Summary
September 24, 2007 -- The Sawmill Complex Fires are now in patrol status and Ranch Creek Road and Grizzly Campground are now open. The Complex received over one inch of rain by Sunday morning and rain continued to fall most of Sunday. Fire activity has been limited over the last week to isolated interior burning and smoldering of larger fuels. The Lolo Hotshots will be returning to the fire next week to do trail clearing and and fuel reduction work. The fires will be monitored by aircraft as needed. Please note that hazards exist in these fire perimeters, specifically the threat of falling snags and rolling debris on hillsides. The Welcome Creek Road remains closed due to rock fall and snag hazards.
The Sawmill complex consists of four fires: The Sawmill, the Fisher Point, the Wyman 2, and the Signal Rock 07 fires. All are lightning caused. The Sawmill fire started in the Welcome Creek Wilderness from a lightning strike and was detected on July 15, 2007 at 4pm. It is located 22 miles SE of Missoula, Montana. Due to cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and significantly reduced fire activity, the Sawmill Complex was transitioned to a Type III organization on September 17.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildland Fire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | 07/31/2007 at 0000 hrs. |
| Location | 22 miles SE of Missoula, MT |
| Incident Commander | G.lambert/s.karkanen |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 50 |
|---|---|
| Size | 67,490 acres |
| Percent Contained | 35% |
| Fuels Involved | Heavy timber, litter, and understory with grass on lower slopes and valleys. |
| Fire Behavior | Fire behavior was minimal with smoldering and creeping, some light ground fires and single tree torching. |
| Significant Events | Wyman 2 fire had an engine crew patrolling the fire; Fisher Point fire crews continued to rehabiitate dozer lines and mop-up hot spots in Ranch Creek and Chico Gulch; Sawmill fire crews monitored fire activity and started remaining rehabilitation in Gilbert Creek. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Transition with Type III teams, demobilize Incident Command Post, patrol and monitor fire activity. |
|---|---|
| Projected Movement | Command of the Incident was transferred to Missoula Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, IMT III (Steve Karkanen) and Pintler Ranger District, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, IMT III (Gary Lambert) on Monday, 9/17/2007 at 7:00 am. |
| Growth Potential | Low |
| Terrain Difficulty | High |
| Remarks | COMPLEX ACREAGE BY FIRE: Sawmill: 14,023; Fisher Point: 17,922 acres; Wyman 2: 35,545 acres; Signal Rock: 293 acres. COMPLEX ACREAGE BY OWNERSHIP: 163 acres on Billings Dispatch (Private Land); 17,736 acres on Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest; 1,373 acres on Bitterroot National Forest; 47,972 acres on Lolo National Forest; 140 acres on Missoula Field Office Bureau of Land Management; 106 acres on Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Southwest Montana Land Office. |
Weather
| Current Wind Conditions | Not available |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | 55 degrees |
| Current Humidity | 35 % |
