Bear Creek/Spotted Bear Fire Update 8-29-15 12:30pm
FIRE SUMMARY
A RED FLAG WARNING is predicted for Saturday from 2:00 p.m. till Midnight.
A cold front is expected to pass through the area with gusty southwest winds and low relative humidity.
Bear Creek Fire: SIZE: 40,465 Acres With increased southwest winds, the fire continued to move south through the 2005 Kelly Point fire scar in the Hodag Creek area. Crews staged at Black Bear Cabin are monitoring fire growth and implementing the structure protection plan—running the water pumps and wetting down the area around the cabin and Black Bear Bridge. The fire was most active on the north side of the fire in the Little Creek and Addition Creek area. The fire burned through the evening on Cinnabar Mountain. The fire is approximately two miles from the Spotted Bear Ranger Station at its closest point. Yesterday’s burnout operation in the Jungle Creek area was successful and crews performed another burnout operation along the Meadow Creek Road #2826 in the Addition Creek area last evening. The burnout operations are helping secure the Meadow Creek Road as a holding line as the fire moves down toward the Meadow Creek Road. Today crews will continue with burnout operations along the Meadow Creek Road to secure the road as a holding line. Engines will patrol the Meadow Creek Road and mop up hot spots along the road. The objective for this portion of the fire is to hold the fire to the west of the Meadow Creek Road.
Work continues with feller-bunchers and mastacators (a forestry mulching machine to grind and chip brush) along the Meadow Creek Road from Jungle Creek north toward the Wilderness Lodge to create a fuel break. The objective of the fuel break is to create a wider less vegetated road edge to help slow fire movement and provide safety areas for firefighters working in the area. Log loaders and logging trucks are being used to move downed tree material from the area
Structure protection (placement of hoses, water pumps, and sprinklers) is in place at the three guest ranches—Diamond R, Spotted Bear Ranch, and Wilderness Lodge-- adjacent to Spotted Bear Ranger Station and is ready for implementation.
Trail Creek Fire: Size: 12,250 The Trail Creek Fire continues to move to the east into Whitcomb Creek and farther east into upper portions of Schafer Creek. Fire crews have secured the southwest flank of the fire. Engines are patrolling and securing holding lines along the Spotted Bear River Road toward Whitcomb Creek. The Whitcomb Creek Bridge on Spotted Bear River Road is being wet down with creek fed sprinklers. With increased activity due to the strong winds yesterday afternoon the fire spotted over the Spotted Bear River Road in the Whitcomb Creek area. Crews today will assess growth and will begin mop up operations where deemed safe.
120 personnel are assigned to the all of the fires on the Spotted Bear Ranger District. No injuries or accidents have occurred on the fire to date.
CLOSURES
· Due to increased fire activity and the number of fires on the Spotted Bear Ranger District in the Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wilderness Areas, the Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wilderness Areas on the Spotted Bear Ranger District are CLOSED for public and firefighter safety. Portions of the Great Bear Wilderness on the Hungry Horse Ranger District will be also be closed. (See attached maps)
· The Spotted Bear Campground is CLOSED and will be used for fire fighter staging areas.
· An Area Closure to the east and south of Holland Lake Area including Upper Holland Lake, Sapphire Lakes, Holland Lookout, and the Holland/Gordon Trail #35. Trail #416 to Holland Falls is open. (See attached map)
·
Spotted Bear District Fires
A number of fires are burning throughout the Spotted Bear Ranger District. All of the fires have been prioritized based on availability of crews and values at risk. Most of the fires are unstaffed although they are being monitored for growth and fire behavior. Many of the fires had increased activity and growth yesterday due to the increasing winds throughout the area.
More From KSEN AM 1150
