Condon Mountain Fire Fact Sheet - September 28
Incident: Condon Mountain Fire Wildfire
Released: 9/28/2012
FACT SHEET
Condon Mountain Fire
Swan Lake Ranger District
September 28, 2012 8:15 a.m.
Information Officers: Katie Knotek, Colter Pence & Ted Pettis
Fire Information Line: (406) 754-0127 w/answering machine
Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
New Email: condonmountainfire@gmail.com
Incident: The Condon Mountain Fire was started by lightning on 7/28.
Location: Approximately 4 miles northeast of Condon, MT.
Agency Jurisdiction: USFS, Flathead National Forest; Montana DNRC, Swan River State Forest
Cooperating Agencies: Swan Valley Rural Fire Dept., Lake County Sheriff's Office, Missoula County Sheriff's Office, Missoula County OES, Lake County OES, Swan Ecosystem Center
Incident Commander: Shawn Pearson, Northern Rockies Type II Incident Management Team (IMT). The Incident Command Post (ICP) is located at the Condon Work Center.
Current Size: 5,100 acres
Containment: 45% Structures Threatened: 12
Status: The fire is burning in heavy timber with numerous, standing snags. The area consists of steep, hazardous terrain with high potential for rollout and spotting. The fire is located just west of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and is visible from Highway 83. There are structures in the Swan Valley within 1½ miles of the current fire perimeter. All residents east of Highway 83 in the Condon area are under a "Ready" Stage 1 Alert for the potential of a future evacuation. However, there are no evacuations in effect at this time. Structure protection has been established for the structures nearest to the fire between McKay and Cooney Creeks.
Yesterday's Activities: Fire behavior yesterday included flanking, backing, and short uphill runs with isolated group tree torching. Burnout operations were completed between Falls Creek and Smith Creek, bringing fire down to the primary containment line on the west side. An excavator line was scratched in along the mechanical fuel break on the southwest side between Road 905 and Rumble Creek. Helicopters were again used for water bucket drops to cool hotspots. An air quality monitor was set up at the Condon Work Center. To monitor air quality, go to http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/smoke.pl and select "Smoke 24." A Community Meeting was held in Condon with approximately 70 people in attendance.
Current Resources: Four 20-person crews, one 10-person crew, seven engines, three pieces of heavy equipment, one water tender, and four helicopters. Total personnel: 198.
Today's Activities: Weather today will include temperatures in the low 80's, relative humidity in the 20% range and southwest winds up to 18 mph on the ridge tops. Crews will use hose lays to wet hotspots along and within the perimeter of the completed burnout area. Opportunities for a direct attack on the fire's edge between Smith Creek and Cooney Creek will be assessed and implemented if safe to do so. Helicopters with water bucket drops will be used to cool the fire perimeter on the south/southwestern perimeter and minimize spread.
Restrictions/Closures: There is an Area Closure around the fire for public safety, which includes closure of Trail #29 (Smith-Little Salmon), Trail #192 (East Foothill) and the Cooney Lookout. Trails #415 and #42 remain open. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect surrounding the fire area and the Condon Airstrip is closed to all non-fire aircraft.
For further information, visit: http://www.inciweb.org/; Select "Condon Mountain"
