Fire officials increase danger level as conditions worsen

Dry conditions, low humidity and wind combined with fireworks, camp fires and lightning have kept state and federal fire crews busy in northwest Montana during the last week as nearly two dozen wild fires have started in the region.

Despite very green vegetation, fire officials are reminding people that rapidly changing conditions have led them to increase the fire danger level to very high and Preparedness Level 3 on Thursday.

“We’re primed and ready to go,” Kootenai National Forest Deputy Fire Officer Jacob Jeresek told The Western News Wednesday morning. “We’re trending toward the fire seasons of 2015 and 2017.

“While everything looks pretty green, it’s drier than people think. We ask people to be careful and make sure their campfires are completely extinguished, keep their chains tight and to smoke or park in barren areas, not in grassy areas,” Jeresek added.

More than one million acres burned in Montana in 2017 while 2015 saw more than 330,000 acres burned.

Logan Sandman, the Libby Unit Fire Management Officer for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, echoed Jeresek’s comments.

“People shouldn’t get complacent,” Sandman said. “There is more lightning in this weekend’s forecast, so we want to reduce the amount of human-caused fires as much as possible.”

Jeresek said about half of the fire starts that began recently were human-caused blazes.

“Most of the ones in the Eureka District were human-caused, campfires and fireworks,” Jeresek said. “A few starts are a mystery, but the Pipe Creek and Duck fires last night (July 4) were caused by fireworks.”

Fire officials are reminding people that all fireworks are prohibited on National Forest System lands, regardless of weather conditions or holidays. Exploding targets and other pyrotechnic devices are also prohibited on public lands administered by the Kootenai National Forest.

According to the Kootenai Interagency Dispatch Center, crews kept the Duck Fire at one-tenth of an acre while the Pipe Creek blaze was one-quarter of an acre. The Duck blaze was just across the Kootenai River outside of Troy near Rabbit Obrien Creek Road.

A one-half acre fire in Sheldon Flats that was reported on July 5 has been contained.

The West Koocanusa Bridge Fire was reported early Thursday, July 6 and was nearly one acre. Crews were on the scene.

Jeresek said lightning on June 28 and 29 and July 4 caused some starts, too.

The Little Wolf Fire has been the largest at 21 acres, and it was caused by lightning.

State and federal crews numbering 40 firefighters battled the blaze that has been contained and is in patrol status as of Wednesday. Helicopters also dumped water on the fire to get it under control.

Sandman said DNRC firefighters from Libby, Stillwater and Kalispell units worked with federal crews from Libby, Hungry Horse, Eureka and Tally Lake.

The next largest fire is the 12-acre Savage Mountain Fire, burning southwest of Spar Lake.

Jeresek said the Lolo Hotshot crew from Missoula is part of a group of nearly three dozen firefighters on the fire. Aircraft are dropping fire retardant and copters are dumping water on the area.

“They are working to get a fire line around it, but it’s gonna take some time because of the really steep and rugged terrain there,” Jeresek said.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the Libby and Troy area will range from the low 90s to near 100 on Monday. There is a 20% to 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms between Thursday and Friday night with the more immediate concern being the lightning that may accompany the system.

In Eureka, the forecast calls for temperatures between the upper 80s to mid 90s. Winds between 5 and 7 miles per hour are expected with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon on Friday. Thursday night and Saturday, the chance of showers and thunderstorms stands at 20%.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Lincoln County is in moderate drought while the northeast corner is in a severe drought.