Approximate Location
Incident Overview
FIRE NAME: Sawtooth
DATE OF DETECTION: August 30, 2012
CAUSE: Lightning
CURRENT SIZE: 5,927 acres
CONTAINMENT: 80%
LOCATION: 7 miles WSW of Hamilton, Montana
AGENCY: Bitteroot National Forest
IMT: Russ Williams Incident Management Team - Bitterroot NF
TODAY'S FIRE UPDATE:
Today's (10-16) wetting rains along with cooler temperatures is helping keep the Sawtooth Fire in check. There has been very little growth on the fire in the last week. Most of the remaining hotspots are on the far western edge within the wilderness. Fire officials have raised containment to 80% and the fire remains in monitor status. This means the fire is being monitored by air patrols.
Potential for future fire growth is "low". A series of weather systems will impact our region in the next week bringing the potential for more precipitation to the valley and snow to the mountains above 6000 feet. Air quality in downtown Hamilton has been listed as "good" all week.
SAWTOOTH FIRE FACTS: (As of October, 9, 2012)
WATER DROPPED BY HELICOPTERS: 1,904,897 gallons
RETARDANT DROPPED BY HELICOPTERS: 31,126 gallons
HAND LINE DUG/REHAB BY FIRE CREWS: 9.9 miles
DOZER LINE DUG/REHAB ON FIRE: 10.9 miles
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Thursday August 30th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM |
| Location | 7 miles WSW of Hamilton, Montana. |
| Incident Commander | Russ Williams |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 5 |
|---|---|
| Size | 5,927 acres |
| Percent Contained | 80% |
| Fuels Involved | Grass & timber (lodgepole pine) High Subalpine ecosystem. |
| Fire Behavior | Smoldering and creeping with slight growth on west side toward wilderness. Fire is still confined to Sawtooth Canyon drainage. |
| Significant Events | A series of weather systems will impact our region in the next week bringing the potential for precipitation. System is expected to bring rain to the Valley's and snow to the mountains above 6000 feet. This could dramatically help in the containment of all remaining wildfires & smoke. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Fire rehab by crews of all hand lines and dozer lines on the Sawtooth Fire has been completed. The fire is currently in monitor status. This means the fire is being monitored by air patrols. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | Remote, steep, rocky and rugged. Difficult - inaccessible. Limited access is hindering ground resources. Extremely difficult terrain. |
| Remarks | The air quality in Hamilton is listed as "good". For the latest air quality information visit www.airqualitymt.gov |
