Commander Pleased With How Fire Responded to Sunda
Incident: Fool Creek Wildland Fire Used for Resource Benefit
Released: 8/13/2007
Choteau, Mont., Aug. 13, 2007, 7:30 p.m.-Late Sunday, the Fool Creek fire crossed the West Fork of the Teton River, just north of Porcupine Creek. The new fire area is so far a small area, on the southeast side of a rocky slope.
Two helicopters will drop water and retardant on hot spots in the Porcupine Creek and West Fork areas today. Other aircraft may come to Fool Creek fire from the Ahorn fire if needed.
Incident Commander Dave Larsen was pleased with how the fire responded to the high winds and temperatures.
"The fire came alive in low priority areas," he said. "Where we've worked we did very well."
Larsen referred to the small spread in the key West Fork area while more active fire burned on the less critical west and south sides of the fire. On the west and south there's little threat to private land or structures.
The fire is slowly burning downhill near Mt. May and Bowl Creek, on the west side. There's some new acreage burned near 7 Up Creek on the south side.
Monday's forecast calls for high pressure to continue, but lighter winds will prevail and temperatures and humidity will be similar to Sunday. West winds will blow at six to 12 miles per hour, gusting to 20 mph.
A weak frontal boundary is forecast to move in from the north, bringing north winds this afternoon to the plains, but this wind shift isn't expected at the Fool Creek fire.
Firefighters will continue running pumps at backcountry cabins and at the Massey Tract and Teton Pass ski area, to keep these areas moist and defended from any fire advance.
Heavy smoke in the Choteau area was from fires in Idaho, officials said. The smoke blanketed the Fool Creek fire and raised humidity over the fire.
