Chippy Creek Fire Update 08/25/07 7:00 AM
Incident: Chippy Creek Wildland Fire
Released: 8/25/2007
The Chippy Creek Fire is located 20 miles north of Plains and 12 miles north/northwest of Hot Springs, Montana. Wally Bennett's Type 1 Northern Rockies Interagency Incident Management Team is fighting the fire. The fire is 97,942 acres with seventy percent containment.
Fire Information may now be contacted at the Marion base camp by calling (406) 854-2138. Bennett's team is preparing for a transfer of command with the Secrest Eastern Montana Type 2 team on Monday (8/27).
Yesterday's Activities:
Crews mopped up and patrolled fire lines around most of the perimeter. Dozer line was completed and burn out operations were completed in Alder Creek on the south-central portion of the fire. Another small burnout took place in the head of Clear creek on the north side of the fire. Helicopters supported burnouts and mop up work by dropping over 50,000 gallons of water.
Today's Planned Activities:
Crews will continue mop up and fireline patrol actions along the entire fire perimeter. They will be stringing and using fire hose lays to get water for these operatons. A small burn out will be finished in Alder creek, weather permitting. In areas where lines are secure rehabilitation work will commence. Extra care will be taken along the fire lines in Redman Creek as there is the potential for the fire to move past containment lines due the predicted high winds.
Resources assigned: 11 hand crews (20 people each), 31 engines, 31 pieces of heavy equipment, 17 water tenders and 4 helicopters for a total of 628 personnel.
Weather and Fire Behavior: A low pressure system will move over the fire, bringing temperatures in the mid to upper 80s and drop relative humidity into the teens. A Red Flag Warning for high winds (25-30 mph) has been issued for 2:00 to 9:00 pm. The cold front appears to be dry so lightning is not forecast. Given the weather forecast, the fire is expected to be very active, however burning should be interrupted when the fire reaches areas that have already burned. Spotting could occur up to one-half mile ahead of the areas burning.
Evacuations: Residents along the Hubbard dam Road from the junction with the Niarada Road north to the Hubbard Dam subdivision were allowed to return home yesterday afternoon. The Hubbard dam road remains closed to the general public, because of fire traffic.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: The temporary flight restriction remains in place over the fire. Pilots should be aware that numerous aircraft are working this incident and many more are in the air over fires within the region.
Other information sources: Chippy Creek Fire information is posted on the Lolo National Forest website: www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo, and on: http://www.inciweb.org/.
Cooperating Agencies: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Sanders, Flathead and Lake Counties, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Lolo National Forest, and Plum Creek Timberlands.
