Crews Make Progress on Skillet Fire as Smoke Clears and Weather Cools
The fire’s containment rose to 39% as air quality has “improved significantly statewide” over the past 24 hours.
By Lauren Frick
Firefighting teams continue to make progress on the 3,383-acre Skillet Fire west of Olney as cooler weather and a break in dense smoke that has persisted over the last week have aided in fire suppression efforts.
As of Tuesday morning, the fire’s containment rose to 39% as air quality has “improved significantly statewide” over the past 24 hours, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Aug. 13 smoke forecast.
Relief from the smoke is expected to continue, and by Friday afternoon, the DEQ’s Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) smoke model shows less surface smoke over the state “thanks to clouds, cooler air and much-needed precipitation.”
On Wednesday, heavy equipment created access routes into difficult-to-reach sections of the Skillet Fire perimeter, but crews had to come off the line due to lightning and thunderstorms.
“Crews continue to add containment as they make progress on many sections of the fire,” an update from Great Basin Incident Management Team 7 stated. “The southern and eastern edges remain a priority, with the East Fork Fire scar providing a valuable holding feature to the north.”
With smoke moving out of the area, air resources were able to provide support early in the day on Wednesday until storms came into the area later in the afternoon. UAS modules continue to support crews in finding hot spots around the fire’s edge.
Weather permitting, heavy equipment work will continue Thursday to provide ground crews with access, and hose lays are being built on the northeastern edge of the fire to support crews in connecting pieces of constructed line. Hand crews will also work on the eastern edge of the fire to connect hand line to the mechanical line.
“These lines are cutting off fire progression in finger-like lines off the main body of the fire,” the update stated.
Evacuation orders were downgraded to a warning for the Good Creek, Alder Creek, and Greg Creek areas last week.
Closure orders for the Flathead and Kootenai National Forests remain in effect to provide for public and firefighter safety during ongoing fire suppression and repair activities. A security checkpoint will remain in place to ensure that only residents and property owners are allowed access into the closed area. The closure includes roads, trailheads, trails, day-use areas, and campgrounds — the current closure order can be found here.