From the Daily Inter Lake . . .
The Hammer Creek Fire appears to have doubled in size over the last two or three days, according to updated reports on three active fires in Northwest Montana.
The Hammer Creek Fire, now estimated at 2,800 acres, has burned northeast from the South Fork Flathead River basin into the Lime Creek drainage, where fire managers had wanted it to go because of rocky ridges and other natural barriers that will eventually slow it down.
From the Daily Inter Lake (with photos) . . .
Firefighters continued to tangle with a new fire east of Stryker while two fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness were mostly unaffected by stiff winds Tuesday.
Soon after the Fitzsimmons Fire was detected Monday near the confluence of Fitzsimmons Creek and upper Stillwater Creek, it grew to 60 acres in steep, timbered terrain.
“They do have it 75 percent lined,” said Brian Manning, manager of the Stillwater State Forest. “The fire behavior was moderate enough that they could work on it directly today with some air support.”
The fire raises concerns about the potential for it to move upslope into the Whitefish Range.
The Missoulian posted this item late yesterday. I’d take it with a grain of salt, especially the “extended summer” bit . . .
Although September is but a week away and students are returning to school, summer weather and wildfire season in Montana is far from over.
In fact, “we are hitting our peak right now,” said Brian Henry, a fire weather forecaster and meteorologist at the Northern Rockies Coordination Center.
“The next two weeks will be the most active part of our season and computer models tell us we will have an extended summer into September, and the fire season will likely linger before going to sleep on us.”
The various Glacier Park concessionaires — from restaurants to outfitters to bus and boat services — start closing down in September as temperatures and tourist traffic drop. The park office has posted the fall schedule for these various operations.
You can view it here: http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news11-67.htm
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
Fire crews scrambled Monday to two new fires: one north of Whitefish and one southwest of Tally Lake.
One new wildfire is in the Stillwater State Forest at the junction of Fitzsimmons Creek and the Stillwater River…
Elsewhere, about six initial attack firefighters responded to a fire that was less than two acres southwest of Tally Lake, but it was enough of a handful for a helicopter and a 20-person crew to be called in to help…
From the Daily Inter Lake . . .
Fire activity was relatively quiet Saturday, with fires in Northwest Montana gaining little ground.
The South Fork Lost Creek Fire, which is burning southeast of Swan Lake, grew just 60 acres from when it was sized Friday afternoon. That is due in part to a burnout operation firefighters conducted Friday, which was used to create a break in front of an active part of the fire.
As in past years, the Daily Inter Lake is leaning into its wildfire coverage. Here’s the latest write-up . . .
Two large wildfires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness settled down somewhat Friday, while a burnout operation was initiated on a fire just outside the wilderness seven miles southeast of Swan Lake.
Another report — with photos — from the Daily Inter Lake on the area’s fires . . .
Wildfires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness have spread rapidly over the last couple of days, and an aerial burnout operation is planned today on a fire burning just outside the wilderness southeast of Swan Lake.
In just one day after it was detected, the Big Salmon Lake Fire went on a wind- and fuel-driven rampage Wednesday, growing to 2,000 acres. The fire started near the north shore of Big Salmon Lake, burning upslope to the northeast in heavy timber.
It has a high potential for growth toward the South Fork Flathead River, prompting multiple trail closures and efforts to protect the Salmon Forks Cabin, the Salmon Forks suspension bridge and the Little Salmon Bridge.
Today’s Daily Inter Lake has a pretty good report on the wildfire action in the Flathead Valley . . .
Flathead Valley residents got to take in a familiar summer spectacle Wednesday: Smoke columns towering over the Swan Mountain Range.
The smoke was pouring from two fires burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
It was the first time big smoke columns have been visible from the valley floor since summer 2007…
From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . .
After a long, cold winter and equally cold spring, all but four of Glacier National Park’s backcountry campgrounds are now open.
As of presstime, Brown Pass, Hole-in-the-Wall, Sperry Chalet and Beaver Woman Lake were the only campgrounds that remained closed.
The four are closed “due to sensitive environmental conditions,” which usually means they’re too wet, have snow or may have seen other winter damage. Hole-in-the-Wall in particular usually opens late due to snow.
While many backcountry campgrounds are open, finding a spot may prove challenging…