Two forest fires continue to grow

By JIM MANN

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead National Forest was still trying to get firefighters to two fires that have emerged high on the Swan Mountain Range and the Whitefish Range on Tuesday, a day after they were discovered.

The Sun Dog Fire, last estimated at between 30 and 60 acres, is burning in the Moose Lake area just north of the 2001 Moose Fire burn perimeter. With a red flag warning for higher winds Tuesday evening, the fire was poised to burn to the east, the same as the Moose Fire did.

The difficulty is getting firefighters to positions from where they can safely approach the fire, which is burning in steep, rugged terrain, said Denise Germann, the Flathead Forest's public affairs officer.

"It hasn't grown aggressively today, although the winds are picking up this afternoon and through the evening," Germann said Tuesday afternoon. "Our first priority is firefighter safety, which is a challenge" because of the nature of the terrain.

Fire officials are hoping to make use of an old forest road to get firefighters close to the fire, which is about 15 miles north of Whitefish, "but as of now we don't have ground access" to that road, Germann said.

Helicopters have been dropping water on the fire since it was discovered Monday afternoon, while a 20-person hand crew is on standby and the Helena Hot Shot crew is expected to arrive soon. A Type II incident management team has been dispatched to assume management of the fire.

The forest has closed a series of roads and trails in the vicinity as a precaution: Cyclone Creek Road 317, Cyclone Road 909, Moran Creek Road 5241, Cyclone Lookout Trail 40, Coal Ridge Trail 14, Moran Creek Trail 2 and Coal Creek Trail 239.

The Holland Peak fire, meanwhile, was last estimated to have covered more than 100 acres about eight miles east of Condon near Rumble Lake. That fire also has been unreachable so far for firefighters, but it was being hit with helicopter bucket drops.

"We did see some trees torching and crowning with it," Germann said of Tuesday's fire activity.

The fire has prompted closure of Foothills Trail 192 from Holland Lake to Cooney.

The two fires were not the cause of smoky conditions Tuesday in the Flathead Valley. That likely was caused by a series of fires that are burning in eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle.

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