Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information Sunday, August 13, 2017 – 1:00 pm Contact: Office of Emergency Services Information Line 406-758-2111 https://www.facebook.com/FlatheadOES Current Fire Danger: EXTREME Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect across most of Northwest Montana. MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS THE FIRE AREA WERE RECORDED OVER THE PAST THREE NIGHTS. MANY NEW FIRES HAVE BEEN DETECTED. RED FLAG WARNING in EFFECT UNTIL 9PM TODAY A n extended flag warning is in effect until 9pm Sunday as a cold front moves through northwest Montana by mid- morning. Breezy westerly winds are expected along with low relative humidities. Showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous this afternoon, though widespread wetting rains are not anticipated. Cooler breezy conditions will continue into much of this week under westerly flow aloft. Find out more about the fire weather forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/firewx/ . Fire Danger in western Montana is remains Extreme, and will likely remain so for a while. Northwest Montana continues to experience critical fire conditions including extremely dry forest fuels and minimal precipitation, and this trend is expected to continue through August. Fuel moisture indices are measuring at historically low levels. The intent of Fire Restrictions is to reduce the number of human-caused fires during periods of extreme fire danger by decreasing potential sources of ignition. Each year, 70 to 80% of wildfires are human-caused and this summer the trend has continued. Campfires are NOT ALLOWED anywhere during Stage II Fire Restrictions. (See additional information about Stage II Fire Restrictions below.) Cooperating Federal, State, and Private jurisdictions implementing restrictions include: Glacier National Park; Flathead National Forest (the Bob Marshall, Great Bear & Scapegoat Wilderness areas are in Stage 1 Restrictions); Kootenai National Forest; Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation State Land and Private Classified Forest Land; Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; Lake, Sanders, Flathead, and Lincoln Counties; the City of Columbia Falls and City of Whitefish. U.S. Department of U.S. Department of Montana Flathead County State of Interior Agriculture Montana Montana National Park Service Forest County Fire Wardens Office of Emergency Department of Natural Service Association Services Resources and Conservation Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information Flathead National Forest: Fire Name Date Started Size in Acres Cause Status Cyclone Lake, August 12 20 Lightning Resources on Glacier View RD scene Coniff, August 12 .75 in heavy Lightning Resources on Tally Lake RD timber scene Van Peak, August 10 UKN Lightning Resources Swan Lake RD Responding Cleft Rock, August 10 .10 Lightning Fire out Glacier View RD 8/10 Smokey Range August 9 .25 Lightning Dead out, 8/10 Monahan July 16 1,895 Lightning Active Spotted Bear RD The incident is located between Monahan Mountain on the Lolo National Forest and Little Apex Mountain on the Flathead National Forest. The fire is being managed for resource benefit including allowing the fire to play its natural ecological role with consideration for public and firefighter safety and point protection of historic resources and trail infrastructure. There are trail closures in place. For more detailed information visit: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5401/# MT Department of Natural Resources and Conservation: Fire Name Date Started Size in Acres Cause Status Marl Creek, August 12 .75 Lightning Controlled, Kalispell Unit August 12 Rhodes Draw, August 12 .7 Lightning Engines/crew on scene. Kalispell Unit Contained. 8/12 Twin Creek, August 12 .2 in brush/closed Lightning Contained, 8/12 Kalispell Unit timber Smokejumpers on scene McGregor Creek, August 12 .1 in grass/timber Lightning Contained, 8/12 Kalispell Unit Smokejumpers on scene SE Lost Prairie, August 12 .01 Lightning Patrol status, Kalispell Unit 8/12 Wild Bill, August 12 .01 Lightning Patrol status, Kalispell Unit 8/12 Tamarack Fire, August 12 1000ac Lightning Type II Team ordered. Libby Unit U.S. Department of U.S. Department of Montana Flathead County State of Interior Agriculture Montana Montana National Park Service Forest County Fire Wardens Office of Emergency Department of Natural Service Association Services Resources and Conservation Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information Twin Lake Fire, August 12 6.8 Lightning Status unknown Plains Unit Multiple Fires on August 12 Unknown Lightning Unknown the Plains unit Lake Blaine Rd, August 11 .01 Illegal bonfire Dead Out Kalispell Unit Echo Bay Trail, August 11 Illegal burn Dead Out Kalispell Unit Dancing Bear August 11 .01 Illegal Dead Out Lane, campfire Kalispell Unit Goat Creek August 10 .1 Lightning Patrol status, Camp, 8/10 Swan Unit East Lake Blaine, August 10 .1 grass/brush Unknown Patrol status, Kalispell Unit 8/10 Houston, August 10 .1 in grass Lightning On patrol Kalispell Unit 8/10 Robins, August 8 1.0 Unknown Patrol, Kalispell Unit 8/8 Krause, August 7 .04 Human Patrol status, Kalispell Unit Glacier National Park: Fire Name Date Started Size in Acres Cause Status Adair Peak August12 .1 Lightning Resources responding Elk Mountain August 12 .1 Unknown Contained, 8/12 Piegan August 11 .1 in brush Lightning Inaccessible. Being monitored. Howe Lake August 11 .01 Lightning Contained, 8/12 Sprague August 10 22 Lightning Resources on scene Rogers August 10 2.0 Lightning Resources on Heavy Timber scene Vaught August 10 .1 Lightning No fire activity observed. U.S. Department of U.S. Department of Montana Flathead County State of Interior Agriculture Montana Montana National Park Service Forest County Fire Wardens Office of Emergency Department of Natural Service Association Services Resources and Conservation Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information Patrol August 8 .1 Lightning Dead out 8/10 Adair August 8 .1 Lightning Dead out Heavy timber 8/9 Grace August 8 .25 Lightning Dead out Heavy timber 8/10 Logging August 8 .50 Lightning Dead out 8/10 Cummings August 8 .1 Lightning Dead out 8/9 Quartz Lake August 8 .25 Lightning Dead out Heavy timber 8/10 Snyder August 8 .50 Lightning Controlled heavy timber 8/9 Big Prairie August 8 .1 in grass/regen Lightning Dead out, 8/7 Bowman Creek July 29 1.0 Lightning Controlled, 8/1 Glacier National Park Fire Update WEST GLACIER, MT. – Interagency fire response continues in Glacier National Park after several fires were sparked following a severe storm with over 150 lightning strikes in Glacier National Park late Thursday afternoon. Aerial resources and fire crews have been successful at containing the Howe Lake fire in the Lake McDonald Valley and the Elk Mountain fire in the southeast area of the park, along with other smaller starts from last Thursday’s storm. The Sprague fire, estimated to be around 20 acres, has potential for growth today. Ground resources are on scene. A red flag warning continues for today through 9 pm tonight for the Glacier National Park region. Strong winds and possible thunderstorms are predicted due to frontal passage. Given the extremely dry conditions, potential for new starts and fire growth is high. Additional fire personnel are staged on both sides of the park to respond to new fires. Closures remain in effect for the Howe Ridge Trail, Camas Trail, Trout Lake Trail, the Sperry Trail from Lake McDonald to Gunsight Pass (including all secondary trails such as the Snyder Lake Trail), and the Lincoln Lake Trail. Backcountry campgrounds in the areas listed above are also closed. Other backcountry areas in the park are still open for day use. No new overnight backcountry permits are being issued, in order to reduce the number of U.S. Department of U.S. Department of Montana Flathead County State of Interior Agriculture Montana Montana National Park Service Forest County Fire Wardens Office of Emergency Department of Natural Service Association Services Resources and Conservation Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information people overnighting in the backcountry. Individuals with current backcountry permits for areas not impacted by fires are not being asked to leave. Sperry Chalet remains closed. The structures in the Sperry Chalet complex are not immediately threatened, however the Sprague fire has necessitated the closure of the main trail that accesses the chalet. As of Friday, no overnight guests remain at Sperry Chalet. Most areas of the park are open including all areas of the North Fork, Apgar Village, the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Granite Park Chalet, Two Medicine, St. Mary, Many Glacier and Goat Haunt. Please check the park website for updated trail and road information at http://bit.ly/2uAE96d -NPS- Flathead County Fire Service Area Flathead County Emergency Communications Center/911 & Kalispell Interagency Dispatch Center have dispatched firefighters, resources, and law enforcement officers to 31 wildland fires and 36 illegal burn incidents since August 1. They have also responded to 20 prohibited use of fireworks cases since Stage II Restrictions were implemented. 56 calls came into 911 reporting powerline emergencies, most of which created small fires that were quickly extinguished. Firefighting resources were also dispatched to 241 fire incidents during the month of July. The vast majority of these fire incidents have been human-caused (illegal burn piles, grass fires, brush fires, and out-of-control camp fires & fire pits). Other fires in the area: GIBRALTER Ridge, near Eureka: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5474/# Facebook: www.facebook.com/GibralterRidgeFire PIO Name: Hailey Graf PIO Email: [email protected] PIO Public Info Line: 406-250-8205 RICE RIDGE, near Seeley Lake: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5414/# LIBERTY, east of Arlee: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5437/# SUNRISE, near Superior: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5379/# U.S. Department of U.S. Department of Montana Flathead County State of Interior Agriculture Montana Montana National Park Service Forest County Fire Wardens Office of Emergency Department of Natural Service Association Services Resources and Conservation Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information Smoke has continued to impact the Flathead Valley this week.