Fire Update Sept. 22
Incident: Fool Creek Wildland Fire Used for Re
Released: 9/22/2007
Final Fire Update: This will conclude our daily updates pending a significant change in fire activity. There is minimal fire activity on the Fool Creek Fire due to the progress made in managing the fire combined with cooler and wetter weather.
The Joint Information Center (JIC) in Choteau will remain open until 6 p.m. on Monday, September 24th to answer questions related to the fire and closures. Please contact your local Ranger District for questions related to the fire status or closures.
Public Safety/Risks: People traveling in the Fool Creek Fire area need to use extreme caution. Visitors walking or riding animals on trails and within the burned area need to watch out for rolling debris on hillsides, holes in the ground where tree roots have burned out, and standing, burned trees that can fall without warning. Also, there may be burning logs, and hotspots within the fire area that could flare up and create smoky conditions. Travelers using forest roads should drive with extreme caution, as Forest Service fire vehicles are using these roads.
Yesterday's Activities: Engine crews patrolled for smokes in the Jones Creek, Teton Road, and Massey Tract areas, and continued rehabilitation work along Teton Creek Road.
Weather and Fire Behavior forecast: Fire activity is generally low due to cooler weather and wetting rains and snow. Today's weather should be partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the morning and a chance of showers in the afternoon.
Today's Planned Actions: Crews will continue patrol and mop-up operations as needed. Attention will be paid to the slop-over above the Teton Bridge. A lookout will be posted at Little Lockhart to monitor fire in the Nesbit Creek and Wrong Creek Area. The fire is still uncontrolled, and the weather and fire behavior have a possibility for change. Crews will be available for initial attack.
Area Closure: The Lewis and Clark National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, and Region 4 of Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks have opened a number of areas previously closed due to the Ahorn, Fool Creek, and Skyland Fires.
Road Maintenance: On Monday, September 24, 2007, road graders and water tenders will be doing road maintenance on 8.3 miles on the North Fork Teton Road # 144. Travelers using these forest roads should watch-out for heavy equipment on the roadway.
