Weather helps firefighters across region

Moisture has been a welcome sight for firefighters in Northwest Montana, even as storms bring risk of higher winds and lightning strikes.

Bob MacGregor, fire spokesman for the Clark Fork Complex in Idaho and Montana, said the weather was much appreciated.

“We’re actually doing really well,” he said. “It’s pouring rain here right now. It started raining this morning and now is just not stopping. We were in the depths of depression yesterday and now we’re feeling good.”

The four fires of the Clark Fork Complex in Montana — the Napoleon, Scotchman Peak, Sawtooth and Government fires, along with the Whitetail and Marten Creek fires in Idaho — are burning 14,967 acres near the communities of Noxon in Montana and Clark Fork in Idaho.

The Sawtooth Fire, at 2,425 acres and threatening the historic Ross Creek Cedars area near Bull Lake, appears to have slowed. The Napoleon Fire, at 8,740 acres, is the largest of the complex, and forced the shutdown of Montana 56 for more than a dozen miles.

MacGregor said cooler weather was allowing firefighters to take direct action on fires, or getting right next to the fire to impede its growth rather than planning a distance away.

In the Spotted Bear area, several fires have burned huge swaths of land and nearly two dozen smaller ones continue to hamper unified efforts by firefighters.

The Bear Creek Fire, located 12 miles southeast of Swan Lake, is the biggest fire in the region, burning more than 67,000 acres of light and heavy timber.

The Trail Creek Fire, at 21,000 acres, is burning not far from the Bear Creek Fire, separated by just a few kilometers and the South Fork of the Flathead River.

Al Koss, fire information officer, said clearing skies were making firefighting efforts a little easier.

Crews were removing trees and brush on Meadow Creek Road, with logging trucks helping take away some of the clutter around the crews.

“There’s a lot of traffic on that road,” Koss said. “Those logs are being taken to a gravel pit near the Spotted Bear airstrip because they are just narrowing the road right now.”

Multiple other fires are burning in the Spotted Bear Wilderness, the biggest of which is the Lena Lake fire at 1,500 acres.

Personnel were taken off the Trail Creek Fire to help at the Bear Creek Fire before “red flag” winds were due to hit the complex. Luckily the winds weren’t as bad as predicted and spotting has remained minimal.

The Thompson-Divide Complex is benefiting from higher humidity but not much precipitation. The Thompson Fire in the heart of Glacier National Park has grown to 17, 857 acres and is 20 percent contained.

The Granite Fire has expanded as well, burning 840 acres in very steep terrain. The Sheep Fire, threatening Essex, is at more than 2,100 acres.

The Reynolds Creek Fire near Saint Mary Lake is 90 percent contained at 4,850 acres.

In the Northeast Kootenai Complex, the Marston Fire is seeing marked growth even as parts of it are being contained by firefighting efforts.

The 6,500-acre fire is the only major fire of the complex, with the 50 acre Barnaby Fire tucked away in remote terrain north of Eureka.

Katie Knotek, spokeswoman for the complex, said crews are bolstering lines around the blaze.

“We’re still trying to make sure than there aren’t any hot spots along the line,” she said. “We will look for opportunities to take direct action.”

Knotek added that there are no evacuation plans prepared for the North Fork of the Flathead River yet, despite possible misleading announcements.

“The fire is still 20 miles from the North Fork,” she said. “Call us, stay updated. We’ll keep you informed.”

Scattered precipitation and cooling temperatures this week could lend a hand to overexerted firefighters. With a high of 70 on Monday, 75 on Tuesday and 67 on Wednesday, each with a 20 percent chance of rain, firefighters will have the chance to regroup in the coming cold front.

Reporter Ryan Murray can be reached at 758-4436 or rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.