Lightning triggers more fires

Widespread lightning kept lookouts and patrols on their toes Wednesday, as firefighters pounced on a series of new fires in Northwest Montana.

Meanwhile, there was continued progress with larger fires in the region.

Burning activity increased late Tuesday on the 3,250-acre Kelly Point Fire, roughly one mile south of the Black Bear Cabin in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The fire's leading edge crossed "trigger" points that prompted closure of a section of the South Fork Flathead River.

Trails that parallel the river's east and west banks had been closed.

An effort to stop the fire is under way, involving 10 smoke jumpers and 17 other firefighters, along with 5,000 pounds of supplies that were dropped by parachutes into the river basin.

Hoses, pumps and portable water tanks are being used to stop the fire from reaching the river. The goal is to reopen the river corridor as soon as possible, said Dick Fleishman, a fire information officer with a team that has been charged with managing the wilderness fires.

Firefighters have yet to reach the 100-acre Limestone Peak fire, located in high, rugged country about 20 miles east of Spotted Bear.

The Flathead National Forest picked up three lightning starts Wednesday in the Quintonkon drainage west of Hungry Horse Reservoir, along with a fire that resulted from an escaped campfire north of Emery Bay on the reservoir.

As of late afternoon, firefighters had been sent to the fires, which had yet to burn more than a tenth of an acre. But storm clouds continued to pass over the Flathead Forest, delivering lightning and little rain.

"We were getting some lighting activity this afternoon, and there is more expected," said Denise Germann, the forest's public information officer. "We are patrolling and we are responding to smoke reports, and I expect we will be responding to some more over the next couple days."

The Kootenai National Forest's fire dispatch picked up two new lightning starts Wednesday.

A fire that emerged immediately after lightning passed over the Eureka area Tuesday was rapidly suppressed. Helicopters were diverted from the Camp 32 fire to the Gibralter Ridge fire, about 10 miles east of Eureka, and before sundown, 10 smoke jumpers were dropped on the fire, while three from the Fortine Ranger District hiked in.

On Wednesday morning, two Hot Shot crews hiked in to help.

Fire information officer Terry Knupp said the fire was declared 60-percent contained by 2 p.m. Wednesday.

"Right now we're estimating that at 15 acres, but it's in very steep, rugged country, with heavy fuels and lots of standing dead trees," Knupp said. "The fire suppression work is very tough and slow-going."

The Camp 32 fire, meanwhile, is projected to be fully contained by 8 p.m. today. About 200 people have been assigned to that fire, which started Saturday and was surrounded quickly by fire line. It was stopped at 868 acres.

Knupp said an evacuation order that was issued Saturday for homes on the north end of Pinkham Creek Road was lifted Wednesday night.

The Camp 32 incident command team is holding community briefings at 9 a.m. daily in the commons meeting room at Lincoln County High School.

In Glacier National Park, the only confirmed fire from Tuesday's lightning storm was the Cummings Fire, on a steep slope above upper Logging Lake. No suppression action is being taken on the fire because of its remote and inaccessible location at an elevation of 6,400 feet.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire was "not very active," putting up an occasional puff of smoke, said Glacier public information officer Amy Vanderbilt.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.