Incident: Garceau
Released: 7/31/2007
| Garceau Fire Fact Sheet
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007 9:00 a.m.
Contact: Public Information Officers Terina Mullen, Jill Cobb and Karen Sargeant
Message Phone: (406) 883-2403
What: Wildland fire, lightning caused
Started: July 24, 2007 at 11:13 a.m.
Location: Eleven miles southwest of Polson, Montana
Jurisdiction: Flathead Agency
Cooperating Agencies: The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Polson Rural Fire Department, Ronan Rural Fire Department, Lake County OES, Sanders County, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Lands, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Incident Commander & Team: A Northern Rockies Type II Incident Management Team (IMT), under Incident Commander Roger Kechter, assumed command as of 6:00 a.m. on July 26, 2007.
Current size: 3,045 acres Containment: 50%
Yesterday's Activities: Though 25 mph wind gusts blew into the area, most of the active areas of the fire were sheltered by surrounding ridges and were not adversely affected. Progress was made on the ½ mile of direct line; crews stayed busy mopping up previous hot spots and burned areas. Air resources assigned included one helicopter and a CL-215. An aerial reconnaissance flight over the fire showed one spot near the northern flank that was quickly contained and extinguished. Fire behavior was limited to single tree torching and some ground fire. As they have done for several days, firefighters continued with mop-up operations approximately 200 to 300 feet into the black. Precautionary structure protection measures remain in place for homes in the immediate fire area.
Resources on Fire: The number of firefighters assigned to the incident totals 288. One Helicopter, six 20-person crews, 19 engines, six dozers and ten water tenders are assigned to the fire.
Today's Strategy: Work will continue to be concentrated in the northwest corner of the fire. Crews will work to complete the last ½ mile of direct fireline to protect resources. During mop up, along the fire perimeter, it is crucial that the burned areas are 100% extinguished and "cold" to the touch before moving to the next spot. Suppression rehabilitation began on those portions of the fire that are secure. Continued success on this fire depends upon availability of air resources and weather conditions favorable for firefighting. The biggest concern will be the potential for spotting beyond the constructed line. The next significant chance for a change in the weather is Friday.
Special Messages: Firefighter and public safety is always the #1 priority on any fire incident. We ask the public to be careful and assist in preventing any new fire starts. Please continue to use caution when traveling on Buffalo Bridge Road; use vehicle headlights and avoid areas used by firefighting personnel. The public is also asked to use care at the intersection of US Highway 93 and the fairgrounds entrance road when traveling north of Polson Bridge.
Prevention Messages: Stage II Fire Restrictions are in place. Campfires and open flames are prohibited. Smoking is restricted to vehicles, buildings and areas void of vegetation. Industrial operations are permitted during the hours between 1:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. only.
For further fire information, visit www.inciweb.org/incident/882/
