Pine Creek Fire Update September 24, 2012
Incident: Pine Creek Fire Wildfire
Released: 9/24/2012
FIRE UPDATE
Pine Creek
Update: September 24, 2012 @ 9 a.m.
Contact: Fire Information: 406-222-1892
Karen Tuscano 406-223-2028
FIRE NAME: Pine Creek
DATE OF DETECTION: August 29, 2012
CAUSE: Human (under investigation)
CURRENT SIZE: 8,509 acres
CONTAINMENT: 51%
LOCATION: Pine Creek on the east side of Paradise Valley
AGENCY: Park County, Gallatin National Forest
IMT: Type III Incident Management Team, Greg Juvan, IC
An update will be sent out every 3 days, unless fire activity warrants more frequent updates, or if there is important information to send out. Inciweb will also be updated at the same time, and may be updated more frequently.
PREVIOUS DAYS' ACTIVITY: Engine personnel have been working to mop up hot spots in the Pool Creek area and in the Pine Creek drainage near the campground. The hazard tree felling operation has been completed in the Pine Creek Campground, and the heavy equipment will be moving out today. The north end of the fire continues to smolder, burning up the dry duff and downed fuels. Some isolated and group tree torching has been observed, with small runs up to areas that have already burned.
WEATHER AND PLANNED ACTIVITY FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS: High pressure will remain over much of the area through Tuesday, which will keep temperatures above normal. A low pressure system will move over the area today and tomorrow, bringing a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms and increased cloud cover. Winds will be light and variable through Tuesday, with the prevailing wind direction becoming easterly to northeasterly each afternoon. Relative humidity values will be in the low 20's to teens and are expected to rise in the next few days. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are predicted Wednesday through Thursday night.The equipment used to remove of hazard trees in and around the Pine Creek Campground will move out today. Rehabilitation efforts will continue in that area. The engines assigned to the fire will be patrolling the fire area and monitoring the fire activity. The helicopter will be available for water bucket drops if the activity increases.
A Pine Creek Fire Community Recovery Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 25th, at 7:00p.m. at the Pine Creek Methodist Church. The meeting will include presentations by local specialists on recovery assistance. For questions about the meeting, please contact Greg Coleman at 406-222-4188.
PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES ON THE FIRE: There are approximately 30 personnel assigned, including 4 engines and 1 helicopter.
SPECIAL MESSAGES & OTHER INFORMATION: Fuels in the area are extremely dry and receptive to burning. People who are interested in viewing the fire are encouraged to use Mallard's Rest fishing access site on Highway 89, and refrain from stopping on East River Road which can cause serious safety hazards.
Loch Leven Fishing Access Site is now open to the public.
One resource for determining where smoke may be drifting into the area from is http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/currenthms.jpg.
For fire recovery and rehabilitation information and requests, please contact the Park County DES office at 222-4190.
For non-emergency fire concerns or smoke reports, please call the Park County Rural Fire District 1 duty phone at 223-3317.
Park County is providing a manned roll off station that has been set up just north of the Pine Creek Cafe on East River Road. The use of the boxes is free of charge to the people in the area cleaning up rubble on their property from the Pine Creek Fire. All food items must be taken to the Divide Road green boxes. One roll off will be for metal, wood, and appliances. Another box will be for items that can blow away, and they will need to be bagged before thrown onto the roll off. This location will be open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice. Check http://www.parkcounty.org/ for updates about this service.
All pre-evacuation notices associated with the Pine Creek Fire have been lifted. The fire will continue to burn until it receives significant moisture, but fire and Park County officials feel that the risk of the fire impacting residents has decreased. People should expect to see smoke coming from the fire area for the next few weeks.
Residents should be aware that helicopters could still be flying overhead, as they are assisting firefighters on the ground.
Roads closed to travel by the general public include Deep Creek Road, Lower Deep Creek Bench Road and Luccock Park Road.
The area closure on the Gallatin National Forest has been modified, but is still in effect. For more information on the closure area, a map is posted on http://www.inciweb.org/, or you can call the Yellowstone Ranger District, Livingston Office at 406-222-1892.
A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has begun assessing rehabilitation efforts on private and National Forest lands.
For further information, go to www.inciweb.org.
Visit the Park County DES website at www.parkcounty.org
