Winds raising concerns for firefighters

A new fire was detected in the northern end of the Bob Marshall Wilderness this week. The two-tenths of an acre Wall Creek Fire was spotted by a fire lookout on Sept. 10 near Bungalow Mountain, in the Wall Creek drainage.

High winds across the Flathead National Forest has been a concern for fire officials. Wind prevented crews from engaging in initial attack on the Wall Creek Fire.

Wind also fanned the Condon Mountain Fire on the Swan Lake Ranger District on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8-9. Very low relative humidity combined with west winds of 5 to 7 mph and gusts of about 17 mph contributed to increased fire activity in Condon Creek and short-range spotting to the east up Condon Creek.

On Sunday, the 1,952-acre fire remained active and burned 10 to 15 acres south across Condon Creek to the south. The number one priority continues to be public and firefighter safety. Fire officials expect that under the influence of these west winds, the Condon Mountain Fire will continue to grow to the east and south along Condon Creek.

For more information, visit online at http://inciweb.org or call the Swan Lake Ranger District at 837-7500, the DNRC Swan River State Forest at 754-2301 or the Swan Ecosystem Center at 754-3137.