Half a dozen new fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

The Flathead National Forest reports half a dozen new fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, all small, caused by recent lightning storms. Meanwhile, older fires in the wilderness area continue to smolder and creep along.

The Bartlett Basin Fire was detected on Aug. 31 at the head of Bartlett Creek about nine miles west of Big Prairie Ranger Station. That’s about midway between Benchmark and Holland Lake, in the middle of the Bob.

The Gorge Point Fire was detected on Sept. 1 on a ridge between Gorge and Cannon creeks. That’s a few miles east of Swan Peak on the western edge of the Bob.

Both the Bartlett Basin Fire and the Gorge Point Fire are considered spot fires, and no smoke was detected from them during a Sept. 2 flight.

Forest officials also reported three lightning-caused fires in the northern part of the Bob with an associated trail closure. The three fires started during a storm on Aug. 29.

The quarter-acre Devil Creek Fire is burning about four miles south of the Devil Creek Campground on U.S. 2, and the 10-acre Mount Bradley Fire is about three miles further south. Part of the Bradley Mountain Trail No. 323 is closed.

The 15-acre Bergsicker Fire is about four miles east of the Hungry Horse Reservoir on the east side of Mount Baptiste. Smoke from this fire may be visible to boaters on the reservoir.

The 372-acre Rock Creek Fire is burning a few miles east of the northern end of the Chinese Wall near Spotted Bear Pass on the Rocky Mountain Front. Forest officials have closed portions of Spotted Bear River Trail No. 83, and Juliet Creek Trail No. 112.

Other fires burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness include:

• The Red Shale Fire, on the Rocky Front, was first reported by the Beartop Lookout on July 18. It continues to burn about 37 miles west of Choteau and had grown to about 12,379 acres by Sept. 2.

The fire is burning west of the North Fork of the Sun River and north of Red Shale and Gates creeks in steep, rugged terrain previously burned in the 1988 Gates Park Fire.

• The Damnation Fire was detected Aug. 11 and was started by lightning. It’s burning east side of the South Fork of the Flathead River and about four miles south of Black Bear Cabin.

The fire covered about 500 acres on Aug. 16 but had grown to about 7,824 acres by Sept. 2. The fire is burning in the Damnation and Lewis creeks drainages in areas burned by the Lewis Fire in 2000.

• The Snow Creek Fire was detected Aug. 11 and was started by lightning. It grew from about 88 acres on Aug. 25 to 130 acres by Sept. 2.

The fire is burning about one mile south of the Black Bear Cabin on the west side of the South Fork of the Flathead River. The fire is in steep, rocky terrain at high elevation, moving slowly and being allowed to play its natural role in wilderness.

• The tenth of an acre Pagoda Fire on the south side of Pagoda Mountain, about seven miles east-southeast of Black Bear Cabin, grew to about 10 acres by Sept. 2.

• The tenth of an acre Hodag Fire is burning about a mile north of the Black Bear Cabin on the east side of the South Fork of the Flathead River. The fire grew to 29 acres by Sept. 2.

• The Deer Creek Fire, about 6 miles northeast of the Meadow Creek Campground, remained under half an acre by Sept. 2.

• The one-acre Combat Fire was detected Aug. 27 in the Little Salmon Drainage about eight miles west of the South Fork of the Flathead River. Six smokejumpers were on scene and it was dead out by Aug. 30.

• The half-acre Goat Ridge fire is in the Snow Creek drainage and will be managed along with the Snow Creek Fire. It has seen little growth.

• The tenth-acre Stadium Creek Fire is located about seven miles west of Black Bear Cabin. It has seen little growth.

• In the Swan Lake Ranger District, the lightning-caused Scout Lake Fire had grown to seven acres by Aug. 25. Located about 12 miles southeast of Swan Lake and three miles south of Napa Lookout, the Scout Lake Fire was first detected Aug. 21.

The Flathead Forest is not currently under fire restriction regulations, but fire danger is high. Flathead Forest officials remind visitors that as firefighting resources are needed to respond to natural wildfires, it becomes even more important for everyone to be thoughtful and careful in their use of fire in the forest.

For more information about these fires and others in Montana, visit online at www.inciweb.org.