County fire danger hits moderate level

SANDERS COUNTY – With a second consecutive week of high temperatures and not much precipitation predicted from forthcoming weather forecasts, many areas of the county have started to severely dry out.

The ongoing hot and dry temperatures, more often associated with August, have become a regular feature of the early weeks of July.

As of this week fire conditions within Sanders County were holding at a moderate danger level, but unless the next few weeks feature an unexpected change in the forecast, it is likely the danger will soon make the jump up to high.

“It looks like the valley will continue to dry out and eventually the fire danger will move up to high,” District Fire Management Officer of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District Scott Schrenk said.

Schrenk said though day time temperatures throughout July have been higher than normal it is not abnormal for the region to experience this type of weather in the beginning portion of the month.

“In the first half of July it is fairly routine to have a dry high pressure system sit in,” Schrenk said.

The fire management officer added the Fourth of July usually marks the point where the wet and mild temperatures characteristic of June abruptly transform into the dryer conditions of mid-summer.

The aforementioned seasonal changes annually bring an increased risk of wildfires to this portion of Montana.

Upcoming predicted rainfall is not expected to result in significantly altering the fire conditions present throughout the county.

Schrenk said even if the predicted rainfall brings a little moisture into the area the hot and dry daytime temperatures will likely return, drying out any areas lucky enough to receive some precipitation.

Fire Supervisor at the Plains office of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Calvin Minemyer agreed with this assessment.

“We would have to get a significant amount of rain over a two to three day period to significantly change the conditions,” Minemyer said.

Minemyer said the coming weeks appear to be bringing more weather characteristic of the recent heat wave.

The warm temperatures combining with dry and windy conditions have worked to bring moisture levels in the fields and woods significantly down.

“At this time, this weather looks like what we are going to have to deal with in the near future,” Minemyer said.

The conditions have already caused some flare ups in the area. A three-acre fire sprung up from a week old lighting holdover north of Thompson Falls last Friday.

The fire occurred near Whitney Lake on Fish Trap Road and was spotted by a bug plane flying out of the Kootenai National Forest, according to Minemyer.

The fire went on for two days and is still currently in patrol status.

Three fire engines arrived on the scene Friday afternoon, with two trucks from Plains and one from Libby carrying 10 firefighters to the burn.

A DNRC helicopter out of Kalispell was also on scene.