The Stadium Creek Fire was reported during the afternoon of Sunday, July 30th. The fire is burning on an east-facing slope in the Stadium Creek drainage between Gorge and Cannon Creeks, located within the Bob Marshall Wilderness on the Spotted Bear Ranger District.
This fire as of August 6th was 50 acres in size. The fire has run up the ridgeline to the west of the original start and has been burning northward along the ridge toward Stadium and Gorge Creeks. The Spotted Bear Ranger District will continue to monitor the fire and implement point protection strategies to any values at risk as necessary. Firefighter safety will remain the top priority.
The Roger’s Pass Fire started on the afternoon of August 1 south of Highway 200 and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Aviation resources, crews, and heavy equipment from Montana DNRC and the Forest Service is on scene with additional resources on order. As of August 6th, this fire was 46 acres in size and 50% contained.
The Colt Fire is burning in dense timber with heavy dead and down fuels on the Lolo and Flathead National Forests, approximately 12 miles northwest of Seeley Lake. Fire activity has included torching, spotting, and active consumption of heavy fuels. The Colt Fire was started by lightning on Monday, July 17. Montana DNRC and USFS firefighters responded quickly upon detection on July 18.
The fire’s containment increased to 39 percent as crews were able to take advantage of quieted fire behavior from the recent moisture and successfully mop-up residual heat on the fire’s northeast and eastern edge. Crews also continued mopping-up residual heat on the fire near Beaver Lake.
Crews will mop-up remaining residual heat along the fire’s northern and eastern edges between Colt Lake and Beaver Lake. Crews will continue constructing a line west to Sunset Ridge on the south flank. Heavy equipment will assist crews with additional line construction on the northwest corner of the fire.
Air operations will be using two unmanned aerial systems (UAS “drones”) over the coming days to map out areas of heat within the fire area. The UAS aircraft is best able to pick up areas of heat within the fire late at night and early in the morning due to lower air temperatures at these times. For this reason, the temporary flight restriction (TFR) for the fire area (FDC 3/7867) has been extended from 8am-10am to a full 24-hour restriction. This restriction is necessary to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operating in the area. If you fly, they can’t.
The Big Knife fire was started by lightning on July 24, 2023. It is approximately 5 miles east of Arlee, Montana. Local resources responded and have been taking suppression actions. Hot dry and windy conditions caused fire growth on several fronts. Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the fire August 2 at 6 am.
Heavy equipment operators completed a line along the fire’s southwestern edge to reduce fuels. Firefighters continued holding, improving, and mopping up the edge of a strategic firing operation they conducted Friday and Saturday to keep the fire north of Agency Creek. Aircraft are aiding firefighters as conditions allow. Resource Advisors are working with fire managers to ensure cultural and natural resource values are evaluated and protected during suppression activities. This fire as of August 8thwas 4864 acres in size and 55 contained.
The Niarada Fire started on July 30th, as part of the widespread lightning storm that went through the area. It is approximately 12 miles west of Elmo, Montana. Local resources responded and have been taking suppression actions. Hot, dry conditions, erratic winds, and heavy fuels have been leading to significant fire growth.
Conditions around the Niarada Fire are drying out, although fire behavior was reduced enough that Flathead and Lake County sheriff’s offices downgraded some evacuation statuses Monday afternoon.
Firelines around the northern perimeter continue to hold, and crews on the fire’s northeastern perimeter along Cromwell Creek Road made progress mopping up. Heavy fuels and steep terrain continue hampering efforts along the fire’s eastern and southeastern edge. Therefore, firefighters are trying to tie pieces of line together using direct fireline construction, dozer lines, and indirect lines (which will likely require firing operations to secure). Firefighters rely on aircraft to cool hotspots and heavy fuels sufficiently, so direct fireline construction is feasible.
The Niarada fire as of August 8th is 20365 acres in size and 25% contained.
The Bowles Creek fire started following a lightning storm on the evening of July 20th. The fire is located approximately three miles southwest of Skalkaho Pass in the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in steep terrain.
Crews along the western edge of the fire area continue to extend handlines and fuel breaks into existing fuel treatment areas. Crews along the eastern edge of the fire have laid almost 10,000 feet of hose and continue constructing fire lines. Crews continue to remove understory fuels in the Crystal Creek area. Crews on both sides will continue scouting for more areas to treat and establish more containment opportunities, especially in the south and west portions of the area. As of August 8th, this fire was 3559 acres in size and 3% contained.
We will continue to keep you updated on all fires as best we can. More information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
