Falls Point Update 8-14
Incident: Falls Point Wildfire
Released: 8/14/2012
Falls Point Fire Update
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Lolo National Forest
Date Started: 7/30/2012
Cause: Lightning
Total Personnel: 13
Forest Service Buildings: 2 threatened, 0 destroyed
Size: 188 acres (All on the Lolo
National Forest)
Forest Service Infrastructure: 2 trail bridges threatened;
0 destroyed
Percent Contained: 0%
Resources: 1 Wildland Fire Module
Contact: Boyd Hartwig, 406-329-1024
Injuries to Date: 0
All incident personnel are mourning the death of Anne Veseth, a Forest Service firefighter who was killed by a falling snag on the Steep Corner fire in Idaho. This untimely death serves as a reminder that wildland firefighting is an inherently dangerous occupation and firefighter and public safety should always be the number one objective of any incident.
Location: The Falls Point Fire is located entirely within the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Lolo National Forest. It is situated approximately 2 miles north of the Forest Service cabin at North Fork and 5 miles southwest of the Carmichael cabin in Section 17 of T17N, R10W.
Yesterday's Activity: The fire made movements both up and down the slope yesterday pushed by strong winds. The Falls Point Lookout was consumed by the fire on Monday afternoon as the front pushed over the ridge. A decision had been made not to try and protect the tower due to its decrepit condition. The fire also continued its slow advance down into the Driftwood Lake drainage but due to quirks of the surrounding terrain the fire front was sheltered from the gusty west winds and did not make any sustained runs like the nearby Meadow Creek fire. Total perimeter increase was approximately 10 acres.
Today's Activity: A Red Flag Warning for hot and dry conditions along with west winds blowing steadily at 20 to 25 miles per hour (mph) with gusts up to 35 mph is forecast for Tuesday. These weather conditions are in front of a cold front that will move through on Tuesday night. The weather behind the cold front will be unfavorable for fire growth as it will contain much moister air, cloud cover and significantly lower temperatures. Incident Commander Tim Metzger will take an aerial reconnaissance of the fire area to assist in his strategy decisions. The Wildland Fire Module will continue to observe fire behavior and assess any movement towards previously established Management Action Points. Members of the Module not involved in observation will perform trail improvements. We expect that the Falls Point fire will be a long term event until there is season ending rain later in the fall.
Closures and Restrictions:
Closed Trails:
Meadow Creek Trail #483, from the Dry Creek trailhead T 15 N, R 10 W, Section 17 to the junction with Arrastra Creek Trail #482 T 16 N, R 10 W, Section 24.
Closed Areas:
From the North Fork Cabin, T17N, R10W, Sec. 29, northwest along the Dry Fork trail #31, but not including the Dry Fork trail #31, to the junction with Canyon-Falls Creek trail #16; thence southwest along the Falls-Canyon Trail #16, but not including the Falls-Canyon trail #16 to the Scapegoat Wilderness boundary in T17N, R11W, Sec. 28; thence north and west along the Scapegoat Wilderness boundary through Canyon Point and Omar Mountain to the boundary with the Flathead National Forest, Spotted Bear Ranger District; thence northeast along the Forest boundary through Danaher Mountain and Concord Mountain to Triple Divide; thence southeast along the Continental Divide through Flint Mountain and Scapegoat Mountain to the junction of Cave Creek trail #1217, thence west and south along the Cave Creek trail #1217, but not including the Cave Creek trail #1217, to the junction with the Hobnail Tom trail #32; thence south along the Hobnail Tom Trail #32, but not including the Hobnail Tom trail #32, southwest to the junction with the Cooney Creek trail #406; thence southeast along the Cooney Creek trail #406, and including the Cooney Creek trail #406 to the boundary with the Helena National Forest, Lincoln Ranger District; thence south and west along the Forest boundary through Olson Peak and Galusha Peak to the junction with the East Fork trail #481 in T17N, R10W, Sec. 27; thence northwest along the East Fork trail #481, and including the East Fork trail #481, and including the East Fork trail #481 to the junction with the Hobnail Tom trail #32; thence west along the Hobnail Tom trail #32 to the junction with the North Fork Cabin.
For additional information on the closure areas, as well as updated information on the Falls Point Fire, visit http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3067.
