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![[logo]. Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team](../images/rm-imt-logo.gif)
Fact Sheet 35
7:30 AM, Friday, August 22, 2003
Fire Update
A dense smoke inversion covered the entire North
Fork Valley area throughout the day on Thursday, resulting in low fire
activity and preventing use of aircraft due to low visibility. Many divisions
of the fire area remain in a patrol and mop-up status.
Today, structure protection crews within the
Trail Creek residential area will continue monitoring the use of hose
and sprinklers to wet forest vegetation along Trail Creek Road. This raises
relative
humidity and reduces threats of fire spotting. The focus on other portions
of the area will be securing and patrolling fire lines and continuing
residential structure protection efforts in the Trail Creek and North
Fork road areas. Relative humidity is expected to be a little higher with
cooler temperatures in the 70's to 80's. There is a chance of thunderstorm
activity on Friday, with a mixture of dry lightning, winds and possible
light rain.
The North Fork Road remains closed north of Glacier
Rim to all traffic except residents, firefighters, and emergency vehicles.
As of 0600, a transition was completed from Hart's Type I Incident Management
Team to Paul's Type I I Team.
CURRENT SIZE: 41,887 acres
CONTAINMENT: 60%
WHAT: Wildfire, lightning-caused
ESTIMATED CONTAINMENT DATE: Unknown
STARTED: July 18,2003 reported 1:25 P.M.
LOCATION: About 42 miles north of Columbia Falls, 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: Private homes and property, Timber,
Recreation, Fisheries, Wild & Scenic River Corridor.
INJURIES IN THE LAST 24 HOURS: 0
STRUCTURES: 7 houses/cabins, 29 outbuildings were lost,
and 1 house/cabin damaged.
RESOURCES ON FIRE: 7 hand crews, 3 helicopters, 17 engines,
no dozers and 19 water tenders. Equipment used as needed includes feller
bunchers, skidders and excavators. Total support and overhead positions
are approximately 560 personnel.
JURISDICTION: USDA Forest Service (Flathead National
Forest), Flathead County and Glacier National Park OTHER COOPERATING AGENCIES:
Montana DNRC, BIA, and BLM.
CONTACTS
- Wedge Canyon Fire Incident Command Information: 801-413-0525
- Wedge Canyon Fire web site: www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/ciimt5/ac/
- Joint Information Center for all fires within Glacier N.P. and Flathead
N.F: 406-755-3910
- Northern Rockies Regional Fire Information: 1-800-781-2811
Earlier News Releases:
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![[logo]. National Park Service](../../images/nps-logo.jpg){kind=logo}
![[logo]. USDA Forest Service.](../../images/bevel-sm.gif)
Wedge
Canyon Complex