Humidity helps lay down fires

By NICHOLAS LEDDEN

The Daily Inter Lake

Lower temperatures, a bit of rain, and a higher relative humidity Monday helped crews keep a lid on wildfires in and around the Flathead Valley.

Crews on the Chippy Creek Fire took advantage of the weather to solidify their positions, according to fire information officer Warren Bielenberg.

"We're looking at two more days of trying to tie more line in and get some of these rough areas together," he said. "And we'll be doing more of the same for the next two days."

Firefighters laid connecting lines along the fire's west side, and tied line around Murr Creek in with an area burnt in 2006.

Crews also worked on a couple areas outside the main line where the fire spotted last week, but those areas were contained and controlled without much trouble, Bielenberg said.

"The fire made no major progress," he said, noting that they received a little bit of rain on the blaze's western edge Monday morning.

They also completed a burnout along the fire's northeastern corner and attempted to conduct a burnout in front of the blaze's southern finger, but were defeated by 45 percent humidity.

Still at 96,154 acres, the fire is now 33 percent contained.

Meteorologists expect another line of small storms to move through the area Wednesday, but the weekend could see some warming and drying, Bielenberg said.

The Brush Creek Fire grew to 29,818 acres Monday as crews worked to improve fire lines along the blaze's northern perimeter.

Crews also tried to finish a 400-acre burnout started Sunday near Fox Mountain on the fire's northeastern edge, but the weather Monday was so unfavorable to sustaining fire that the burnout fizzled, said fire information officer Annaleasa Winter.

"It'll take a little more to get it black all the way to the line," she said.

The fire is now 90 percent contained, she said.

"It was a very successful day," Winters said. "Every day things are improving."

Crews are now using hand-held infrared devices to pinpoint the fire's remaining hot spots, which are more accurate than those mounted in airplanes, Winters said.

An evacuation order for Star Meadow was lifted Sunday evening, but an evacuation request for the Good Creek area is still in effect.

Hand crews continued to build line along Plume Creek, Good Creek and Gregg Creek. Fire crews also mopped up and reinforced lines along the remaining perimeter of the fire.

It is, however, expected to dry out today and throughout the rest of the week, Winters said.

The Skyland Fire also laid down Monday, even as winds gusted up to 35 mph.

"We've had cool, overcast weather all day with some good wind that wet everything down," said fire information officer Trish Hogervorst.

The blaze slowly grew to 45,215 acres, mostly along the southern edge near the Badger Guard Station in the Louis and Clark National Forest.

"On the south end it's still moving about some," Hogervorst said.

The fire is 51 percent contained.

Mop up continued on the north and east sides of the fire, and more line was built around Badger Creek.

"The weather gave us a chance to get on top of things," Hogervorst said. "We've hardly seen the sun all day."

There are still 471 people on the Skyland Fire, but that number is decreasing every day.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com