As of 6:00 p.m. evacuation orders due to the Lolo Peak Fire for residents on Hwy 12 have been lifted. All residents on Hwy 12, west of Lolo, may now return to their homes. See the evacuation map below.
An aggressive aerial assault Thursday saved numerous homes and held a lightning-caused fire south of Helena to just 76 acres.
Montana City Fire Chief Rick Abraham says firefighters were aided yesterday by helicopters, two small air tankers and a converted DC-10 supertanker that has been stationed less than 5 miles away at Helena Regional Airport for the last four weeks to aid with regional firefighting efforts.
The supertanker can hold up to 11,000 gallons of retardant, about four times the capacity of the average propeller-driven tanker.
The Holmes Gulch Fire was reported at around 2 p.m. Yesterday. Soon, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office ordered the evacuation of around 40 homes.
Residents were expected to be kept out of their homes again today while crews worked to mop up the fire that burned in grass and heavy timber.
On the Lolo Peak Fire, Evacuations were downgraded Thursday evening to warning status for Ravalli County residents west of Old Highway 93 from West County Line Road to the north side of Tie Chute Lane. All other evacuations and warnings are still in effect, and can change at any time based on fire behavior. For current information visit the Missoula County and the Ravalli County Sheriffs’ Facebook pages.
There will be a community meeting at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Florence Baptist Church.
Weather helped moderate fire activity Thursday after the previous night’s run toward One Horse Creek canyon. Air tankers and helicopters dropped retardant Thursday to stall the fire’s growth toward the creek. A brief shot of rain brought higher humidity with anywhere from .1 to .35 of an inch of rain on the northwest corner of the fire. There was little rain elsewhere over the fire area. Some lightning was observed in the area around the fire. To date, over 1 million gallons of retardant have been dropped by aircraft in support of fire suppression activities.
Friday, firefighters will be busy mopping up hot spots throughout the fire perimeter and looking for opportunities to complete burnout operations in anticipation of upcoming hot, dry weather. Drier air is moving in today which will increase fire activity, particularly on the west side of the fire near the Idaho border (east of the Elk Meadows Road), and west of Florence on the east side of the fire. Some torching and crowning will be present as the fire will continue to burn through lodgepole pine stands on Carlton Creek and east of the Elk Meadows Road. Burnout operations may also take place along the control line near Sweeney Creek Trail/Forest Service road 1315 to keep the fire from reaching the One Horse Creek drainage. Engines will continue to patrol along the 93 and 12 highway corridors and around structures, assist firefighters on the control line and be available for initial attack due to spotting or last night’s lightning. Mop up will continue along the fire’s perimeter.
Please do not stop along the highways to view fire activity. It creates a significant traffic hazard. In addition to traffic hazards, stopping along the highways impedes firefighter traffic, impacts the safety of firefighters and citizens, and increases the chances that the fire could escape control lines.
On the Sapphire Fire southeast of Missoula, Effective 6:00 a.m. Friday, August 25, the Granite County Sheriff has down-graded evacuation orders for the area from Hogback Homestead south to Stony Creek and the Upper Willow Creek area; these areas will remain in Yellow Pre-evacuation Status. Other areas which will remain in Yellow Pre-evacuation Status include the northern portion of Rock Creek drainage from approximately Babcock Creek south to Bobcat Creek, from Butte Cabin south to Hogback Homestead, from Stony Creek south the Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge, from the Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge north to McDermott Gulch in the Upper Willow Creek drainage, and the Marshall/ Black Pine subdivisions.
The largest fire in the complex, the Little Hogback Fire is at 29,654 acres in size, and 25 percent contained. Cooler, moister weather Thursday enabled crews to further improve fire lines along the fire’s eastern and southern perimeter in the Upper Willow Creek drainage, as well as begin constructing more direct fire line in the area from Ram Mountain to the head of Sheep Gulch. Firefighters will continue mopping-up along established firelines, in an effort to further secure those lines. However, much of the northeastern flank of the fire continues to burn in heavy fuels which has exacerbated containment efforts.
On the 8,323 acre Goat Creek Fire, crews have secured and mopped-up fireline around most of the fire’s perimeter. As a result, crews will now be able to monitor and patrol the fire. That fire is now 95 percent contained.
The Sliderock Fire is at 874 acres, 75 percent contained. Thursday, the fire remained relatively quiet, and firefighters began patrolling and monitoring this fire.
On the 25, 540 acre Sunrise Fire near Superior, crews continue to patrol and monitor for spots and mop up along the Quartz Creek Road and the Trout Creek Road. Crews will secure and mop up mechanized fire line from Eagle Rock Saddle to DP10, with the intent to keep fire in the bottom of Trout Creek. Branch I resources continue to construct line northward, burning out where necessary, to help keep the fire north of Quartz Creek. Branch III, suppression repair groups continue to access needs for suppression repair in accordance with Lolo Forest suppression repair standards. Crews are implementing suppression repair in Div L and M, utilizing crews, chippers, dozers, and excavators.
Over the weekend, firefighters will contend with continued warming and drying forecasted for the fire area. Increased activity is probable. Flanking, group torching and uphill runs are anticipated, primarily in Forty Six Creek and the headwaters of Sunrise Creek.
