Update for August 17
Incident: Sawmill Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 8/17/2007
Sawmill Complex
DATE: August 17, 2007 TIME: 8:00 am
INCIDENT COMMANDER: Glen McNitt
LEAD INFORMATION OFFICER: Pat Cross
PHONE: (406) 859-6003 6:00 am-10:00 pm
LOCATION: Rock Creek Drainage, 22 miles SE of Missoula, MT
JURISDICTION: Lolo National Forest, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Bitterroot National Forest
AGENCIES: Clinton RFD, Lolo National Forest, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Bitterroot National Forest, MT-DNRC, Missoula County, Granite County, Montana Dept of Military Affairs, NOAA, Anaconda Job Corps, Georgetown VFD, Philipsburg VFD
A community meeting for lower Rock Creek is scheduled for Friday, August 17 at 7:00 pm at the Elkhorn Ranch Lodge.
A community meeting for the Willow Creek residents is planned for Saturday, August 18 at 7:30 pm. The location is being determined.
RESOURCES:
PERSONNEL: 494 ENGINES: 45 WATER TENDERS: 14 HELICOPTERS: 6
TOTAL ACREAGE FOR COMPLEX: 41,704 INJURIES TO DATE: 4 COST TO DATE: $7,200,000
Wyman 2 fire, 28,109 acres: On the SE, the fire was active above upper Stony Creek. Crews completed most of the check line preparation work along Stony creek. Burn-outs are planned today to tie the line into the open, rocky scree slopes. Crews also began assessment on alternative protection lines in preparation of the fire eventually hooking around the Stony Creek check line. The north side of the fire was active on the top of Green Mtn and crossed into the upper portions of the Eagle Creek drainage. Burnouts may be implemented today to bring the base of the fire to Eagle Creek. The fire was active on the Bitterroot Divide and is burning down the west side.
Sawmill fire, 6,225 acres: The burnout on Wednesday was very successful. Future burnouts will attempt to extend the base of the fire directly along Rock Creek north to Mecca Gulch to even it out with the head of the fire now in Mecca Gulch. About 80 residences from milepost 6-9 on Rock road remain evacuated, but all residents on Rock Creek road may travel in and out with the knowledge that road access in the evacuated area and upstream may be curtailed at any time as needed by fire operations staff. Crews are positioned along Rock Creek and will patrol and hold the fire as it backs down the slope to Rock Creek. The spot fire that crossed Welcome Creek on Wednesday was contained on Thursday.
Fisher Point fire, 7,371 acres: About a one mile front of the fire crossed Sandstone Ridge and is slowly moving down into the Willow Creek drainage. Fire fighters developed a plan and began fuels mitigation work in the Willow Creek drainage. Yesterday the Granite County Sheriff issued a warning of potential future evacuation to Willow Creek residents and advised that residents may only have a 12 hour notice should an evacuation be issued. Residents should prepare their homes and themselves. A community meeting is planned for Saturday.
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ROAD, TRAIL, & RIVER CLOSURES: Rock Creek Rd. from I-90 south to the intersection with state road 348. Residents have been evacuated along Brewster Creek Road and Rock Creek Road between mile posts 6 and 9. Evacuees will be allowed to re-enter Rock Creek Road with the knowledge that travel between mileposts 6 and 9 may be closed at any time depending on fire conditions. An American Red Cross evacuation center is available for evacuees at the Bonner Elementary School. Stony Creek Rd. is also closed. The closure is being enforced to all but local residents and firefighting traffic. The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has closed portions of the Goose Gulch Rd. #4325, Otter Creek Rd. #8419, Miners Gulch Rd. #5156, and Upper Willow Creek Rd. #88. These roads are closed to all motorized vehicles, foot, bicycle, and horse activities for public safety due to fire activity. The Montana National Guard is assisting with roadblocks and security efforts.
The Skalkaho Road is not affected by these closures. The Willow Creek road is open to residents but access is being controlled in case of rapid fire expansion and possible evacuation orders in that drainage. Recreational activity is being discouraged.
Trail #313 (Sapphire Divide) from the Skalkaho road to Sawmill Saddle has been closed.
Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks has closed a portion of Rock Creek to fishing and other recreational activities from the confluence with Stony Creek to the Clark Fork near Clinton because of fire fighter activity. Due to the increasing water temperature, Rock Creek is also closed from the Skalkaho Hwy Bridge downstream to the Windlass Bridge.
NOTABLE ITEMS:
WEATHER: Moderate weather should lead to moderate fire behavior today. However, thunder cell winds and the extreme dryness of the fuels could also produce extreme behavior in local conditions.
Large Fire Totals
Acreage
Personnel
CRW1
CRW2
HEL1
HEL2
HEL3
ENGS
OVHD
663,205
5,959
15
72
14
17
20
407
2,142
