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News Release -August 13, 2003 at 7am |
Incident
Information Contacts: |
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Fact Sheet 26All control lines held through Tuesday. Stands of unburned trees and other vegetation continued to ignite inside control lines. In Glacier National Park, helicopter bucket drops continued to guide the fire away from the Kintla Lake Campground, despite a heavy smoke inversion that limited aircraft use. A plan to wrap a historic cabin at the north end of Kintla Lake will be evaluated on Wednesday by National Park Service biologists, who will determine whether a helicopter landing at the site will disturb fledgling bald eagles. The fire added acreage south of Kintla Lake along Parke Ridge and into the Parke Creek drainage. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Flathead River, firefighters will change strategy in the Trail Creek area from constructing indirect line to improving and defending Trail Creek Road itself. Morning inversions are expected to continue trapping smoke in low-lying areas and hindering visibility, while afternoon winds gusting to 15 miles per hour, combined with humidities as low as 13% will contribute to more crown fires and runs in the afternoon. The North Fork Road remains closed at Glacier Rim to all traffic except residents, firefighters, and emergency vehicles. CURRENT SIZE: 30,594 acres CONTAINMENT: 70% ESTIMATED CONTAINMENT DATE: Unknown WHAT: Wildfire, lightning-caused STARTED: July 18, 2003 reported 1:25 P.M. LOCATION: About 20 miles east of Eureka. Montana, and 6 miles south of the Canadian border, primarily in the Tepee Creek drainage of the North Fork Flathead River. Legal Description: Portions of T36N, T37N, R22W and R23W THREATS TO HUMAN LIFE/SAFETY: Whale Creek Residents along the North Fork Road, Trail Creek Residents (approximately 100 homes/cabins), historic buildings, and Kintla Campground. RESOURCES THREATENED: Timber, Recreation, Fisheries, Class 1 Airshed, Wild & Scenic River Corridor and Private Property. INJURIES IN THE LAST 24 HOURS: Two ankle injuries, 1 knee injury, 1 infected foot, 1 case of flu, 1 case of dehydration, and 1 rib injury. STRUCTURES: 7 houses/cabins, 29 outbuildings were lost, and 1 house/cabin damaged. RESOURCES ON FIRE: 26 hand crews, 7 helicopters, 39 engines, 3 dozers and 20 water tenders. Equipment used as needed includes feller bunchers, skidders and excavators. Total support and overhead positions are approximately 1,117 personnel. JURISDICTION: USDA Forest Service (Flathead National Forest), Flathead County and Glacier National Park OTHER COOPERATING AGENCIES: Montana DNRC, BIA, and BLM. CONTACTS
COMMUNITY MEETING 8:30 P.M. at Polebridge. |
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Glacier
National Park |
Flathead National Forest |
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Wedge
Canyon Complex