Friday Evening Update
Incident: Pattengail Creek Wildland Fire
Released: 8/25/2007
Temperatures continued to be seasonal, cool nights with warm days, allowing the fire to continue to consume dead and down trees with occasional torching of individual standing trees. Winds remained light with occasional gusts to 14 mph creating a low potential for rapid fire growth.
Weather: Saturday's forecast calls for continued warming accompanied by humidity percentages dropping into the mid-teens. Winds may increase with ridge top gusts to 30mph. This could cause more interior burning on the fire with crews watching for any spot fires that might occur.
Fire Restrictions and Closures: Tie Creek Road remains closed as equipment works on the contingency line. For public safety, Forest lands in the north half of the West Pioneer Mountains, north of Lacy and McVey Creeks, may remain closed at least through September, until soaking rains come for several days in a row.
When hunting season begins, lots of other great hunting areas will remain open around the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The east Pioneers, the south side of the west Pioneers, Anaconda Range and Big Hole will all be open in the Wise River District alone.
Southwest Montana remains in Stage 2 Fire Restrictions which prohibit smoking outdoors except in cleared, designated areas, and prohibit all open flame except gas stoves.
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