Chippy Creek Fire Update 8/31/2007
Incident: Chippy Creek Wildland Fire
Released: 8/31/2007
The Chippy Creek Fire is located 20 miles north of Plains and 12 miles north/northwest of Hot Springs, Montana. Jess Secrest's Type 2 Northern Rockies Interagency Incident Management Team is fighting the fire.
Yesterday's Activities: Thursday was an active fire day, as afternoon high temperatures and low humidity created excellent burning conditions. The north-central perimeter of the fire and Alder Creek drainage, in the southeast corner, continue to be most active. Ground crews, with aerial support, continued to secure the fire's perimeter and mop up slop-overs and hotspots. Rehabilitation of dozer lines continued in all areas of the fire as equipment and personnel built water bars across fire containment lines.
Today's Planned Activities: Mop up of firelines and spot fires will continue. Aerial resources will support crews where needed. Rehabilitation will continue in the southern and western areas of the fire by dragging litter and other materials into firelines, eliminating berms and debris piles, and skidding logs across dozer lines in areas susceptible to erosion from vehicle traffic.
Resources assigned: 10 hand crews (20 people each), 33 engines, 7 dozers, 20 water tenders, and 5 helicopters for a total of 639 personnel.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Increasing cloudiness and breezy. Temperatures will be in the low 80's, with humidity ranging from 22 to 28 percent. Afternoon winds are forecasted to be out of the southwest 10 to 12 mph, with isolated gusts to 25 mph. This evening, a cold front will move through the area; showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Smoke will be seen in most areas of the fire as it continues to creep and smolder throughout the fire interior, where unburned islands of fuels actively burn as the temperature increases in the afternoon. Single and group tree torching is expected this afternoon.
Closures: Although previously evacuated residents along the Hubbard dam road have been allowed to return home, roads north of the fire and south of Hwy. 2 remain closed to the general public due to fire traffic. Closure will be re-assessed as fire spread danger changes. The area and road closure order for National Forest System lands, within the fire area, remains in effect and includes, in part, the following roads: Bold Peak #5583, Big Rock Bassoo #5574, Big Rock Creek #881, Chippy Creek #882, Bear Creek #883, and Little Thompson River #519. For more details, visit the Lolo National Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo or call Chippy Creek fire information (406) 854-2187.
Public Meetings: The next community meeting is scheduled at the Hot Springs Elementary School in Hot Springs, Wednesday, September 5, 2007, at 7:00 PM. The public is invited to attend.
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.
