![[logo]. Great Basin Interagency Incident Management Team](../images/great_basin.gif) |
Date & Time Fact Sheet 55 |
Wedge Canyon FireContact: |
What: Lightning Caused Wildfire
Started: July 18, 2003 13:25
General Location: About 42 miles north of Columbia Falls, Montana, and 6 miles south of the Canadian border.
Current Size: Approx. 52,974 acres.
Injuries: 25 to date / 0 today.
Containment: 87%
Estimated Containment Date: 9-15-03 18:00
Estimated Control: Unknown
Welcome Rains Aid Fire Fighters
September 10, 2003 –Fire Fighters are scurrying today to get jackets, rain gear, and wool socks as the arrival of autumn weather shifts operational gears from aggressive fire suppression into rehabilitation. The long anticipated rains are a welcome relief for fire fighters. In the next few days, miles of hose lines and equipment will be returned to the incident command cache. Numa Ridge reported snow flurries on the ridges above 7000 feet Tuesday and overnight low temperatures are expected to be in the 30’s. Rainy cooler conditions are predicted throughout the week with a return of warmer weather by the weekend.
Residents in the Teepee Lake, Trail Creek, North Fork Road and Bowman Lake areas are breathing a sigh of relief and looking forward to the season change. The last public meeting was held in Polebridge on Tuesday night.
"We have a lot of work to get done out there, and I am confident we will accomplish most of the rehab objectives by Saturday,” said Incident Commander Merrill Saleen.
Crews will work closely with Resource Advisors in the continued mop up operations within 100 feet of all controlled fire perimeter. Efforts will be made to reduce or eliminate the possibility of erosion and sedimentation resulting from fire suppression activities such as fire lines, dozer lines, reopened roads, and other disturbed areas. The rehabilitation work will continue into Saturday when the Saleen Type ll team will transition with another Type ll team that will also manage the Robert Complex. This final team will continue to monitor the fire in a patrol status.
Akokala Creek area was the most active area on Tuesday with observed smokes and smoldering activity. Mop up activities will be ongoing in all divisions. Wolf Gun Fire is in aerial patrol status with 10,700 acres as of 9/3/03. Acres by ownership on the Wedge Fire are: State - 1,093, Glacier National Park - 30,012, Flathead National Forest - 20,628, and Private ownership - 1,241.
Safety of fire fighting personnel and public is of the highest priority.
Jurisdiction: Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park and Flathead County.
Other Cooperating Agencies: Montana DNRC, BIA and BLM.
Resources on the fire: 489 total personnel / 4 helicopters / 12 crews / 9 engines.
Roads: North Fork Road is open from Big Creek to Sonderson Meadow.
Remarks: To date: 7 houses/cabins, 29 outbuildings were lost and 1 house/cabin damaged. (July 26 and July 31, 2003.)
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