Pattengail Creek Fire AM Update & Fire Restricton
Incident: Pattengail Creek Wildland Fire
Released: 9/7/2007
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Vance Persing, Information Officer
Cause: Lightning Fire Start: July 13, 2007
Location: 10 miles southwest of Wise River, Montana, in the west Pioneer Mountains
Cooperating Agencies: Beaverhead County, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, Butte-Silver Bow County, Bureau of Land Management, MT Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, MT Department of Transportation, USDA Forest Service
Total Personnel on Fire: 19 Acres: 15,297
The Pattengail Creek Fire received precipitation this week slowing down its activity. Firefighters continue to monitor and scout the fire area on the ground and by air utilizing the Appropriate Management Response strategy employed on this incident. Crews are available for initial attack as needed. The fire remains approximately 2 miles within the forest boundary. Its growth potential is low according to fire managers. Some resources are being released due to the cooler weather.
Lost Horse Fire: Either the rain or helicopter bucket drops apparently extinguished the Lost Horse Fire which had been spotted north of the Pattengail Creek Fire. Yesterday's recon flight as well as firefighters on the ground failed to locate any sign of the fire.
Today's fire behavior: Cooler temperatures and higher humidity continue to moderate fire behavior
Weather today according to the National Weather Service calls for high temperatures of 58-68 degrees, minimum relative humidity 24-34 percent, and westerly winds 10-20 mph. The incident meteorologist feels that the potential exists for gusty winds over the fire this afternoon.
Wise River Community Meetings: The next Wise River Community Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 7:30 P.M. at the Community Center.
Change in Fire Restrictions and Closures: For public safety some 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. Please see attachment below for a revision in the fire restrictions which will take place on Saturday, September 8th.
When hunting season begins, lots of other great hunting areas will remain open around the Beaverhead-Deer lodge 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.
For more information on these fires check at http://www.inciweb.org/.
Dillon Interagency Dispatch Center
Covering the following counties:
Cooperating Agencies:
Beaverhead
USDI Bureau of Land Management
Jefferson (southern part)
Montana Dept. of Natural Resources & Conservation
Madison
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Silver Bow
National Park Service
Powell (southern part)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Deer Lodge
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Granite
Beaverhead County, Madison County
USDA Forest Service
Dillon, Montana
NEWS RELEASE
For Release Immediately Contact:
Jack de Golia
Office: (406) 683-3984
Cell Phone: (406) 660-2347
FIRE RESTRICTIONS EASED
DILLON, MONT., Sept. 6, 2007-Thanks to rain, cooler weather, and the absence of human-caused fires, officials will ease fire restrictions in many parts of Southwest Montana the first thing on Saturday morning, September 8.
"Stage I" fire restrictions will then take effect and replace "Stage II" restrictions that have been in effect since mid August.
Stage I restrictions ban campfires outside of designated recreation sites and prohibit smoking except in buildings, vehicles, and areas cleared of vegetation in a three-foot diameter.
"For the average camper, this means in designated campgrounds you can again have a fire in the fire ring. It's still illegal to have warming fires out in the woods, under Stage I," Jack de Golia, spokesman for the Dillon Interagency Dispatch Center said.
The following areas are moving to Stage I:
·§ The entire Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Granite, Powell, Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, Jefferson, Madison, and Beaverhead counties
·§ State lands administered by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Anaconda Unit in Powell, Granite, Deer Lodge and Silver Bow counties, except for lands in Powell County in the Blackfoot River drainage, which remain under Stage II restrictions.
·§ State lands administered by DNRC's Dillon Unit in Beaverhead County.
·§ Public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management's Butte and Dillon field offices in Madison, Beaverhead, Silver Bow, and Deer Lodge counties
·§ Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
·§ Big Hole National Battlefield
·§ Clark Canyon Reservoir and Barretts picnic area, both south of Dillon and administered by the Bureau of Reclamation
·§ Lands administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, in Beaverhead County, including Bannack State Park
·§ Beaverhead County
For more information on fire restrictions, go to this website:
http://www.mt.blm.gov/fire/restrictions/index.html or call the agency administering the lands that interest you.
Stage II restrictions--banning all open fires, smoking (except as noted above), and internal combustion engine operations from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.--remain in effect on lands under the jurisdiction of Madison County and on state lands in Madison County.
Stage II restrictions still apply to lands administered by BLM's Missoula Field Office in Granite and Powell counties.
In Jefferson County, Stage II restrictions remain on all federal, state, and county lands except for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Stage II remains in effect in Jefferson County in the Helena National Forest, on lands administered by BLM's Butte Field Office, and on state lands under the jurisdiction of both Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the DNRC.
···
