Siegel fire in patrol status

The Siegel Fire that erupted last week Monday is now in the monitoring status as the majority of the flames have been contained.

The Siegel Fire that erupted last week Monday is now in the monitoring status as the majority of the flames have been contained.

The 124-acre wildland fire, that broke out at the mouth of Siegel Creek, a quarter mile off of Highway 135, raged for approximately five days before the fire was contained by fire crews.

There are areas of the fire that will continue to show smoke throughout the summer until the available fuels are consumed. The expectation is that on hot, dry days, especially when there are winds, smoke will be seen from the interior areas of the fire. The fire will be well interior of control lines, however.

The areas that may continue to smoke are areas where the terrain is too steep and rugged to safely allow firefighters to operate. Helicopters will be used to perform bucket drops on these areas of the fire as needed over the summer.

The Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District personnel will regularly patrol the fire area throughout the summer. If local residences have questions or concerns they can contact Randy Hojem, Plains/Thompson Falls District Ranger at (406) 826-3821.

The fire was caused by an abandoned campfire from a dispersed camping site located one quarter mile up the Siegel Creek Road sometime between Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18. Fire officials are asking anyone with information on the cause of the fire to call the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District at (406) 826-3821.

The Lolo National Forest would like to remind everyone to make sure that all campfires are properly put out before leaving a campsite. Presently, conditions are drying out and with any winds, such as those yesterday, campfire sparks can quickly ignite the nearby vegetation.