Jocko Lakes Fire Daily Update, August 15 Wednesday
Incident: Jocko Lakes Wildland Fire
Released: 8/15/2007
As of 10 AM Wednesday morning residents of Seeley Lake area will be allowed to return to their homes and property. Please note there are still some areas that are closed. The roads in the evacuation zones will be closed for public traffic between the hours of 8-10am and 8-10pm due to fire operations.
EVACUATION LIFTED EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
- Eagle Point Subdivision
- Snowmass Drive
- Westside Bypass Road (2190)
- Locations inside the fire perimeter
The Seeley Lake, Placid Lake, and Lake Inez will remain closed to recreational use. This will allow helicopters and water scooping planes to continue fill from the lake safely.
The American Red Cross will have the evacuation center open at Bonner Elementary until further notice.
Fire Status:
The hot and dry weather continue to be a problem for firefighters. Temperatures in the 90's and low humidity are prolonging the extreme fire danger. On the east section of the fire control lines held. In the southeast section crews continued to mop up and improve control lines. The northwest section of the fire jumped control lines again and burned to the top of the ridge above Deer Creek. On the southwest section near Finley Creek the fire continued to threaten the control lines, forcing crews to continue burn out operations.
Quick Facts
Location:
West of Seeley Lake, MT
Start Date:
August 3, 2007
Cause:
Lightning
Containment:
9 %
Estimated Containment
September 13, 2007
Approx.
Size:
22,100 acres total
Total Personnel:
Crews:
Dozers:
Engines:
Helicopters:
Water Tenders:
863
15
16
50
5
22
Landowner:
Lolo NF, MT DNRC, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribe
PUBLIC MEETINGS:
8:00 pm
1.) Seeley Lake Elementary School
2.) Kelly Pines Ball Field adjacent to Bonner Elementary School
Weather:
Today- Smokey, Temperatures; 88 - 93F valley, 75-84F ridge top, Humidity: 9-17% Winds: (ridgetop) Variable winds 2-4 mph becoming west-southwest 5-10 mph valley. (Terrain) wind 2-4 mph becoming west 3 to 7mph 15 mph late afternoon.
COOPERATING AGENCIES:
Lolo NF, Montana DNRC, Missoula County Sheriff's office, BIA Tribal Game Wardens, Seeley Lake Fire Department, Missoula Rural Fire, Missoula County, Missoula County Sheriff, MT National Guard
Additional Sources of Wildland Fire Information
www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
National Interagency
Fire Center
www.nifc.gov
National
Fire News
www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html
