Wilderness fire could get bigger
Plans are in place to stop a 3,216-acre fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness from reaching the South Fork of the Flathead River, but the effort will depend upon a change in the weather.
Without that change, the Kelly Point fire has potential to double or even triple in size, said Steve Wirt, the Spotted Bear fire management officer, who on Tuesday handed over responsibility for that fire and another one to a team that specializes in managing wilderness fires.
"It has the potential to double in size over the next five to seven days, but we have some weather coming and we hope it will favor us," Wirt said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, a plan was developed to put about a dozen firefighters to work laying water-hose lines and pumps to head off the fire's leading edge before it reaches the South Fork.
"The fire is pushing down toward the river," said Dick Fleishman, the team's public affairs officer. "We're going to be putting in some hose lays there and keep it from creeping toward the river. If we can hold that, we're expecting some moisture in the next few days."
The goal for the strategy is to reopen the main forest trails that parallel the river's east and west banks.
"If this works, we may be able to open those trails again," Fleishman said.
Fire managers also want to keep the fire from crossing the river and going on an unpredictable run.
Even if that happens, Wirt said, the fire's potential is limited to an unburned area of roughly 15,000 acres, boxed between rocky ridgetops to the east, an area that was burned in 2003 to the north, and an area to the south that burned in 1994 and 2000.
The Kelly Point fire erupted on Saturday and is believed to be caused by people. The precise cause is still under investigation.
The fire threatens just one structure - the Black Bear Cabin along the South Fork. The cabin has been wrapped with a fire-resistant material and has additional protection from sprinkler systems that were recently set up. The fire is just under a mile away from the cabin.
The management team has also been given authority over the 100-acre Limestone Peak fire about 20 miles east of Spotted Bear.
Fleishman said efforts are under way to prepare a helicopter landing area to bring in additional firefighters who will focus on breaking up fuels and scratching out hand lines around the fire.
On Tuesday, Fleishman said, both the Limestone Peak and the Kelly Point fires did not grow significantly.
"They're not terribly active, where they are putting up big smoke columns," he said.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com