Drumming Fire grows to 3,000 acres in Bob Marshall Wilderness

Hungry Horse News

Fires in and near the Bob Marshall Wilderness have grown in the past week. The Drumming Fire south of Marias Pass is now 3,000 acres. As a result, trails in the area are closed and an air quality monitor has been set up downwind in Heart Butte on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

On Sept. 5, a reconnaissance flight found the fire had spilled over the divide at Lodgepole Creek. It’s burning in a 30-year-old previous burn with plenty of downed fuels.

Fire managers say the the 2015 Family Peak burn and 2017 Crucifixion burn provide significant barriers to this spread toward the east.

Still, several trails are closed in the area. Trail #103 is closed from Big Lodge Mountain Pass to the intersection of North Badger Creek and Kip Creek Trail #142. Trail #145 is closed from the intersection of Trail #103 at North Badger Creek to the intersection of South Badger Creek and Trail #104. Trail #147 is closed from Muskrat Pass north of Beaver Lake to the intersection of Trail #145. Trail #146 is closed from the intersection of South Badger Creek to Trail #147.

The Garnet Fire near Big Salmon Lake is now 575 acres and the Lion Creek Fire is 175 acres, though Lion Creek hasn’t been mapped in several days.

Lion Creek is near Lion Creek Pass in the Swan Valley.

Both fires have resulted in broad closures from Lion Creek over the Swan Divide to Big Salmon Lake, though the main routes in the South Fork remain open.

Both fires haven’t grown significantly.

Rain and cooler weather Monday should help stem the blazes a bit more, though the remainder of this week is expected to be warm and dry.

For complete closure listings and to follow the fires, go to: inciweb.nwcg. gov