Air attack stops two fires on Highway 135
One of two fixed airplanes dropping retardant over one of the fires on Highway 135. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
A shot of one helicopters maneuver to douse the flames with water over one fire on Highway 135 (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork valley Press)
A long shot of a helicopter filling the bucket through the trees on the ‘second’ fire on Highway 135 amongst the smoke. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Two helicopters trading off on one fire. One dips as the other drops. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
People poured out of their cars to watch, take photos and film the air attack with great admiration to the pilots working the two fires. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Perfect precision to drop water from the bucket by the pilot on Highway 135. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
The smoke haze was very thick as air attack got onto the fires straight away after getting alerted to their existence. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Ground crews moving into one of the fires. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Pilots doing what they can to reduce the smoke and intensity of the flames over one of the fires on Highway 135. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
Ready to dump on the blaze as the pilot passes across a silhouette of the moon on Highway 135. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
A close up look of one of the pilots working on the highway 135 fire dipping in the Clark Fork River. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
As a ground crew readies for back up a fixed air plane drops a load of retardant on one of the fires on Highway 135. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
One of the pilots filling his bucket in the Clark Fork River along side where traffic was pulled up during air attack procedures. (Erin Jusseaume/ Clark Fork Valley Press)
On Sept. 12, Highway 135 had two fires that burned 9 acres between them.
Just before noon, a call over the scanner saw fire departments of both Mineral County and Sanders County join forces as two fires were ignited at mile marker 6 on the connection highway.
U.S. Forest Service advisers said that they were still investigating the actual cause of the blazes, but are fairly certain they were ignited by human causes.
The Montana Highway Patrol were also on scene for the incident controlling the traffic that was required to pull to a stop to allow air attacks to gain control.
Of the two blazes, they sat approximately one-half to one mile apart. Each blaze also was seen to have two helicopters with buckets working simultaneously to douse the infernos.
There was also the presence of two fixed aircraft dropping a red retardant onto the areas of the forest that were igniting.
The Valley Press was on scene, and witnessed the quick action of those pilots to prevent further take-off of flames.
Ground crews with the Superior Fire Department, 9-mile Ranger District and Plains Fire Department as well as U.S. Forest Service were also seen working road side to the fires.
At one stage the fire closest to the Mineral County/Sanders County line saw a crew of about 4 personnel walk from the road inward carrying tools for ground control.
A spokesman from the U.S. Forest Service Dispatch in Plains said that the shared resources went well for this incident. Crews from both counties coordinated the joint attack quickly and swiftly, which in-turn produced a positive outcome of not catching and running.