Sawmill Complex Daily Update
Incident: Sawmill Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 7/31/2007
Sawmill Complex
DATE: July 31, 2007 TIME: 10:30 am
INCIDENT COMMANDER: Tom Heintz
LEAD INFORMATION OFFICER: Pat McKelvey
PHONE: Still being established
LOCATION: Rock Creek Drainage
JURISDICTION: Lolo National Forest, Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest
AGENCIES: Clinton VFD, Lolo National Forest, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, MT-DNRC, Missoula County, Granite County
RESOURCES:
PERSONNEL: 82 ENGINES: 6
TENDERS: 3 AIR TANKERS: Available upon request
A Northern Rockies Incident Management Team assumed management of this complex at 06:00 this morning. Tom Heintz is the Incident Commander.
The Sawmill Complex is comprised of three lightning-caused fires. The Sawmill, estimated at 320 acres; Fisher Point (actually located north of Hogback Point) estimated at 200 acres; and Wyman 2, estimated at 2,000 acres. All the fires are located south of the Mile Marker 124 fire on I-90. Sawmill and Wyman 2 are threatening an estimated 190 residential and commercial structures with numerous associated outbuildings. The infrastructure lies primarily along Rock Creek Rd. Road closures are currently in place on the Rock Creek Rd beginning at the intersection with I-90, south to the intersection with state road 348. The closure is being enforced to all but local residents and firefighting traffic.
ACTIONS PLANNED: The team is planning a defensive operational posture until more resources, which are being ordered, can be assigned to the fire. Structure protection and assessment along the Rock Creek corridor is being done. Coordination with the Mile Marker 124 incident is being done so that opportunities to share resources may be utilized. Assessment of possible areas to establish spike camp for personnel on the Sawmill fire is being done. Because of its remote location, we are gathering information on operational opportunities on the Fisher Point fire.
Public Meetings are scheduled for tonight in Phillipsburg at 7:30 pm in the Granite County High School Cafeteria; and on Wednesday Night at 7 pm at the Elkhorn Lodge Ranch.
SPECIAL CONCERNS: Archeological and historical sites, which are being identified and the Rock Creek fishery. Welcome Creek Wilderness and wilderness study area.
WEATHER FORECAST: Mid-80's in the valley and low-70's on the ridges with relative humidity in the low teens to high teens. After the frontal passage, relative humidity will climb into the mid-teens to mid-20's. Winds will be upslope-up canyon at 5-10 mph in the valleys, southwesterly at 7-15 mph along the ridge tops. Expect winds to increase with frontal passage.
Additional national information can be found at http://www.inciweb.org/
