Incident: Chippy Creek
Released: 9/7/2007
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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 Incident Management Team is fighting the fire.
The Chippy Creek fire is 100% contained.
Yesterday's Activities: The fire showed minimal activity. Smoldering and creeping within the fireline perimeter were observed, and the fire continues to hold heat in heavy, dry fuels. Good progress was made mopping up along Alder Creek and Teepee Creek drainages on the southern side of the fire. Personnel patrolled the perimeter looking for any activity along the fire's edge. Rehabilitation of all dozer lines continued.
Today's Planned Activities: Patrolling and rehabilitating the fireline will continue. Mop up is ongoing in the Alder Creek and Teepee Creek drainages and hot spots on the northern portions of the fire. Aerial resources remain ready to assist ground personnel where needed. Crews will continue to remove excess equipment. The fire camp in Plains will be dismantled today and the remaining personnel and equipment transferred to the base camp in Marion.
Resources Assigned: 2 hand crews (20 people each), 17 engines, 3 dozers, 13 water tenders, and 1 helicopter for a total of 360 personnel.
Weather Forecast and Fire Behavior: Breezy with increasing clouds forecasted. Temperatures on ridge tops will be in the low 60's and humidity 35 to 40 percent. Ridge top winds will be west-shifting northwest with gusts up to 30 mph-after 6:00 PM, as an upper level disturbance passes through. Fire activity in the interior is expected to increase somewhat. Smoke will continue to be produced from fires smoldering and creeping in dry, unburned fuels within the fire's perimeter.
Closures: Although previously evacuated residents along the Hubbart 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. Closures will be re-assessed in the near future. The 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. The area closure is adjusted on the southern end of the fire, effective September 6, 2007. Corona Road, NFSR #1025, is open. 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.
Fire Information: Telephone inquiries can be made to the Marion Information Center at (406) 854-2187 through Sunday (9/9/07). For further update after Sunday, please contact the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District Office at 406-826-3821 or the Montana DNRC Plains Office at 406-826-3851.)
The Plains Information Center phone number (406/826-9009) is no longer in service.
Public Meetings: No public meetings are presently scheduled.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: The temporary flight restriction has been removed.
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.
