Lozeau Bridge Fire required devoted resources

UPDATE: Woodland said the fire was started by a welding operation on the Lozeau Bridge. Earlier reports stated a firefighter was possibly injured. It was later determined one of the firefighters from SVFD was suffering from heat exhaustion and was treated and released.

Woodland said the man was injured attempting to put out the blaze and that’s when other resources were called in to deal with the situation. Woodland said once the fire got into the dry grass under the bridge, it started to spread from there aided by the weather.

“Along the riverbank, there is pretty decent wind all of the time,” Woodland said. “It was also an area where we had steep banks. As soon as it got started, it was ripping up those banks. When we arrived on scene, with the wind and as dry as it’s been, it was spreading fast.”

Woodland said by the time firefighters were on site, the fire was already burning one structure and a calculated decision had to be made to protect other structures nearby. Woodland said by sacrificing an unoccupied structure that was already on fire, firefighters were able to concentrate their suppression efforts and save other structures.

“We made the decision to not put that one out and to protect another trailer that was only feet away,” Woodland. “We felt if we devoted resources to the first one, we probably would’ve lost them all.”

The fire chief said, ultimately, the fire required additional resources including a helicopter making water drops to put the fire out. He said because of the steepness of the banks where the fire was spreading, the only way to tackle the fire was with a helicopter.

Woodland credited his volunteers, the Forest Service and the St. Regis Volunteer Fire Department with ensuring the potentially problematic fire did not cause more damage.

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Two structures lost, one firefighter possibly injured in Lozeau Bridge Fire

MINERAL COUNTY –Two structures have been lost to a fire burning three miles northwest of Tarkio in the Quartz Flats. The fire, located approximately 15 miles east of Superior, threatened several other structures and could be seen consuming numerous debris piles near homes.

According to a press release, the structures appeared to be unoccupied, abandoned trailers.

The fire, named the Lozeau Bridge Fire, is over 10 acres in size.

Initial attack resources from the Forest Service and the Superior Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call from a resident nearby around 2:30 p.m. Friday, August 1.

By the time first responders arrived on the scene, the fire was burning on the south side of Interstate 90 causing decreased visibility for highway traffic.

While FS personnel attacked the fire along the highway, SVFD firefighters concentrated their efforts on structure protection around several homes adjacent to one that was burning.  FS firefighters could also be seen behind the fire building a fireline to prevent the flames from spreading further.

Residents from a home across the street from the burning structure could be seen evacuating animals. It was not known whether they were ordered to do so by fire personnel or left on their own volition. One of the residents said she was evacuating her rabbits.

At approximately 3:15 p.m. a call came over the radio requesting the Superior ambulance service to respond to a report of an injured firefighter. It could not be immediately confirmed who was injured or what had happened.

The fire is actively burning because of gusty winds. Aircraft, including three helicopters, are working to suppress the fire, as well as the Howard Creek Fire burning in the Missoula Ranger District.

The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time. More details will be released as they become available.

Mineral Independent Editor Justyna Tomtas contributed to this piece.