Afternoon winds kicked up fires Wednesday in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Swan Valley.
In the Bob Marshall Wilderness two fires burned out of control, but due to their remoteness Flathead National Forest officials were allowing them to burn, with the exception of protecting various ranger stations and access to the westside of the South Fork. By Thursday morning the Big Salmon Lake Fire had grown from 730 to 2,000 acres. To the south, the Hammer Creek Fire had doubled in size from 500 to 1,000 acres, according to Spotted Bear Ranger District’s Deb Mucklow.
Meanwhile, seven miles east of Swan Lake the South Fork Lost Creek Fire grew to 608 acres, according to Pat Cross, fire information officer for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Cross said crews were building fire lines that would prevent it from spreading west toward Swan Lake, adding that there was currently no immediate threat to the public.
One firefighter was injured Monday and had to be taken to the hospital for a dislocated shoulder. But Cross said the firefighter returned to limited duty on Tuesday.
Cross said the South Fork Lost Creek Fire’s growth can be attributed to a combination of warm weather and afternoon wind. Helicopters were originally deemed unnecessary to fight the fire on Wednesday, but that soon changed late in the afternoon as the fire spread west on a high ridge.
“At this point the fire is burning in a perfect direction, in a steep and remote area,” he said. Currently 189 personal are assigned to the fire.
According to Mucklow, there were fewer people on the other two fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness; 12 on the Big Salmon Lake Fire and 24 on the Hammer Creek Fire. Their job was to protect ranger stations in the wilderness and prevent people from entering closed areas. Mucklow urged people who were planning to visit the Bob Marshall Wilderness to call the Forest Service ahead of time to see which areas were closed to the public.
Mucklow said due to the size and remoteness of both fires, the Forest Service expected them to burn for a while.
“They’re not going out over night,” she said.
According to the National Weather Service in Missoula temperatures are to remain in the 70s for the rest of the week, but things could heat up over the weekend. Winds were also expected to remain relatively calm until Monday.
“Unless we get some freak wind it looks like pretty good fire fighting weather,” Cross said.