropped on them. Leota Peak fire moved down more towards Youngs Creek. Big Prairie Work Center now has black on all sides and the 21 people there worked on putting out hot spots.

On Monday, fire crews will continue mop-up around Big Prairie. Firefighters may be transported to Shaw Cabin to start the sprinkler system. Hahn and Basin Cabins are wrapped and may have sprinkler systems installed. Danaher Cabin may be wrapped tomorrow. Firefighters have operated sprinkler systems at the Spotted Bear Ranger Station the past 2 days to start to green up vegetation and to raise humidity in the area because of the Mid fire 9 miles to the south and the Ball fire 7 miles to the north.

9/6 -70,282 total acres: 32,811 fire use; 37,471 suppression fires. (Mid fire is again included in suppression total) Temperatures on Friday again reached the mid-80s; but overnight humidity recovery improved slightly. For the fifth consecutive day, an inversion layer remained over the fires throughout the morning; however it lifted earlier in the afternoon than previous days. Active burning began at mid-afternoon on all the fires and continued into the twilight hours.

All fires on the Little Salmon Complex (including the Mid Fire) were active on Friday. Gordon and Some Creek fires presented the largest plume-dominated behavior which was visible from many miles away. Gordon Fire, located on the southern portion of the complex, was burning actively on its west and south sides. Flames were seen climbing towards the Trio Mountain ridgeline on the SW side of the Some Creek Fire. Given the weather conditions and the intensity and movement of these two fires, it is probably that Gordon and Some Creek Fires could join sometime in the coming days. Gyp Fire, burning to the SW of Big Salmon Lake was seen backing down on its south side, approaching the Pendant Cabin. For precautionary purposes, this administrative site had been wrapped with protective material and a sprinkler system had been installed several weeks ago. Although a slow-moving backing fire, Gyp was seen at less than a mile from the cabin site on Friday evening. Big Prairie experienced some additional burning at the north end of the airstrip, but the Fire Use Module group easily continued its protective operations. The administrative site is no longer experiencing active fire on all flanks. Leota Fire continues to be active on its SE side, moving farther into the Wilderness. Little Salmon Fire, the largest of the fires continues to burn hot in the Charlotte Peak area and has also been active on its NW side into Little Salmon Creek. Some activity was also observed on the NE side between Cone Peak, Turtlehead Mountain and Mud Lake Mountain. The Independence Fire has not changed in several days. High Fire was observed from the air on Friday and water bucket drops were made for one fuel cycle. Time did not permit aerial reconnaissance of the Lime Creek and Molly Fires.

As it has for several days, Mid Fire burned actively on the SW corner moving south and has reached the ridgeline west of Black Bear Mountain. Continuous loads of retardant were dropped on the Mid Fire all afternoon and into the early evening. On its NE perimeter, the Mid Fire is moving across the sideslope.

On Saturday, fire crews will continue mop-up around Big Prairie; and firefighters provide structural protection at the Spotted Bear administrative site. An aerial patrol will be made to again visually check the High Fire. Firefighters may be transported to the Pendant Cabin to start the sprinkler system.

9/4 - Temperatures on Thursday again reached the mid-80s and overnight humidity recovery was poor. For the fourth consecutive day, an inversion layer remained over the fires until mid-afternoon. The inversion combined with the lower angle of the sun, has shortened the active burning period; however, when the inversion lifted late in the afternoon they become active again.

An aerial reconnaissance of the Little Salmon Complex showed several fires actively torching and/or creeping along the ground with Gordon and Gyp again as the most active of the 15 fires. Gordon Fire, on the southern portion of the Complex was the most active fire, burning hot to the north and east. It has crossed Gordon Creek and made an aggressive run along the southeastern facing slope into the Elk Creek drainage. Gyp Fire was again active and exhibited a plume, although not as dramatic as Wednesday evening. Gyp has backed downslope on its southern perimeter and is now several yards below the ridge. Some Creek was active on its S and W perimeters; smoke prevented the aerial observers from seeing the South Fork of the Flathead side. Leota, while again active on the SE corner, has not shown any movement on the SW side. Leota is continuing to slowly move farther into the Wilderness, and is showing no intention of exiting the Wilderness at this time. Little Salmon fire was hot on the western side; the fire is slowly backing down the SE and NE sides of Big Salmon Lake. Casey Fire is fairly active on the N and E edges; however no column was visible on Thursday. High fire showed one small interior flame and one smoke. One fuel cycle of water drops was made on these two hotspots (approximately 10 drops). Molly Fire and Lime Creek Fires have not moved in several days – Molly continues to creep along the ground and Lime has spotted into the Flathead Alps drainage towards Lime Creek, Sandstone Creek, and Brownstone Creek. Fire fighters at Black Bear replaced a malfunctioning pump.

On Friday, fire crews will mop-up around Big Prairie; and firefighters will continue to provide structural protection at the Spotted Bear administrative site. An aerial patrol will be made to again visually check the High Fire.

9/3 - 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.

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: meetings held 9/6, 9/7, and 9/8 at 9:00 am with the 3 local resorts

Little Salmon Creek Complex

Little Salmon Creek Complex

Fact Sheet #35 for 9-08-03 Monday, 9pm