Garceau Fire near Polson still is growing
A mile-long, 50-yard-wide red streak of fire retardant is a barrier between three homes and the wildfire southwest of Polson. The blaze, which started Tuesday, has burned at least 3,000 acres of timber and grassland. Kristine Paulsen/Daily Inter Lake
By JIM MANN
The Daily Inter Lake
A wildfire erupted southwest of Polson on Tuesday, burning 3,000 acres overnight.
The Garceau Fire was detected at about noon Tuesday, burning 11 miles southwest of Polson, mostly on Confederated Salish-Kootenai tribal lands.
The wind-driven fire raced across grasslands toward one home, but was cut off by a dozer line. Retardant tankers dropped repeated loads across the grasslands, leaving a mile-long swath of red between three other homes and the fire, which has moved up the mountain into heavy timber.
On Wednesday afternoon, the fire chewed through the timber as dozer lines were cut.
"The potential for spread is really high," said Devlin LaFrambois, information officer for the Confederate Salish-Kootenai Division of Fire. "It's in such thick timber and you can't get vehicles in there."
Sue Nash and her husband own a ranchhouse with a backdoor view to the burning mountain and a heavy presence of fire engines and firefighters on her property.
"I can't say that it's been startling," Nash said of the fire. "We've been expecting one. It's just been so dry … Every time there's lightning you just get ready."
Nash said she saw lightning striking the mountain a few days before and knew that a fire was possible. "We've had them before up there but never this big," she said.
On Wednesday, firefighters were not venturing into the steep timbered slopes, which Nash described as treacherous country infested with rattlesnakes and littered with downed timber.
There are 120 firefighters on the fire, mostly charged with holding dozer lines, along with heavy equipment and occasional air support. About 350 additional firefighters have been ordered and a Type Two incident management team is expected to assume management of the fire by this morning.
Because of the fire, the Montana Department of Transportation has installed a temporary stoplight at the junction of U.S. 93 and Regatta Road in Polson.
The stoplight was installed to ease access for firefighters who are staging at the Lake County fairgrounds.
Motorists may encounter short delays. There will be flaggers 24 hours a day and trucks entering the highway.
Meanwhile, firefighters continued work on the Skyland Fire 13 miles east of Essex.
It was last estimated at 420 acres, burning in subalpine fir and lodgepole pine stands. Firefighting efforts have concentrated on holding the fire west of the Skyland Road, which has been closed along with several trails in the area that provide access to the Great Bear Wilderness, where the fire started.
Part of the fire has been slowed as it has burned into an area burned by the 8,000-acre Challenge Fire in 1998.
A Type Two management team was expected to assume responsibilities for the fire by Friday.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com