Troy enacts Stage 1 fire restrictions; road closure ordered for Libby OU3

Troy is the first municipality to institute fire restrictions in 2024 in south Lincoln County.

Troy Volunteer Fire Department Chief D.J. Welch called for Stage 1 fire restrictions July 22 inside city limits.

City officials said the goal is for “everyone to be cautious.”

Stage 1 restrictions include the prohibition of building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire. Also, smoking is prohibited, unless done within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

There are exceptions to the restrictions, including using a device such as a stove or grill that is fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off.

For full details, visit https://www.mtfireinfo.org. Fines can reach $5,000 to $10,000 and for those who start a fire, they can be held liable for costs to extinguish it and damages.

In light of the hot, dry and sometimes windy conditions, forest officials did order a closure on the Libby Ranger District for roads in the vicinity of Libby Asbestos Operable Unit 3 (OU3). The purpose of the closure is to prevent or reduce human caused fire starts in and around OU3 during elevated fire danger. 

OU3 is an Environmental Protection Agency listed site in need of clean up from past asbestos mining operations. Any fire within OU3 can only be fought with limited firefighting personnel and equipment. Preventing or reducing human caused wildland fire events is critical because of these limitations.

The order is in effect until noon Sept. 20, unless it is lifted sooner.

No motor vehicle of any type is allowed on the following roads:

- Tubb Gulch Doak Creek Road (NFSR 1018) – Starting at its junction with Rainy Jackson Creek Road (NFSR 401) at the location of its gate, then heading west to its terminus in Section 20, T31N, R30W.

- Lower Rainy Road (NFSR 4755) – Starting at its junction with Rainy Jackson Creek Road (NFSR 401) at the location of its gate, then heading north to its terminus in Section 29, T31N, R30W.

- Kennedy Gulch Road (NFSR 1032) - Starting at its junction with Greers Ferry Road then heading north to its terminus in Section 3, T30N, R30W.

- Canoe Gulch Road (NFSR 872) – Starting at its junction with Canoe Gulch Access Road located at the Libby Ranger Station at the location of its gate, then heading northwest to its terminus in Section 12, T30N, R30W.

- Canoe Gulch A Road (NFSR 872A) – Starting at its junction with Canoe Gulch Road (NFSR 872), then heading east to its terminus in Section 8, T30N, R29W.

- Alexander Creek Road (NFSR 4872) – Starting at its junction with West Side Koocanusa Road/Hwy-228, heading west to its terminus in Section 13, T31N, R30W

For more information, call the Libby Ranger District at 406-293-7773.

Fortunately, the 2024 wild fire season is markedly different to what occurred a year ago in Lincoln County when smoke from fires burning in Canada settled in the valleys for extended periods of time.

Rain throughout the spring and early summer created green vegetation conditions throughout the county while a variety of other factors have played a role in keeping the county and northwest Montana from implementing fire restrictions.

Fire restrictions were enacted across the region a year ago on July 29, but as of July 25, Troy is the only municipality to enact them.

The Kootenai and Flathead national forests are in very high fire danger, but due in part to the low number of human caused wildfires across the Northwest Montana Zone, restrictions haven’t been put in place. 

The zone includes both national forests, state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation lands, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Lincoln County Emergency Management, Stimson, Green Diamond, Weyerhaeuser, Glacier National Park and others.

According to fire managers, the zone follows a fire restrictions plan that has specific criteria that a majority of factors must be met to enter into fire restrictions. 

Those who manage lands in the zone meet each week to reevaluate conditions and decide on restrictions. 

Current restrictions are available at https://www.mtfireinfo.org/.

Kootenai National Forest officials thanked residents and visitors for keeping the lands free from wild fires in a social media post on July 23.

State fire officials continue to urge caution while recreating and during other activities.

“So far this season, 29 wildfires have started on state protection lands in northwest Montana, with 25 of those being human caused,” said Dylan Kopitzke, DNRC Northwestern Land Office Forestry Program Manager in a July 17 press release. “We can’t control the weather, but we can control our actions.”

While weather forecasters are expecting temperatures to moderate significantly over the next several days, dry and windy conditions expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The National Weather Service said there is a slight chance for rain and thunderstorms Tuesday, July 30.

Currently, there are no fire restrictions in place, but the DNRC urges the public to take the following actions to prevent wildfires:

- Ensure all campfires are completely extinguished before leaving the area.

- Ensure tow chains are not dragging on the road.

- Consider limiting activities that can cause a spark between 1 p.m. and 12 a.m.

- Avoid parking vehicles on tall grass.

This year, the largest fire to date is the 11.2-acre Pine Creek Fire. It started in mid-June after high winds knocked a tree on a power line in the Yaak Hill area. Another small fire was the result of a downed tree on a power line. Two other blazes from that time period were pile burns that were started before May 1 and came to life when windy conditions stirred them up.

Kootenai National Forest crews doused a human-caused two-acre fire Wednesday evening 10 miles north of Libby on the power line that parallels Highway 37. The blaze did endanger some nearby residences, but no structures were damaged.

Crews were battling the eight-acre Tepee Fire Thursday morning. The cause is unknown.

They also put out a one-tenth acre fire on Horse Mountain Tuesday. It was also human caused.

While smoke from fires in Canada, Washington and Oregon settled in for a few days late last week, breezy conditions cleared the air earlier this week. But as of Thursday, conditions became worse.

According to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, most of the Canadian wildfire smoke has exited the state. However, fires in Washington and Oregon grew significantly over the past 24-hours, and westerly winds continue to send that smoke into Montana.

At 9 a.m. Thursday, Libby and Seeley Lake were experiencing air that is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Columbia Falls, Thompson Falls, Great Falls, Cut Bank, Missoula, Dillon, West Yellowstone, Malta, Billings, Miles City, Sidney, Glendive and Broadus were enduring moderate air quality. 

Further south, Stage 2 restrictions went into effect last week for portions of the Bitterroot and Lolo forests and on the Flathead Reservation.

East of Libby, the most notable fire was near Hubbard Dam in the Marion area. It was about 1.5 miles east of the dam and had grown to 10 acres on Tuesday. 

Marion Fire Department crews were on the scene first before being joined by a DNRC helicopter, four engines, three fire bosses with air attack and a dozer. A 10-person hand crew and heavy equipment were also on scene. Fire behavior includes creeping, torching and spotting with 2 to 8-foot flame lengths.

The Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribe Division of Fire dealt with a 200-acre blaze in the Big Draw, 11 miles west of Elmo, off Route 28. 

The fire was believed to be started from a boat trailer tire falling off and igniting the grass along the road.

According to multiple media outlets, CSKT wildland firefighters contained the fire which began Monday evening. 

CT Camel said the fire was 95% contained. He said the majority of the fire burned in grass where it burned last summer in the 20,000-acre Niarada Fire.