Lightning storms ignite bone-dry timber across Northwest Montana
Members of the Virginia No. 11 Fire Crew stand in awe of the Skyland Fire as gusts fanned the fire July 28. The crew arrived in Montana two days earlier. This was the first fire they’d seen since arriving. David Erickson / Whitefish Pilot
By RICHARD HANNERS
Whitefish Pilot
Several weeks of extreme hot weather, plumes of smoke visible from the Flathead Valley and the sound of fire-retardant bombers are sure signs the fire season has come to Northwest Montana.
Twenty-four miles of U.S. Highway 2 was closed Saturday morning, from East Glacier to the Middle Fork campground, after the Skyland Fire escaped control lines and began rapidly moving in an easterly and northeasterly direction. The lightning-caused fire was first detected July 23.
The highway opened and closed since then as the Skyland Fire grew to about 16,000 acres by Tuesday morning. Flames had moved within half a mile of the highway in places, and two people were transported to Kalispell Regional Medial Center after a contract support-vehicle rolled over.
About 500 firefighters were assigned to the Skyland Fire, which was active on all fronts. Firefighting costs were estimated at $1.5 million.
With the two-mile wide, 12-mile long fire threatening Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation — including the town of Heart Butte, 14 miles away — the Skyland Fire was elevated to top priority status in the U.S.
West of Whitefish, the Brush Creek Fire grew so quickly over the weekend that Flathead National Forest information officer Teresa Wenum was inundated by phone calls from surprised and concerned Flathead residents.
The lightning-caused fire was discovered Friday, July 27, about 14 miles due west of the Tally Lake Campground after it had burned about two acres. It sent up a high plume of smoke on Sunday afternoon, and easterly winds carried the smoke to the Whitefish Range, creating spectacular sunsets.
Fire crews were pulled away from the fire on Sunday because of the extreme conditions. The fire was spotting up to a quarter mile away and made a run up Sheppard Mountain, moving in a northeasterly direction. Firefighters were unable to stop the fire from crossing the Brush Creek Divide into the Kootenai National Forest by Tuesday.
The Brush Creek Fire was active Monday night and had burned about 2,200 acres. Three 20-man fire crews were setting up anchor points from which to start building fire lines. A Type 2 incident team was expected to arrive soon.
The Sylvia Lake Campground, about three miles southeast of the Brush Creek Divide, was closed, as were several forest roads in the area. No structures were threatened.
With the airport in Missoula closed for runway repairs, fire-retardant bomber operations were moved north to Glacier Park International Airport. The bombers were being directed to fires regionwide.
Other area fires include:
? The Ahorn Fire, about 35 miles west of Augusta in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The lightning-caused fire was first detected July 11. It had grown to more than 45,000 acres by Monday.
More than 350 firefighters were on the scene and had the fire about 21 percent contained. Cost is estimated at $4.7 million.
? The lightning-caused Fool Creek Fire, first detected July 4, is located about 36 miles west of Choteau. By Monday, the fire had grown to nearly 11,000 acres.
Seventy-five firefighters were at the fire, and costs were estimated at $1.2 million.
? The Garceau Fire, about 11 miles southwest of Polson, had burned more than 3,000 acres by Monday.
About 300 firefighters, with support from CL-215 "Super Scooper" planes using water from Flathead Lake, had the fire about 50 percent contained. Costs were estimated at $1.6 million.
? A one-acre fire about one mile south of Red Meadow Lake was discovered July 30. Eight smokejumpers and several helicopters responded quickly to the site.
? The Kerr Fire, about two miles east of Kerr Mountain near Blacktail Mountain, had burned about half an acre by July 30.
Three engines, a bulldozer and a heavy helicopter quickly contained the fire. The cause is under investigation.
? The Cold Fire, about seven miles northeast of Condon in the Mission Mountains, was detected July 18 and had burned about two acres on a high rocky slope by July 30.
? Two fires were detected deep within the Bob Marshall Wilderness on July 28. Four smokejumpers responded to the Little Salmon Fire, while the Amphitheater Mountain Fire near the White River was reported at about 10 acres.
? The Meriwether Fire, in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness north of Helena, rapidly expanded under extreme conditions, reaching nearly 15,000 acres by Monday. Some nearby residents were ordered to evacuate.
? Evacuations were ordered west of Phillipsburg as the Wyman 2 Fire grew to more than 1,000 acres with erratic winds reported.
? A 1,000-acre fire east of Clinton was believed to be human-caused.
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