High winds fuel fire

By JIM MANN

The Daily Inter Lake

EAST GLACIER - Driven by stiff winds, the Skyland Fire continued its eastward romp into the Blackfeet Indian Reservation on Tuesday.

But with cooler temperatures, higher humidity and an increasing lack of timber in the path of the fire's eastern front, it was less active than it had been in the previous two days.

On Monday, the fire grew from 8,000 acres to the latest estimate of 16,000 acres, which does not include expansion that occurred Tuesday. As of Tuesday, the fire was elevated to the top priority in the nation. Although it is not the largest, its proximity to Glacier National Park, the Blackfeet Reservation and homes warranted the change, said Dale Warriner, fire information officer at the Skyland Fire Camp just off U.S. 2 near Skyland Road.

The burn perimeter is roughly 12 miles long and two miles wide in places. The fire was most active near the Heart Butte Cutoff Road, and just south of Dog Gun Lake. The fire's leading front is about 14 miles from the town of Heart Butte.

"There are 27 homes that are considered threatened, and five have been urged to evacuate," Warriner said.

As of late Tuesday night, no structures had been lost or damaged.

One of the five urged to evacuate is Del Hoyt, who has a trailer on the south shore of Dog Gun Lake.

"They made us move out last night, but they let us come back in early this morning," Hoyt said, as trees torched no more than a quarter mile from his home.

Hoyt loaded up his pickup truck with saddles, tack and tools, the latest load he's hauled off.

"I'm kind of thinking it might go up," he said, referring to his home.

A heavy helicopter repeatedly dipped down over the whitecapping lake, refilling a water bucket for drops on the nearby flame front. There are several homes on the lakeshore, including one set up with a running sprinkler system. Fire engines and water tenders were stationed around the homes.

Dan Birkhimer led a single file line of Type Two firefighters from Kennewick, Wash., up the road to Hoyt's home, all of them carrying hand tools.

"We're going to cut a brush swath around the trailer," said Birkhimer, leader of the task force charged with protecting the homes on the lake.

Between the homes and the fire, there is a thick stand of aspen, which aren't as dry as the heavy conifers that have been fueling the fire so far. Birkhimer said the aspen stand could slow the fire if it moves downslope toward the lake.

Besides structure protection, firefighting efforts have focused on herding the blaze away from U.S. 2, the Marias Pass Summit and East Glacier.

Patches of forest along the highway have been burned out by firefighters to create blackened fire breaks and keep the active burn on a ridge above the highway.

Warriner said fire bosses were expecting a curve ball in the weather today - a shift from westerly winds to gusting winds from the east. That change could blow the fire back into unburned areas and toward firelines that have been built on the rear flanks of the fire.

Traffic continued to be escorted by a pilot vehicle on the highway, roughly between Skyland Road and East Glacier.

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