A massive lightning storm swept through Northwest Montana last week, sparking numerous wildfires across the region, including a 23-acre blaze near Polebridge and two large incidents on the Flathead Reservation.
Crews with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes attacked a 257-acre fire near Elmo over the weekend while another 140-acre blaze continues to burn near Perma, according to tribal fire managers.
With the arrival of hot, dry temperatures and persistent lightning, local fire managers moved the fire danger to “high” and are encouraging residents to remain cautious in the outdoors, report any smoke sightings and to avoid illegal debris burning.
“We’re expecting more lightning and continued warming and drying over the next few days and some more of those lightning hold-overs will likely start popping up,” said Ali Ulwelling, fire prevention specialist with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in Kalispell.
Fire crews in Kalispell responded to eight fires last weekend, mostly west of town. Initial attack resources successfully kept each of the incidents small, but more activity is expected in the coming days.
“We got hammered with lightning,” Ulwelling said.
Here’s a roundup of large fires in the area:
Hay Creek Complex
Twelve separate fires sparked on the Glacier View Ranger District following a series of lightning storms, and one fire grew to 23 acres in the mountains north of Polebridge.
A total of 145 personnel from various agencies, including five 20-man crews, four helicopters and a fleet of single engine air tankers, attacked the Hay Creek Complex and had successfully contained half of the largest fire by Aug. 4. The Glacier View and Hungry Horse Ranger District was set to take over management and mop-up of the incidents Aug. 5, according to Karen Sargeant, public information officer for the complex.
The separate fires ranged in size from 0.1 acres to 8 acres. The largest fire burned in steep, rugged terrain near Nasukoin Mountain, just northwest of Polebridge.
Due to the close proximity of the fires, incident managers organized their resources into a Type 3 Management Team, combing interagency crews into a unified organization.
The remoteness of these fires kept the Hay Creek Complex from interfering with any regular forest operations and public recreational opportunities. There were no area or trail closures during this time as all of the fires were in remote locations.
Sargeant said if the fires had occurred closer to the end of the season, they possible could have been used as resource benefit fires and allowed to burn naturally.
Lozeau Fire
As the longtime operations specialist for fire management on the Flathead Reservation, Bob McCrea has wrangled his fair share of wildfires.
With his lengthy record of experience, it might seem normal to catch a 257-acre fire in less than 24 hours with barely a handful of resources. But it’s not.
The Lozeau Fire sparked Aug. 1, about five miles west of Elmo, right along the reservation border with Flathead County. When it was reported to dispatch late Friday night, it was 2 acres. McCrae, a veteran firefighter with the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes, organized three Type 6 fire engines and two “skidgeons” — a cross between a bulldozer and a fire engine — and responded. They spent all night at the fire and by the next morning it had made a massive run through 60 acres of timber and extended into the dry, flashy grasslands, becoming 257.
Nevertheless, by noon Saturday, McCrae and his initial attack crew had successfully wrangled most of the blaze and halted the spread.
“They caught it the next morning and the lines have held,” said Ron Swaney, manager of the CSKT Fire Management Division. “They did a real good job keeping it pretty well in hand.”
Crews were continuing to suppress the fire late Aug. 4, but it was being transitioned from a Type 3 incident to a Type 4, Swaney said.
Another fire continues to burn in steep, rugged terrain near Ninemile Divide on the reservation, close to Perma and the Flathead River. The fire, which sparked July 17, has grown to 140 acres. Smoke jumpers were deployed on the incident but then pulled out as a safety measure due to dangerous conditions.
Crews continue to monitor the fire, which is burning in a remote section of land toward Seepay Creek, Swaney said.
Another fire, named the Thompson River Complex, is burning on the Lolo National Forest west of the reservation. It is comprised of four fires encompassing 110 acres.
Swaney said the forecast shows more lightning, and crews are staying prepared for the busy emergence of fire season.