Weather lets fire crews dig in
Source: Billings Gazette, by Susan Olp
August 12, 2007
A slight drop in temperature and winds and a boost in humidity helped firefighters in their battle against numerous wildfires Saturday, but that could change today as temperatures are expected to climb.
According to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center based in Missoula, hot and dry conditions are expected across much of Montana today, along with gusty southwest winds. But on Saturday evening, spokespeople for fires west and east of Billings sounded somewhat upbeat.
Here are summaries of where some of the larger fires stand:
n Firefighters are optimistic about the three largest Custer County fires sparked Friday afternoon by dry lightning, said fire information officer Dena Lang.
"Everything is actually looking really good tonight," Lang said Saturday. "We had cooler temperatures today and the relative humidity is a little bit higher so that really helps the firemen out."
Firefighters got a good handle on the Okerman fire, estimated at about 16,000 acres, Lang said. The fire is about 18 miles south-southwest of Miles City. Numerous resources from multiple agencies are on scene. Two structures in the middle of the fire were saved, Lang said, and the fire continues to burn in grass and timber in very rough country.
The Wolf Creek fire has consumed about 8,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land and private acreage. That fire, about 15 miles south of Miles City, is burning in grass, sagebrush, timber and cropland. Single-engine air tankers dropped retardant on the fire early Saturday, and an air attack plane also was on the scene.
"Local landowners worked extremely hard Friday night to protect their property and agricultural land," Lang said.
Other equipment on that fire includes two BLM engines, one BLM squad, eight contract engines, two private dozers, a county water tender and county and city fire and rescue. No structures are threatened, Lang said.
The Maxwell fire, about 50 miles southwest of Miles City on BLM and private land, has burned 1,250 acres. A combination of air and land support have helped to limit the fire. Private landowners and public agencies, including the BLM, are working together, Lang said.
Lang said a hazardous weather outlook was issued for southeastern Montana on Saturday evening, with a warm front expected and triggering scattered thunderstorms in the late evening. On Sunday, temperatures in the upper 90s are expected along with wind gusts of up to 25 mph and humidity percentage expected to drop into the teens.
n The Wicked Creek Fire in the Gallatin National Forest grew to about 500 acres by Saturday night. The blaze is near the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness border south of Livingston about 12 miles up Mill Creek.
Marna Daley, public affairs officer for the Gallatin Forest, said 20 structures have been evacuated, including the Templed Hills Church Camp and another private residence.
"The Forest Service has implemented an area closure that will close the Mill Creek Road at the gate just about Snowbank Campground," Daley said. "And the rest of Mill Creek drainage from where the pavement ends to the headwaters of Mill Creek remains on pre-evacuation notice."
The fire continues burning in grass and timber in a northeasterly direction, she said. It is surrounded by three previous burns: the 1998 Hell Roaring fire on the south side, the 1991 Thompson Falls fire on the west and north flank and the 2006 Passage Falls fire on the east.
Two Park County structure protection engines remained on the scene, along with a Forest Service engine and a seven-person hand crew to primarily secure the structures. An air attack airplane and a helicopter from the Forest Service also are on the scene, and on Saturday afternoon, suppression tactics focused mainly on cooling down the west side of the fire.
Saturday's weather was cool but breezy, Daley said, and higher temperatures with lower humidity and strong winds are forecast for today.
n The Lost Creek fire, burning on about 150 acres on a mountaintop in the Lost Creek drainage southeast of Pryor, is contained but not controlled, incident commander Darrell Bright Wings said Saturday night.
"We put a line around it," he said. "It's in thick timber and there's going to be a lot of mop-up."
About 100 people from the Crow Reservation and other reservations are fighting the fire, he said. Equipment includes dozers, water tenders and engines, as well as helicopters dropping water. No structures are threatened by the fire, Bright Wings said.
"It could still wake up and do something," he said. "The weather today was a little bit cool and it helped. Tomorrow it's possibly going to get warmer and drier."
n The Light Goose fire, in Wyoming, uncontained at 860 acres, didn't see substantial growth Saturday, Warren Roberts said Saturday night. Roberts is fire management officer for the Bighorn National Forest.
The fire is about five air miles west of the town of Big Horn. It was initially reported Friday morning. Several structures, including summer homes and a few year-round residences, have been threatened but none has been lost so far, Roberts said. Three subdivisions have been evacuated, and Big Goose Road is closed.
Initially, crews from the national forest responded to the fire. Equipment included two helicopters and seven engines.
A Type 2 incident team arrived Saturday and was expected to take over management of the fire today.
"The weather forecast for the next couple of days is for warmer temperatures and drier humidity," Roberts said. "So the next couple of day is going to give the fire the test. If we make it through the next couple of days, we'll be in pretty good shape."
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