Fire crews, Mother Nature douse KNF's largest fire of 2024
From Quartz Mountain Road, smoke blows off the China Mountain Fire on the evening of Monday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
Lincoln County’s largest wildfire of 2024 has been suppressed following work by area fire crews and soaking rains Wednesday and Thursday.
The China Mountain Fire, listed at 213 acres after aircraft with infrared technology surveyed it, was reported at about 3:05 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13. The cause remains unknown.
According to Kootenai National Forest Public Affairs Officer Larona Rebo, multiple helicopters were utilized to support ground crews with water drops to actively suppress the China Mountain Fire. Helicopters were using multiple different water sources including the Kootenai River, China Lake and a pond in the Pulpit drainage.
An air attack platform, a tactical aircraft that assists with wildland firefighting efforts by providing aerial reconnaissance, locating fires and helping ground crews access the fire, was also used.
A forest wide aerial fire detection platform with infrared technology was used to survey the forest for new fire starts and gather current fire information and size on the China Mountain Fire.
Rebo said in an email to The Western News that the recent precipitation and cooler temperatures have lowered fire activity and minimized the immediate potential for future fire growth on existing fires across the forest which include the China Mountain Fire (213 acres), Clark Mountain Fire (0.25 acres on the Three Rivers Ranger District) and the Rock Candy Fire (estimated at 0.5 acre on the Three Rivers Ranger District).
There were 30 personnel on the fire Wednesday and 25 on it Thursday.
Road closures are still in effect for fire traffic to safely access the fire.
“Specifically, please avoid NFS Road 4445 from Lynx Creek up to its junction with NFS Road 4429 (Jeep Road),” Rebo said. “For both firefighter and public safety, we ask that people avoid the area. As heavy equipment is released from the fire and fire traffic decreases, roads will be accessible again and an update posted.
No firefighter injuries have been reported and a cost has not been calculated yet.
Rebo said the heavy smoke that enveloped the Libby area Tuesday afternoon and evening was from prescribed fire operations conducted on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, on the Coeur d’ Alene River Ranger District.
The next largest wildfires on the Kootenai National Forest were the Pine Creek Fire on the Three Rivers Ranger District in mid-June at 11 acres and the Tepee Fire on the Libby Ranger District in late July at eight acres.
Crews from the Kootenai National Forest, Fisher River Volunteer Fire Department, the Libby Unit of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and McCormick Volunteer Fire Department worked the Tepee Fire.
The Pine Creek Fire, caused when a tree fell on a powerline, was located on the Three Rivers Ranger District, northwest of Troy in the Yaak Hill area.