Higher Humidity Moderates Fire Activity Wednesday
Incident: Fool Creek Wildland Fire Used for Resource Benefit
Released: 8/2/2007
Contact: Cathie Schmidlin Phone: 406-466-3560 or 406-466-2524
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Mike Munoz Phone: 406-466-5341 (Rocky Mountain RD Office)
The Southwest Fire Management Team is completing their 14-day assignment and headed home tomorrow. Today the SW Team is transitioning with a Montana Fire Management Team who will take over managing the Fool Creek fire starting Friday, August 3.
Management and Status: Higher humidity calmed the fire activity Wednesday. Mapping of Tuesday's active burning in the Trail and Wrong Creek areas showed that the fire had burned about 800 acres of nonwilderness lands in Olney and Nesbit Creeks outside the fire's management boundary. Management tactics will remain similar outside the wilderness, but may include fireline construction in nonwilderness lands where terrain is not as difficult and the risk to firefighters is reduced. Airtankers dropped retardant on the fire west of Mount Lockhart Wednesday with little success because the tree canopy kept the retardant from reaching the ground.
Today's Activity: Helicopters will continue dropping water to slow the fire's growth. Crews will be checking sprinkler systems set up to protect cabins in the West Fork of the Teton River area, the Teton Pass Ski Area and a nearby dude ranch. The Teton County Sheriff has established roadblocks at the forest boundary on the North and South Fork Teton River roads and has issued evacuation orders to owners of seven cabins in the West Fork and to the Teton Pass Ski Area. As a precautionary step the 7 Lazy P dude ranch has been notified to be prepared to evacuate.
Personnel/Resources on the Fire: A total of 75 people are assigned to the fire. Three helicopters and one engine also are assigned to the fire.
Air Quality: Anyone wanting information about air quality can contact the Teton County Health Department (406) 466-2562. An air quality monitoring station is located outside of Choteau to measure air quality. Information on air quality conditions is available throughout the day at http://www.satguard.com/usfs (link to Real Time Data and Unit 90). Information on air quality in areas affected by forest fires in Montana is available at: http://www.deq.mt.gov/FireUpdates/index.asp.
Restrictions & Closures: Because of concerns about public safety, all but the southernmost portion of the Rocky Mountain Ranger District has been closed. The Smith Creek, Elk Creek, and the Dearborn trailheads remain open, as does the area generally south of the Smith and Petty-Crown Creek Trails to Observation Point in the Scapegoat Wilderness. The public is reminded to please call the Rocky Mountain Ranger District Office (406) 466-5341 or the Spotted Bear Ranger District Office (406) 758-5376 for additional information.
Fire Information: For more information on the Skyland fire, call (406) 226-4333; for the Ahorn Fire, call (406) 562-3922.
