Flathead Area Interagency Fire Information Monday, August 14, 2017 – 11:00 am 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. Despite recent cooler temperatures and passing precipitation, Fire Danger in western Montana remains Extreme and will likely remain so for a while yet. 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. Find out more about the daily fire weather forecast at www.wrh.noaa.gov/firewx/ . 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. Flathead National Forest: Fire Name Date Started Size in Acres Cause Status Cyclone Lake, August 12 36 Lightning Resources on Glacier View RD scene The Cyclone Lake fire is estimated at 36-acres and is burning in the Coal Creek State Forest in the North Fork area. This fire is being managed with full suppression tactics and firefighter / public safety as the number one priority. It is burning in heavy timber, and in pockets of previously burned areas in 2000 and 2001, with dead and down forest fuels. There are no evacuations in place and no structures threatened. The public is asked to avoid travel on Forest Road #909 from the junction with Forest Road #319 to the Cyclone Lookout Trailhead junction, as fire traffic is concentrated in that area. 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 Coniff, August 12 3.6 in heavy Lightning Contained, Tally Lake RD timber 8/12 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 Size in Acres Cause Status Started Elk Creek, August 13 .01 Lightning Patrol status Swan Unit Woodward Creek, August 13 1.0 Lightning Contained Swan Unit Marl Creek, August 12 .75 Lightning Patrol status, Kalispell Unit 8/13 Rhodes Draw, August 12 .7 Lightning Patrol, Kalispell Unit 8/12 Twin Creek, August 12 .1 Lightning Dead out, Kalispell Unit 8/13 McGregor Creek, August 12 .1 in grass/timber Lightning Contained, Kalispell Unit 8/12 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 300ac Lightning Type II Team ordered. Libby Unit On Inciweb. Peoples Creek, August 12 100 Lightning Resources on scene 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 Plains Unit Lake Blaine Rd, August 11 .01 Illegal bonfire Dead Out Kalispell Unit Dancing Bear Ln, August 11 .01 Illegal Dead Out Kalispell Unit campfire Goat Creek Camp, August 10 .1 Lightning Patrol status, Swan Unit 8/10 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 on scene Elk Mountain August 12 .1 Unknown Dead out, 8/13 Piegan August 11 .1 in brush Lightning Inaccessible. Being monitored. Howe Lake August 11 .01 Lightning Contained, 8/12 Sprague August 10 35 Lightning Resources on scene Rogers August 10 2.0 Lightning Resources on Heavy Timber scene Vaught August 10 .1 Lightning No fire activity observed. 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 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 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 August 14, 2007 Glacier National Park has resumed issuing backcountry permits in designated backcountry sites. Some backcountry campgrounds are closed due to fire activity. All front country campgrounds remain open. Check https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/hikingthetrails.htm for updated status. Trail closures remain in effect for the Howe Ridge Trail, Camas Trail, Trout Lake Trail, the Gunsight Pass Trail from Lake McDonald to Gunsight Pass (including all secondary trails such as the Snyder Lake Trail), and the Lincoln Lake Trail. The Sprague Fire (estimated at 35 acres) is being managed using a confine and contain strategy due to the steep terrain and concerns with fire fighter safety. Aerial resources have been used to slow fire growth, and ground resources are on scene. Other fires within the park are being staffed. 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. 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 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 County Fire Service Area Fire & Law Enforcement officials are asking for the cooperation of the public to put a stop to the illegal burning and illegal campfires as we endure this extreme fire season. These illegal actions are putting homes, residents, and responders at risk. Flathead County Emergency Communications Center/911 has dispatched firefighters, resources, and law enforcement officers to 33 wildland fires and 37 illegal burn incidents since August 1. They have also responded to 20 prohibited use of fireworks cases since Stage II Restrictions were implemented. 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/# TAMARACK FIRE: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5498/ Smoke has continued to impact the Flathead Valley this week. You can check out the air quality for the valley and around the state by visiting the Flathead City-County Health Department website: http://flatheadhealth.org/environmental-health/air-quality/ or www.airnow.gov Prevention/Education Message: Get to Know the Home Ignition Zones 1. Zone 1 (0-30-feet): Create a 3-5-foot noncombustible perimeter, remove firewood from this zone, keep the area “lean, clean, and green,” with irrigation and short vegetation, prune branches up 6-10-feet from the ground, plant higher-moisture deciduous trees rather that conifers, and maintain 20 to 30-foot spacing between the longest branches of trees.