Firefighters Stay The Course on The Millie Fire
Incident: Millie Fire Wildfire
Released: 9/4/2012
Bozeman, MT - The Millie Fire, twenty miles south of Bozeman is 10,186 acres and remains 10 percent contained. Extremely rough terrain makes progress slow, but firefighters are steadily and incrementally building containment line and corralling spot fires.
Fire personnel will deepen mop up on the southwest side today, reinforcing the existing containment line. On the northwest flank firefighters expect to complete containment line from the Blanchard Ranch area to the northern most point of the fire near the headwaters of Big Bear Creek.
On the north side of the fire, crews will be suppressing any spot fires encountered, as well as continuing mop up. Scouting for containment line location, and mop up will continue on the south side. Scouting for line location on Hyalite Canyon continues, and dozers are staged in Cottonwood Canyon for deployment if necessary.
A structural protection plan is complete for the Cottonwood area, and additional assessment continues.
Helicopters will be dropping water to slow fire progression throughout the day.
Crews camping on the north end of the fire are alert for the presence of large predators. One of the safety Officers saw several wolves yesterday.
Drift smoke from Idaho fires will be heavy until mid-morning, reducing visibility. Smoke from the Millie Fire will be visible as the day heats up.
Today there are 12 crews, 21 engines, four helicopters, nine dozers and three water tenders working on the fire. A total of 510 personnel are assigned to the incident, including crews from seventeen states from Alaska to Florida.
Another Fire Information Meeting will be held tonight at 6:00p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 W. Graf St., in Bozeman.
The firefighting organization is most appreciative of the continuous outpouring of support from the community.
