|
Written by Forest Service
|
|
Friday, 27 August 2010 18:29 |
|
August 27, 2010 7:00 Update – The Downing Mountain fire continues to threaten homes west of Hamilton, MT. Today, firefighters took extra precautions to protect structures in the area that have been evacuated. Burnout operations were conducted on two structures within the fire perimeter. Fire retardant, water bucket drops, and dozer lines were utilized to keep flames from moving towards homes. 38,000 gallons of retardant have been dropped to slow down movement of this fire.
Small fire spots this morning grew together as wind started moving the fire uphill. The fire is burning internally within the fire perimeter and remains at 412 acres.
This evening, Mark Grant’s Type II Incident Management Team from Northern Idaho has arrived to manage the fire. They will take over command at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning. This team will work closely with the unified command of the Bitterroot National Forest fire officials along with the Hamilton Fire Chief.
Through tonight, engine crews will be assessing structure protection with the Stage 1 and Stage 2 evacuations that are in order. 70 homes are in Stage 2, which asks them to leave their homes. 100 homes are in Stage 1 evacuation (warned that they may have to leave when asked). There is potential that more evacuations will be requested. Road blocks are in place to keep the public out of areas that are of concern for their safety. All attempts are being made to allow residents to return to their homes as quickly as possible.
An Evacuation Center along with a disaster trailer has been set up at the West View Center in Hamilton, MT. Red Cross is available at the fairgrounds, which is also a place where large animals can be taken. The Bitter Root Humane Association is available for small household animals.
Smoke is expected to impact residents in Bitterroot Valley throughout the evening. Smoke, after dark, is going to pool into the valley over Hamilton. Tomorrow, due to limited air movement, smoke is expected to linger in the valley.
An open house to answer questions from the public will be held tomorrow from 4pm – 6pm. The location is yet to be determined.
The Bitterroot National Forest is managing nine fires. The largest of these fires is three acres.
For the latest closure details, fire information, along with maps and photos visit www.inciweb.org, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BitterrootNF, or call the Bitterroot National Forest at 406-363-7100. Or call the Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center at (406) 375-6650 or 1-800-272-6668.
|
|
|
Written by Forest Service
|
|
Friday, 27 August 2010 05:39 |
|
Hamilton, MT, 4:00 a.m. – A mandatory evacuation order is in effect this morning for numerous residents whose homes are being threatened by a wildfire burning in the Bitterroot National Forest and on private lands adjacent to the forest. The Downing Mountain fire was first reported around 8 p.m. Thursday evening and quickly grew to 50-100 acres. It was sparked by lightning from a cold front which moved through the Valley with 30-40 mph winds, sparking a total of 7 fires on the Bitterroot National Forest. Five fires are currently burning in the Darby Ranger District and two fires are reported in the West Fork Ranger District.
The Bitterroot National Forest is receiving mutual aid assistance on the Downing Mountain Fire from numerous rural fire districts including Hamilton, Corvallis, Victor, and Darby. Stage 1 and 2 evacuations are currently being coordinated by the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Hamilton Police Department. Evacuations are taking place in the Blodgett and Canyon Creek areas, approximately 3 miles west of Hamilton. Homeowners living along Wyant Lane, Blodgett Camp Road, Canyon Creek Road, Grub Stake Road, and Owings Creek Road are all in the process of being evacuated at this time. There are currently more than 50 homes or structures threatened by the fire.
“All of the evacuations so far have gone very smoothly,” said Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman. “We are doing our best to inform and assist residents in the affected areas. This is not an easy process for residents to be told at 3:00a.m. that they must leave their homes which are currently threatened. Thankfully everyone has been very understanding and cooperative.”
An Emergency Operations Center has been established at the Hamilton Fire Hall. The Ravalli County Fairgrounds has also been opened to evacuees needing assistance for pets or animals. The Red Cross is offering assistance and has a team in route to help evacuees. Anyone needing assistance or information is being asked to call the Emergency Operations Center at (406) 375-6650.
|
|
Written by Forest Service
|
|
Friday, 30 July 2010 11:24 |
|
Hamilton, Montana, Friday, July 30, 11:00 a.m. – Thursday, fire crews on the Dominic Point Fire continued progress building fire lines on the rugged north side of the fire. One quarter mile of fire line remains to be constructed. Containment of the fire is now 60%. The crews continue to extinguish burning material as far as 120 feet into the burned area from the fire lines. Helicopters will be assisting with slinging equipment and identifying medical evacuation sites as needed.
Temperatures are expected to reach the lower 80’s at the Dominic Point Fire area today, with some wind gusts up to 17 miles per hour in the afternoon and an increasing chance of thunderstorms. This warming and drying trend could result in increased fire behavior, with new torching of trees and fire spotting.
The Dominic Point Fire is located 12 miles northeast of Hamilton, two miles west of Willow Mountain Lookout. The fire is still approximately 900 acres. There are currently 218 persons assigned, working to contain the fire, including five Type I 20-person “hotshot” crews.
Of the 12 lightning fires reported the last two days on the Bitterroot National Forest, eight are completely out. Four fires remain staffed with firefighters. The largest is ¼ acre. The Mt. Aura fire in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness is being managed for resource benefit, generating benefits for a diverse set of natural resources.
For more information, call the Stevensville Ranger Station at 777-5461, or visit Inciweb for maps and photos, or contact Tod McKay at 208-629-9653.
|
|
|
Written by Forest Service
|
|
Monday, 02 August 2010 13:59 |
|
With the Dominic Point fire 90% contained, this morning Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor Julie King signed an order rescinding the closure area around the fire. Since last Sunday, Willow Mountain Road has been closed to the public along with areas around Dominic Point approximately 4 miles north, 2 miles south, 5 miles east and 1 mile west. A temporary flight restriction over the area has also been lifted.
Even though the area is now open, forest officials caution the public to be careful and drive slowly as fire crews will still be patrolling this week and working to mop up. The public should also be on the lookout for falling snags and burned out stump holes.
Two Bitterroot Forest fire crews are still assigned to the fire along with several engines. All of the aerial support including four helicopters and retardant planes have been released from the fire. Officials expect to have the fire 100% contained this week and will begin dismantling fire camp along Willow Creek Road later today.
“I can’t thank the 200 plus personnel enough who assisted us on this fire,” said Stevensville District Ranger Dan Ritter. “It looked pretty grim last Sunday but the ground crews dug in and held their lines and the aerial support saved Willow Mountain Lookout. The weather cooperated also and that played a big role in our success.”
In other fire news, the forest is currently managing 9 wilderness fires, 8 are in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and 1 is in the Anaconda-Pintlar. They are all approximately 1/10 acre. These naturally occurring fires ignited by lightning play a critical role in ecosystems by recycling nutrients, regenerating plants, and reducing high concentrations of fuels that can contribute to disastrous wildland fires.
So far this year, the Bitterroot National Forest has managed a total of 45 fires at 925 acres. Two fires are staffed with firefighters at this time. Both the North Lost Horse and 10 Mile fires are controlled. They are located in the Darby Ranger District and are 1/10 acre.
For the latest fire information and maps and photos visit www.inciweb.org or contact Tod McKay at 406-363-7122.
|
|
Written by Bob Sherman
|
|
Friday, 30 July 2010 08:47 |
|
Fire crews spent the day digging fire line along the north side of the Dominic Point Fire and made good, steady progress in their attempts to completely circle the 900 acre blaze which started on Sunday. Firefighters, including five Type I “hotshot” teams worked in rugged terrain, with thick vegetation and downed timber which made constructing the northern line the most difficult. Crews have worked the last two days to construct fire line around the entire southern and eastern flanks of the fire.
Cooler weather and rain the last two days have allowed crews to make great progress on containing the blaze. Today, officials increased containment to 40 percent up from 10 percent just 24 hours ago.
Thursday afternoon’s warmer temperatures and drier conditions increased fire behavior and crews had to call in a helicopter to perform water drops. The weather outlook is not very promising for Friday, as a high pressure system that moved into the area today will likely bring warmer temperatures and increased fire behavior until Saturday.
Update on Other Fires in the Bitterroot Mountains
Crews made good progress on two new lightning fires discovered today, and ten others reported yesterday following a thunderstorm that moved across the valley. Five are completely out and three others are controlled or contained. The largest fire still burning is just 1/4 acre in size.
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 7 |
Home