Rain Gives Firefighters An Opportunity
Incident: Fool Creek Wildland Fire Used for Resource Benefit
Released: 8/10/2007
Choteau, Mont., Aug. 10, 10:30 a.m.--The rain Thursday night that hit Choteau missed the Fool Creek fire, but the fire did get rain Friday morning. About 9/100 of an inch was recorded near the fire.
The moisture has provided firefighters with a possible opportunity to engage the fire more directly. Friday morning eight firefighters from Yellowstone National Park, four from the Lewis & Clark National Forest, and several fire specialists will hike up the West Fork of the Teton River from the Massey Tract. They will look for safety zones-places they could retreat to were the fire to flare up-and an anchor point-a place with no vegetation where they can start building a fire line.
If it's safe, then firefighters will be assisted by helicopters making water drops. Using water instead of retardant will shorten the round trip flying time from "dip to drop."
Friday afternoon, firefighters will see if conditions permit further work on Saturday and ask for additional crews from nearby fires.
If it's safe, ground crews will try "freeze the fire in place" in the words of Incident Commander Dave Larsen.
The weather forecast for Friday calls for a cold front to pass over the fire around 2 p.m., moving the wind from southwest to west with higher temperatures and lower humidity. A weak Canadian cold front is forecast for Saturday that will bring northeast and east winds, lower temperatures, and higher humidity.
On Sunday, forecasters predict a return to the hot, dry weather of previous weeks and much increased activity from the Fool Creek fire.
