Fire Update, 9/14/12
Incident: East Fork Wildfire
Released: 9/14/2012
EAST FORK FIRE
FIRE INFORMATION FACT SHEET
Date: September 14, 2012 Time: 1:00 p.m.
Information Officer: Kathy Bushnell, 406-422-7164
Incident: East Fork Fire Incident Commander: Jarel Kurtz
Detected/Reported: August 22, 2012 Cause: Lightning
Origin: T16N, R10W, Section 36 on the Helena National Forest-Lincoln Ranger District
Approximate Size: 2,900
Fire Update: Activity on the Meadow Creek flank of the East Fork Fire increased late yesterday afternoon and evening due to the sustained westerly winds. The active fire behavior and additional spread caused smoke to be easily visible from Lincoln and surrounding communities last night. Due to yesterday's fire activity and growth, the area closure has been expanded for public safety purposes. The expansion of the closure area is detailed below.
Today firefighters will continue their indirect and direct operations on the southwest flank of the fire in the Arrastra Creek area, which is extremely steep terrain; two helicopters will be available to help with water-bucket drops when that assistance is needed. Firefighters in the Copper Creek drainage completely contained the lower spot fire and will continue monitor and suppress any new spots low in the drainage, where it is safe to do so. An order for two fire crews remains unfilled due to the large, complex fires burning in other parts of the region; however, local firefighters will continue to respond and suppress the fire outside of the Wilderness. Fire personnel are monitoring the main fire within the Scapegoat Wilderness.
Critical fire weather conditions remain in this area; a Red Flag Warning is in effect until 9 p.m. tonight for very low relative humidity levels and windy conditions that could gust up to 25 mph. Based on the weather forecast and fuel conditions, the fire is anticipated to become active again today and could produce large columns of smoke that will be easily visible.
A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight at Hooper Park in Lincoln.
Below is a list of current closures due to the East Fork Fire activity:
· 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 Sec. 18 and ending in T16N R10W Section 1
· Sourdough Trail #427: entire trail starting in T16N R9W Sec. 8 at the junction of Mainline Trail #481
· Area Closure: From and including the Dry Creek Trailhead at the junction of Beaver Creek Road #4106 and Trail #483 in T15N R10W Section 17; north along Trail #483 to the Helena National Forest boundary starting in T15N R10W Section 17 to Daly Peak in T16 R10W Section 34; along the ridgeline from Daly Peak north to Bugle Mtn in T17N R10W Section 14 and ridgeline continuing to Mainline Trail #481; continuing south of Mainline Trail #481 (allowing for travel on Trail #481) to the Wilderness Boundary in T16N R8W Section 33; continuing along the Wilderness Boundary in T16N R8W Section 32 to ridgeline connecting to Copper Creek Roads #330 in T15N R8W Section 5 continuing north of Copper Creek Road #330 allowing for travel on Road #330) to end of road T15N R9W Section 10; following drainage through T15N R9W Section 9 to ridge in T15N R9W Sections 17 & 8; following ridge in T15N R9W Section 8 to junction of ridge system in T15N R9W in Section 7 following south along ridge through Section 18 to junction with Beaver Creek Road #4106 in T15N R10W Section 25; following north of Beaver Creek Road #4106 (allowing for travel on road #4106) to the Dry Creek Trailhead in T15N R10W Section 17. Expanded area Mainline #481 at Webb Lake Administrative Cabin T16N R9W Section 14; following north to ridgeline in T16N R9W Section 11; following across and including the Middle Fork Trail #479 to the ridgeline/knob on the section corners of T16N R9W PB39, PB40, 9 and 10; following across Blondie Creek and Scotty Creek to ridgeline/knob in T16N R9W Section 8; following and including the Twin Lakes trail #425.
For more information: call Kathy Bushnell at 422-7164 or go to http://www.inciweb.org/.
