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Wildfire, fire management and air quality news for western Montana and the Northern Rockies.

Montana Wildfire Roundup For August 9, 2016

A map of the Roaring Lion Fire's growth.
Inciweb
A map of the Roaring Lion Fire's growth since July 31

The latest on wildfire news around western Montana.

Last update 5:30 p.m. 08/09/16

The Roaring Lion fire, burning southwest of Hamilton, is now 50 percent contained.

The evacuation area north of the North Gold Creek Loop Road has been changed to Stage 3, or all clear. Evacuation areas south of the road remain in Stage One, or warning and alert.

Firefighters are taking advantage of unseasonably cool and humid conditions today. Thunderstorms have been passing through the area this week. So far they have not affected the fire, but it may have gotten some rain this afternoon.

Fire Spokesman Mike Cole says crews are keeping their eyes open for new fires due to lightning strikes.

"Because I can’t imagine with that many strikes, there isn’t something laying out there, waiting for the weather to change a little bit, given an opportunity to get up."

Officials advise residents heading home to be careful around trees. Some can have burned roots, and they could fall at a moment’s notice.

A smaller, type three incident management team will take over command tomorrow evening.
 

Update: 12:15 p.m. 08/09/16

The Lost Trail Fire burning in the Bitterroot remains at 8 acres after intense water and retardant dumps over the weekend. There are still 125 firefighters working on the fire today. They are prioritizing mopping up hot spots and building containment lines around the entire perimeter.

Spokesperson Tod McKay estimates that the fire will be fully contained by later this afternoon. The fire was immediately combated by 66,000 gallons of water and 4,500 gallons of retardant,  3 helicopters, 2 hotshot crews, and two Type 2 hand crews on the ground.

If the weather remains cloudy and cool throughout the day, McKay feels confident that the blaze will be contained.

Last Update: 10:24 a.m. 08/09/16

The 8,270 acre fire outside of Hamilton has 50 percent of its perimeter contained. The fire is staffed by 620 people as of this morning.

According to officials, the Roaring Lion Fire is not longer threatening enough to staff the Firewise Information Center. The trailer has been a major outpost for community concerns and questions for the duration of the fire, which began on July 31.

The crews that are staffing the fire are also undergoing transition. While Greg Poncin and Chief Brad Mohn have been leading a joint effort between the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team and the Hamilton Fire Department, the fire will now be under the control of a Type 3 Incident Management Team starting today. The smaller team will be led by Incident Commander Drew Daily.

Official specified this morning that the 16 homes destroyed by the fire all occurred on the first day of the burn, although two were not discovered until many days later. There have been no homes or building damaged or lost since July 31.

As of 8:00 p.m. last night, the evacuation area north of the North Gold Creek Loop Road has been changed to a Stage 3, or All Clear. Evacuation areas south of this road remain to be in Stage 1, or Alert. On roads that limited to residents only, permits are available at roadblocks and at the Roaring Lion Incident Command Post in room 107 at the Hamilton High School during the day.

Residents are strongly encouraged to be cautious around trees that may appear to be stable, but actually have burned roots and may fall at any moment. Officials say to avoid venturing into burn areas until crews can begin to clear dangerous trees.

The most significant portion of the fire is the southern flank, which crews are attempting restrain by mopping up any hot spots that could potentially ignite later on in the week. The areas that crews will be working in most include Roaring Lion, Judd Creek Road, and Stone House.

With the surprisingly cold and damp weather happening early in this week, crews are taking advantage of the ability to mop up areas more effectively. Firefighters are also looking ahead to warmer weather at the end of the week and preparing for the potential of increased fire activity.

As the intensity of Roaring Lion decreases, fewer resources and personnel are required. Equipment and teams are being reallocated to different fires around the country. However, crews working on the Lost Trail Fire are in close contact and communication with the crews from Roaring Lion.

The Salvation Army is now accepting donations for families who have lost homes and possessions during the fire. The distribution center can be reached at 406-210-1453.

387 personnel are working on the 1,465 acre Copper King Fire eight miles east of Thompson Falls and one mile north of Highway 200. The fire is 5 percent contained.

Area closures are as follows: Forest Road No. 56 on the west side of Thompson River is still open, but please limit travel in the area. Road No. 9991 on the east side of Thompson River is closed from the junction with Road No. 56 to the 17-mile marker. Road No. 5587 (Spring Creek) is also closed, as are the Forest Trail Nos. 345 (Todd Creek), No. 368 (Big Hole Lookout), No. 370 (Spring Creek), No. 372 (Munson Creek), No. 445 (Kookoosint) and No. 1268 (Bay State). The Copper King and Clark Memorial campgrounds are closed.

Because of the warm and dry weather yesterday, fire activity increased with pockets of fuel burning throughout the afternoon. Crews were attentive to hot spots and reinforcing the defensive lines they worked on earlier last week. Because of the cooler and damper weather today, crews expect to make progress in protecting homes and structures along Highway 200. Firefighters will be removing existing fuel from the area so as to mitigate the chances of the fire spreading.

The 12 acre Piper Fire started in the Piper Creek drainage in the Mission Mountain Wilderness on August 5. Officials say the fire is in steep and inaccessible terrain, and requires helicopters to attempt to contain and suppress the fire at this time. Crews are ready to engage with the fire when it is no longer hazardous for firefighters.

Here is a description of the area closures around the fire:

The closure boundary is defined as areas west and south from the intersection of Forest Service Road (FSR) 966 and FSR 10383. The closure follows FSR 10383 to where Cedar Creek crosses said road in Section 23. From here, the closure boundary follows Cedar Creek to the west forks of South Fork Cedar Creek and North Fork Cedar Creek. The closure continues northwest following North Fork Cedar Creek to Cedar Lake. The closure then follows the southern shoreline of Cedar Lake until it reaches the northern boundary of section 19. From here, the closure follows the northern boundary of sections 19 and PB 40 to the Mission Mountain Wilderness boundary. Continuing south, the closure follows the boundary of Mission Mountain Wilderness and the Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness divide to Piper Crow Pass then to the southeast corner section of PB38. The closure then continues east along the southern boundaries of sections PB 38, 37, 4, 3, 2, 1 to FSR 966. Following FSR 966, the closure continues north to the intersection of FSR 966 and FSR 10383.

National Forest System Trail (NFST) 119 (Piper Creek) will be closed for its entire length. NFST 738 (Fatty Creek) will be closed from the south shoreline of Cedar Lake moving south to where it ties in with NFST 119. In addition, FSR 966 will be closed from the Piper Creek trailhead moving south. These closures will remain in effect until rescinded.

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