Sept. 9, 2007, Sunday - Fire Update (8:15 PM )
Incident: Jocko Lakes Wildland Fire
Released: 9/10/2007
"Fire mosaic" provides additional wildlife habitat
Seeley Lake, Mont.-- The 36,060 acre fire has left a beautiful mosaic of burned and unburned forest and meadows. A flight over the fire area shows that fires do not burn evenly or destroy everything in their path. They often burn in leaps and bounds. In a few areas, fire consumes all vegetation, but less affected islands in a burn create shelter for wildlife.
Bambi's family lived at the edge between forest and meadow. They used the woods for protection, and the open areas for food. Eventually, the ragged edges of burned areas support more wildlife than unburned areas do, because the diverse landscape provides habitat for more varieties of life. Hunting will improve as animals move within the mosaic.
Crews have mostly completed rehabilitation of bulldozer lines inside the edges of the fire. Sunday, they removed firelines on the northwest and southwest edges of the fire. An early morning flight Sunday found one hot spot near the fire's edge. Engines extinguished the hot spot as they patrolled roads around the fire.
Tuesday, fire supervisors of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes begin to manage the uncontained five percent of the fire, high above Jocko Lakes on Flathead Reservation lands. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation retains responsibility for the rest of the fire area.
As a cost-saving measure, the fire base camp will move Tuesday, from Harper's Lake Campground to Camp Paxson west of Seeley Lake.
WEATHER: After a low temperature of 28 degrees Sunday night, sunny days rebound to near 80 degrees Monday and Tuesday. West winds of 5 to 15 mph bring dry air, with minimum humidities dropping into the teens. New smokes may appear deep inside the fire, as the day heats up.
FIRE FACTS: Started: August 3, 2007; Cause: Lightning; Location: 8 miles west of Seeley Lake; Resources: 177 personnel comprising 1 hand crew, 2 helicopters, 7 engines, 4 dozers, 1 water tender, 1 camp crew, fire supervisors, and support personnel.
COOPERATING AGENCIES & PARTNERS: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation; Bureau of Indian Affairs; Lolo National Forest; Missoula County Sheriff's Office; Seeley Lake Fire Department; Missoula Rural Fire; Missoula County; Montana Department of Transportation; Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; National Weather Service
