Thompson River Complex grows to over 1,600 acres
UPDATE:
PLAINS – The Thompson River Complex has reached a size of over 1,600 acres and has dropped to a 15 percent containment level.
The complex now has a fourth fire within the complex, called the Sleepy Gulch Fire. The fire was detected on Aug. 12 approximately 1.5 miles northeast from the Clark Memorial.
The Koo-Koo-Sint and Spruce fires remain to burn, while the Marmot Fire, a spot fire detected near the Spruce Fire, also burns.
The low-pressure weather system that came into the area yesterday helped firefighters keep fire behavior to a minimum and also allowed firefighters on the Spruce and Marmot fires to construct direct hand lines in several areas. The weather system dropped over one-quarter inch of rain over most of the fires.
Crews continued to improve the line along Sundance Ridge, east of the Spruce Fire perimeter, as part of their long-term planning.
As of today, approximately 45 percent of the Koo-Koo-Sint Fire perimeter is now considered secure containment line, stated a press release from the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team.
Mop up activities continue on all flanks, while firefighters have begun rehabilitating some of the northern fire lines with the installation of water bars.
Line construction was completed around most of the Sleepy Gulch Fire with the help of the weather.
Early Friday morning infrared detection flights indicated isolated interior hot spots. Due to the hot spots, crews will continue securing the Sleepy Gulch containment line.
Currently 519 personnel are assigned to the fire, including 14, 20-person hand crews. There are 11 helicopters and four single-engine air tankers available as needed, along with three dozers, 11 water tenders and 22 engines.
The following roads and areas remain closed: Koo-Koo-Sint Trail #445, access road #18765, Big Spruce Creek Trail #1102, Sundance Ridge Trail #443, and West Fork Thompson River Road #603.
A Temporary Flight Restriction remains in effect surrounding the fire area.
Cooperating agencies consist of the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office, Sanders County Office of Emergency Management, Sanders County Commissioners, Montana Highway Patrol and Montana Department of Transportation.
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THOMPSON FALLS – The Thompson River Complex has grown in size again and was estimated to be at 819 acres by Thursday afternoon. A Type 2 Incident Management Team has moved into the area to begin the transition phase.
The four original fires have now merged into two fires – the Koo-Koo-Sint fire and the Spruce Creek fire, although the acreage increased over 200 acres. Currently a total of 12 private structures, and eight outbuildings could possibly be affected.
“Planned activity today includes the construction of line around these private structures,” stated U.S. Forest Service Public Information Officer John Hamilton in a press release.
The Type 2 Incident Management Team will give the crews more depth from a staffing standpoint and will allow local Forest Service personnel to focus on other fires that may arise in the area.
A meeting was held on Thursday night in Thompson Falls to address public safety concerns and to provide the local community with an update.
According to Randy Hojem, district ranger for Plains/Thompson Falls area, the community should expect to see smoke and fire activity through the months of September and maybe even into October.
“What it’s going to take for both of these fires to go out is a season ending event,” Hojem explained. “We’re going to have smoke in the air here until September and October most likely.”
The goal, Hojem explained, was to get the fire boxed in, allowing the flames to consume all the available fuel in the area.
The steep, rugged terrain has made fighting the fires difficult. Due to safety concerns, Hojem said he did not feel comfortable putting firefighters into much of the country affected.
“If you are not aware, our first priority on any fire is firefighter and public safety,” Hojem said. “I’m not going to put anyone in a spot where they have to use propel ropes to hang on the cliff to try to get a fire out.”
Type 3 Incident Commander trainee Ryan Butler stated the Spruce Creek fire is in an area where if anyone got injured, their only way out would be to winch the firefighter up with a helicopter.
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s no way to do business,” Butler said.
The Koo-Koo-Sint fire is currently very visible from Highway 200 and is the one most people in the area are seeing. The Spruce Creek fire is located approximately eight miles north.
The crews did pick up a small spot fire near the Spruce Creek fire yesterday; however, Butler assured the Chief Mountain Hot Shots went in and mopped up the area.
Currently the objective is to hold the Spruce Creek Fire to the West Fork Road. Butler said engines are currently stationed in the area to make this possible.
As for the Koo-Koo-Sint fire, the objective is to keep the flames to the south side of Koo-Koo-Sint Ridge. The crews utilized helicopters and retardant on the ridge yesterday in order to keep the fire where they want it.
Today three hotshot crews will be headed into the area to tie the fire down into the steep cliffs, hopefully confining it into a particular area.
“We think that’s doable. I think that’s the best bet to keep it as small as possible, but the concern which will be there for a while is the cliffs here at the bottom,” Butler explained. The cliffs are full of dead trees and the possibility for those to burnout and then fall down the steep sides is a concern.
Currently six engines are stationed in the area during the day, while four are stationed there during the night.
“Anything that falls out they’ll hit with their engines,” Butler said. “We’re utilizing helicopters during the day to kind of stop anything that backs down towards the highway.”
According to Hojem, the amount of aircraft now on the fire is unusual. Because of the lack of fire activity in the state of Montana, orders for both aircraft and crews were filled more readily than in a typical year.
Although the fire is burning through a lot of countryside, Hojem stated that it’s doing ok from a habitat standpoint.
“It’s going to be really good for the sheep up there following this,” Hojem said.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions were enacted on Thursday, Aug. 7 and Hojem stated that if the weather patterns continue on as they have, Stage 2 Fire Restrictions might be in the not so distant future.
“My crystal ball isn’t very good on when we are going to get there, but if it stays like this it’s a pretty high likelihood that at some point this month we will (enact Stage 2 Fire Restrictions),” Hojem stated.
A major concern for the departments involved is Highway 200 and the potential of rolling debris from the Koo-Koo-Sint fire to interfere with traffic. Reader boards have been posted east and west of the fire and the public is urged to not stop along the highway, as stopping or slowing down could pose a hazard to motorists and fire traffic.
Yesterday forest road No. 603 was closed in the West Fork of the Thompson River drainage, where the Spruce fire is burning. Forest trails Nos. 445 (Koo-Koo-Sint) and 1102 (Big Spruce) remain to be closed to the public.
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UPDATE: Fires merge in Thompson River Complex, acres total 603
PLAINS – The Koo-Koo-Sint fires have merged after 25 to 30 mile per hour winds, 95-degree weather and 15 percent relative humidity came together to create perfect conditions for the fire to grow.
The Thompson River Complex is now estimated at 603 acres over all and is staffed by 132 personnel. Helicopters dropping water and retardant planes have also been hard at work on the Koo-Koo-Sint fires.
The complex, which also includes the Spruce Creek and Spruce Creek 2 fires, is being managed by a Type 3 incident management team organization based out of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District office in Plains, stated a press release.
This morning the teams worked to reassess the situation.
No structures, people or property are currently threatened.
The fires within the complex are very visible from Highway 200 and personnel urge the public to not stop and look at the fire from the highway. Distracted drivers have created a potential safety hazard for both the public and responders.
The Montana Department of Transportation has placed two electronic message-boards to warn motorists of possible rolling debris. The signs are located both east and west of the fire.
A public meeting will be held at the Thompson Falls Community Center at 8 p.m. and both personnel from the fire and the Plains/Thompson Falls District Ranger will be in attendance to answer questions and provide background on the current situation.
Trail No. 445 (Koo-Koo-Sint trail), Trail No. 1102 (Big Spruce Creek trail), and road No. 7668 (in the vicinity of the Spruce Creek fires) are closed due to fire activity.
The complex fires were all caused by lightning and discovered Aug. 1 after a series of storms made their way through the area.
The U.S. Forest Service reminds everyone that Stage 1 fire restrictions were put in place today.
The restrictions apply to campfires and smoking. Campfires are prohibited on both stated and federal lands unless they are in a designated campfire ring in a developed site, listed by the appropriate land management agency.
Counties allow campfires under certain conditions, and it is your responsibility to know what they are before you light a campfire. By state law, a campfire is defined as “a fire set for cooking, warming, or ceremonial purposes; not more than 3 feet in diameter or height; void of overhanging branches; with all combustible material cleared at least 1-1/2 times the diameter of the fire; or a barbecue in a noncombustible container.”
Smoking is prohibited unless within an enclosed vehicle, building, or in an area three feet in diameter, that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
The restrictions apply to any lands outside of designated city limits, regardless of ownership. The restrictions will remain in effect until there is a significant long-term change in fire danger, stated a press release.
The following locations are approved for campfires during Stage 1 Fire Restrictions: Cascade Campground, Copper King Campground, Clark Memorial Campground, West Fork Fishtrap Creek Campground, Fishtrap Lake Campground, Gold Rush Campground, Finley Flats Campground (Avista), Montana State Campground (Birdland Bay area).
Campfires are allowed in these locations only if the campfire rings are either concrete, metal culvert rings, or iron grate type rings. Fire rings constructed of rock at any of the above locations are not approved for fire during Stage 1 Fire Restrictions.
Jurisdictions of Stage 1 Fire Restrictions include: the Bitterroot National Forest, the Lolo National Forest, the Flathead Indian Reservation, MT-DNRC Southwestern Land Office, Missoula Field Office BLM, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Region 2, Counties: Mineral, Missoula, Powell (north of I-90 and Hwy 12), Ravalli, Sanders, county south of the Kootenai National Forest, and Lake County only within Flathead Indian Reservation, the City of Missoula within open spaces and conservation lands, property within city limits in the Area are exempt from the order, Granite County has not implemented restrictions at this time.
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UPDATE: Crews make progress on Thompson River Complex
PLAINS – The four fires that make up the Thompson River Complex now span a combined 193 acres, but despite the larger perimeters, crews have been able to contain the fire at 18 percent.
The fires are located on very steep slopes, with poor ground access. After establishing several helispots, crews have been able to attack from the ground and 152 personnel are currently assigned to the complex.
In the north portion of the complex, Spruce Creek and Spruce Creek 2 fires have been reduced to smoldering and creeping. Managers are now able to focus more of their efforts on the Koo-Koo-Sint 1 and 2 fires, the larger two of the complex.
Koo-Koo-Sint 1 is now 112 acres, while Koo-Koo-Sint 2 is at 42 acres. The fires continue to advance downhill towards the valley bottom due to rolling debris, stated a press release distributed by John Hamilton with the U.S. Forest Service.
The fires advanced further downhill yesterday endangering four primary residences, eight outbuildings, a BPA powerline, a major railroad line and Highway 200. All of these sites are been closely monitored and continually assessed.
Motorists are recommended to resist the urge to stop in the roadway or otherwise interfere with the ongoing fire operations.
Thompson River Complex personnel aided in the staffing of a new fired discovered in the Goat Creek area last night. Personnel is working in conjunction with the Plains Dispatch Center.
Helicopters continue to perform water drops and single engine air tankers continue to work the fires, supporting the crews on the ground.
The following trails and roads remain closed:
Forest trail Nos. 442 (Koo-Koo-Sint), 1102 (Big Spruce Creek), and No. 7668 in the Spruce Creek fire area.
The main West Fork of Thompson River road (No. 603) remains open to the public, although fire traffic may be present in the area.
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An update from the U.S. Forest Service:
PLAINS – Crews supported by helicopters and airplane retardant drops worked on gaining a foothold on fires involved in the Thompson River Complex yesterday, August 4.
With the successful construction of helispots close to the fires’ perimeters, managers have gained the ability to ferry ground crews into these fires, which are quite difficult to access otherwise. Once crews were in place on the fires, helicopters were then used to make water drops from buckets , in conjunction with the airplane retardant operations, to aid in control efforts.
A total of 151 personnel are assigned to the complex, with 142 of those on ground crews actively attempting to suppress the fires.
Although the Thompson River Complex was listed at 110 acres, that acreage figure is actually low and a reconnaissance flight is planned during today’s operational period to reassess total complex acreage.
Two forest trails affected by these complex fires – the Koo-Koo-Sint trail (No. 445) and the Big Spruce Creek trail (No. 1102) - have been temporarily closed by a Lolo National Forest order. The West Fork of Thompson River road (No. 603), which accesses several recreational areas, remains open to the public, although there may be some fire traffic occurring on that road and forest users should use caution.
The Koo-Koo-Sint fires are burning in steep, rocky terrain above the Clark Fork Valley, a major travel route in western Montana.
As a result, values at risk continue to be evaluated in that area. Four primary residences and eight outbuildings have been identified and are relatively close to the fire, as well as a BPA powerline, Highway 200 and a major railroad line. The flow and safety of traffic on the highway remains as an important concern.
The Montana Department of Transportation has posted large electronic signs west and east of the fire area warning passing motorists of possible rolling debris on Highway 200.
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UPDATE: Twenty-six fires burn in PDC
PLAINS – The Plains Dispatch Center has been busy responding to a series of mostly lightning-caused wildfires over the past several days. The PDC is responsible for managing wildfires in the Thompson Falls, Plains and Superior areas.
By Sunday afternoon 26 mostly small blazes have been or are currently being staffed or assessed for staffing after several lightning storms passed through the area over the past few days. Most of those fires have been contained and others controlled, but several are still being worked on. Currently, no structures or residences are being threatened.
The PDC has utilized a multi-agency combination of aircraft, engines and ground support to initial attack these fires. The U.S. Forest Service, the Montana DNRC and the Bureau of Indian Affairs organizations are all contributing to this ongoing suppression effort.
Helicopters and tanker planes have greatly aided fire control efforts and several 20-man crews and other personnel have been assisting local firefighters.
The most problematic fires sparked by the recent lightning storms are located in the Thompson River drainage east of the community of Thompson Falls. Two of those fires are on Koo-Koo-Sint Ridge and the other two are in the Spruce Creek drainage about eight miles north of the Koo-Koo-Sint fires.
Due to steep, rugged terrain and firefighter safety and access concerns, the decision was made to combine these four fires under one command, which has been named the Thompson River Complex.
The complex is being managed locally by an incident command team consisting of personnel mostly from the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, although other specialists have also been called in.
The fires on Koo-Koo-Sint Ridge, called Koo-Koo-Sint #1 (currently estimated at 48 acres) and Koo-Koo-Sint #2 (24 acres) are very visible to passing motorists on Highways 56 and 200. The other two fires in the complex are named Spruce Creek (24 acres) and Spruce Creek #2 (14 acres), and are several miles up the West Fork of Thompson River drainage.
U.S. Forest Service trail Nos. 445 (the Koo-Koo-Sint trail) and 1102 (the Big Spruce trail) have been closed to public use until further notice due to the fires.
These fires could be expected to be relatively long-term events if the weather does not change, Plains/Thompson Falls District Ranger Randy Hojem said, citing the extreme terrain involved and the difficulty in accessing those areas.
“We’ve had a busy last few days and have been catching most of our fires so far,” Hojem said, “but the fires in the Thompson River Complex could be a challenge, and may be burning for quite a while.
“These fires are located in very rugged terrain with poor access and firefighter safety will not be compromised,” he added. Passing motorists will likely be able to see the Koo-Koo-Sint fires for several weeks.
Given the challenges, managers continue to devise a containment strategy for the Thompson River Complex, which currently does not threaten any structures or infrastructure.
Of the 26 wildfires since Aug. 30, three are listed as human-caused and the other 23 were ignited by a series of lightning storms that passed through the area over the past several days.
Stage 1 fire restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, August 7 in west-central Montana. The restrictions will apply to campfires and outdoor smoking.
“This season, wildland fire agencies have responded to well over 70 human-caused fires in the area, ranging from unattended campfires to carelessly thrown cigarette butts to towing chains dragging on the highway, fireworks, and welding,” stated a press release released by the Northern Rockies Coordination Group for the west-central Montana area. “Firefighters are busy enough dealing with lightning strikes - they don’t need the threat from human-caused fires in such numbers. Fire season is just beginning to heat up, fire danger indices next week are forecasted to be extreme.”
When restrictions are implement, campfires will be prohibited unless they are in a designated ring in a developed site, listed by the appropriate management agency or the county in which a person resides. The press release stated that if you are unsure of any restrictions, contact your local fire department for more information.
Smoking will also be prohibited unless it is within an enclosed vehicle, within a building, or outside in an area three feet in diameter, that is cleared of all flammable materials or barren.
“These restrictions apply to any lands outside of city limits. The restrictions will remain in effect until there is a significant long-term change in fire danger,” stated the press release.
The PDC remains ready to respond to any new fire starts. Lookouts and fire detection flights are being used to search for any possible lightning hold-over fires.
Specific information regarding fire restrictions for your community can be found at www.firerestrictions.us.
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Ranger districts respond to 20 new fires
The Plains-Thompson Falls and Superior Ranger Districts yesterday responded to 18 new lightning-started fires and two human-caused fires.
Plains-Thompson Falls District had ten of these fires and several of them are expected to be active today.
The Superior Ranger District had success on all of their fires though many remain in mop-up or patrol status. There have been no structures threatened by any of these fires but the Plains-Thompson Falls fires have been producing smoke visiblefrom Thompson Falls and to motorists travelling on Highway 200.
Two fires are burning on south facing slopes in steep, rocky terrain above the highway about seven miles east of Thompson Falls on the north side of Highway 200.
A seven acre fire is also burning in a remote area of the West Fork Thompson River drainage. Firefighters began hiking to that fire location yesterday.
The Plains-Thompson Falls District has mobilized a Type III Incident Management Team to manage these fires. A dedicated Public Information Officer will be providing updates on the fires.
*update provided by the Forest Service