Cascade Fire 08/06/08 5:00 PM
Incident: Cascade Wildland Fire
Released: 8/6/2008
The Cascade Fire is six miles west of Red Lodge, Montana. Wally Bennett's Type 1 Northern Rockies Interagency Incident Management Team is fighting the fire. Bennett's team is also providing support and reassigning resources to the Tumble Creek Fire, a fire approximately 40 miles to the west.
Brad McBratney's Type 3 Team is taking over the fire from Bennett's Northern Rockies Incident Management Team at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, August 7.
Stage 1 Fire restrictions are in effect throughout the Beartooth Ranger District. Call the Beartooth Ranger District for further information at 406 446-2103.
Today's Activities: Crews mopped up and secured lines on the north, east and south sides of the fire. Dozer lines along the controlled perimeter were rehabilitated. Structure protection equipment was removed in most areas. Five thousand pounds of cargo was flown off the fire today. Demobilization or reassignment is in progress for many resources.
Weather and Fire Behavior: The afternoon minimum humidity was 25% with a temperature of 80 degrees. The fire had interior creeping and smoldering of unburned pockets of fuel.
Public Meeting: A public meeting will be held at the Lions Club Park Gazebo at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 7. Fire officials will be available to share information and answer questions.
Resources assigned: 5 hand crews, 2 engines, 1 dozer and 5 helicopters for a total of 293 personnel.
Evacuations, Closures: All evacuations for Grizzly Peak have been lifted. Under the direction of the Carbon County Sheriff, the West Fork of Rock Creek roadblock at the forest boundary has been moved to Silver Run road. Cabin owners with property in Basin Creek will be allowed to go back to their cabins from 8:00 am until dark, but must present a current identification. Access to the ski area is prohibited. Due to the hazard created by standing burned trees next to the West Fork of Rock Creek Road, no travel will be permitted beyond the Basin Creek area until further notice. The Senia area is closed due to safety hazards. The Custer National Forest has issued an area closure order that includes most of the trails and back country in the West Fork drainage. Cabin owners in Lions Club Camp are allowed back in via Lake Fork Road per Beartooth Creek Ranger District direction.
Other information sources: http://www.inciweb.org/, http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf or http://www.firewise.org/fw youcanuse/index.htmredlodge.com, www.fs.fed.us/r1/custer
Cooperating Agencies: Montana Highway Patrol, Carbon County Sheriff, Custer NF, BLM, NPS, BIA, FWS and Montana DNRC and VFD's from the surrounding area including Red Lodge, Roberts, Absarokee, Columbus, Joliet, and Belfry.
