Fire Update, 9/2/12
Incident: East Fork Wildfire
Released: 9/2/2012
EAST FORK FIRE
FIRE INFORMATION FACT SHEET
Date: September 2, 2012 Time: 10:00 a.m.
Information Officer: Kathy Bushnell, 406-422-7164
Incident: East Fork Fire
Detected/Reported: August 22, 2012
Cause: Lightning
Location: T16N, R10W, Section 36, approximately one mile inside the southern boundary of the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Helena National Forest-Lincoln Ranger District
Incident Commander: Jarel Kurtz
Approximate Size: 417 acres
Fire Update:
The East Fork Fire was active over the last few days due to high winds and warm temperatures. Last night, the fire did spot across the East Fork of Meadow Creek which has triggered the need for some additional trail closures. The fire is expected to continue to grow toward the north and east today with the predicted high winds and low relative humidities. The fire remains and is expected to remain within the Scapegoat Wilderness. Today fire personnel will continue to monitor the fire activity, but due to safety purposes there will not be any direct attack on the fireline. No structures are threatened.
The fire is burning in contiguous sub-alpine fir and dense, dead timber stands. The strategy remains to safely manage this fire for suppression within the Wilderness boundary, primarily containing the southern flank and preventing further spread to the south.
Weather conditions will be sunny with smoke lingering in the area. Temperatures are expected in the low-70s with low relative humidity. There is a red flag warning through today with high winds predicted to be from the west at 15-25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.
Updated Closures: For public safety due to the fire activity, below is a list of closures in the area:
· Arrastra/Porcupine Basin Trails #482 & 488: entire trail of both beginning in T15N R10W Section 25 & T15N R10W Section 23
· Dry Creek/Meadow Cr Trail #483: from the beginning in T15N R10W Section 17 to junction of Mainline Trail #481 in T16N R9W Section 8
· Bugle Meadow Cut-across Trail #480: entire trail beginning at Meadow Lake T16N R9W S18 and ending in T16N R10W S1
· Sourdough Trail #427: entire trail beginning in T16N R9W Section 8 at junction of Mainline Trail #481
Fire danger level: High
More information: Visit Inciweb at http://www.inciweb.org/ or call Kathy Bushnell at 406-422-7164
