Incident: Chippy Creek
Released: 9/8/2007
Fire Information: Vickie Guthrie (406) 854-2187 (Note, this number will no longer be in service after Sunday (9/9/07). For further update on the fire activities, 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.
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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.
On Monday, September 10, 2007 the ICP/Base Camp at Marion will be dismantled and the management of the fire will be transferred to two Type 3 incident management teams. One team will operate out of the Montana DNRC Office in Plains and the other team will work from an ICP set up at the Fire Department facility in Marion.
Yesterday's Activities: Crews continued to make good progress mopping up all areas of the fire. Rehabilitation work is close to completion in the west and south edges of the fire. Remaining rehabilitation work includes removal of logging decks and reworking roads when moisture is present. Personnel patrolled the perimeter looking for any hotspots along the fire's edge. Crews continued to remove excess fire equipment from the fire line. Approximately 30 miles of fire hose was used during the suppression work. Fire officials met with agency representatives to discuss resource needs for the Type 3 overhead teams. The fire camp in Plains was dismantled and the remaining personnel and equipment moved to the base camp in Marion.
Today's Planned Activities: Rehabilitation work on the firelines will continue. The majority of the fireline perimeter will be in a patrol status. Mop up is ongoing in the Alder Creek, on southern edge of the fire. Aerial resources remain ready to assist ground personnel where needed. Crews will continue to remove excess equipment.
Resources Assigned: 2 hand crews (20 people each), 17 engines, 2 dozers, 12 water tenders, and 1 helicopter for a total of 354 personnel.
Weather Forecast and Fire Behavior: Partly sunny and cool through the weekend. Temperatures on ridge tops will be in the low 60's and humidity 35 to 40 percent. Ridge top winds will be northeast 5 to 10 mph. Sunday's forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a chance of light rain. Fire activity in the interior is expected to be minimal. 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.
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.
