News Release 08/14/07 8:00am MT
Incident: Skyland Wildland Fire
Released: 8/14/2007
- Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007 · 8 a.m. -
Quick Fire Facts
Location
32 miles ESE of Kalispell, MT
Approximate Size
40,485 acres
Increase since last update
457
Fire Containment
59%
Start Date
July 23, 2007 - 4:30 pm
Cause
Lightning
Incident Commander
Jeff Pendleton, PNW Team 3
Resources on the Fire
19 crews
5 helicopters
1 dozer
12 water tenders
25 engines
Total Personnel
811
Est. Containment Date
unknown
Cooperating Agencies
USFS
NPS
BIA
Blackfeet Tribe
Montana DNRC
Landowners
USFS
Blackfeet Tribe
Private
Yesterday's Activities:
Yesterday was a warm and dry day, with light to moderate winds that did not push the fire beyond the fire perimeter. Hand crews continued to build line on both the northern and southern sides of the fire. Two crews spent the night near Badger Creek, working to construct fireline with the help of explosives. Rehabilitation efforts continue on both the eastern and western ends of the fire.
Weather and Fire Behavior Forecast for Today:
A red flag warning has been issued because of warmer and drier conditions, with strong, gusty winds expected in the afternoon. Winds will be from the southwest and increase from 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph by the afternoon. The relative humidity will be from 13 to 18% in the valleys, and up to 20% above 6,000 ft. The fire may be more active, due to the low relative humidity, higher temperatures and wind.
Today's Planned Actions:
Fireline explosives will be used to build line on the south side of the fire today, between the existing fireline and Badger Creek Guard Station. Crews will finish constructing direct and indirect line on the north side of the fire. Work will continue on rehabilitation efforts on the western and eastern flanks.
Special Notices, Alerts, Restrictions & Evacuation Levels:
All entrances to Glacier National Park are open. U.S. Hwy 2 remains open with a speed restriction in the fire area, and short delays when helicopters fly over the highway. Visit www.nps.gov/glac for more information.
For fire restrictions, visit www.mt.blm.gov/fire/restrictions. Much of the Rocky Mountain Ranger District is closed to public use. There are closures in the Hungry Horse Ranger District as well.
Evacuation Level 1 (notification) is still in effect for Little Badger, and Evacuation Level 2 (preparation) is in effect for the U.S. Hwy. 2 Corridor and Glacier Acres.
Visit http://www.inciweb.org/ and click on Skyland Fire for details, or call the ranger districts - Hungry Horse (406) 387-3800; Rocky Mountain (406) 466-5341.
The Bob Marshall Joint Fire Information Center has developed a website with combined information for fires in their respective area.
Prepared by: Information Section, PNW Incident Management Team 3
