Fire crews make strides; rain brings little relief

Three wildfires in Northwest Montana this week reached important milestones, though firefighters aren’t out of the woods yet.

Early in the week, the Peoples Creek Fire near Libby was reported 100 percent contained, while on Tuesday and Wednesday the final daily public information updates were issued and Type 3 fire management teams took command of the Tamarack and Gibralter Ridge fires, respectively — actions signifying crews have made great strides in battling the wildfires.

The Gibralter Ridge Fire east of Eureka was reported at 3,624 acres and 52 percent containment Friday, while the Tamarack fire west of Kalispell was reported to be 400 acres in size and 80 percent contained.

Despite progress, closures and other restrictions and warnings remain in effect.

In the area of the Gibralter Ridge Fire, Grave Creek Road and Ten Lakes recreation area are still closed starting at the junction of Grave Creek and Foothills Roads. An evacuation warning is in effect for the areas of Sherman Creek, Griffith Creek, Therriault Pass Road and Stevens Creek, while a pre-evacuation warning is in effect for the Glen Lake and Sinclair Creek area south and east of West Road.

In the area of the Tamarack fire, portions of a number of Forest Service roads — including Tamarack Deer Creek Road No. 2346, Tensaw Creek B Road No. 2349B and Marl Creek Road No. 2333 — have been closed to the public since Aug. 18 to allow firefighters “to efficiently complete their work,” and Weyerhaeuser Company roads 99307, 99281 and 99272 are closed.

In addition, Lincoln and Flathead counties remains in Stage II Fire Restrictions.

Officials said residents should expect to see smoke from the Gibralter Ridge Fire area for many weeks.

At the 100 percent contained Peoples Creek Fire, an engine crew continued to patrol the area “to assure the line is holding.

All three wildfires were caused by lightning strikes, the Gibralter Ridge fire the evening of Aug. 7 and the Tamarack and Peoples Creek fires on Aug. 12.

There was a respite from smoke in the Flathead Valley Thursday as a weak front moved through. It brought about a .10 inch of rain to West Glacier and one remote station near Hungry Horse received about .33 inch of rain.

Less than two tenths of an inch of rain fell on the Sprague Fire burning in Glacier National Park. The rain increased humidity, officials reported, but had little impact on the fire due to dense tree canopy cover and heavy fuels in the area.

Fire activity was moderate Thursday and was expected to increase over the weekend as the weather becomes warmer and drier.

The Sprague Fire perimeter is now estimated to be over 1,537 acres. The northwest edge of the fire is currently holding in the Snyder Creek drainage.

Most areas of the park are open and operating as usual, including the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

The hot, dry summer has not been due to an El Nino in the Pacific Ocean, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Noble of Missoula.

Currently, the ocean’s currents are considered to be in a neutral state. El Nino usually means dry, warm winters.

Noble said Hurricane Harvey will bring heavy rain to Texas, but as it moves across the U.S. in the coming days it won’t do much to break up a persistent high pressure ridge over Montana. If anything, it will make the ridge stronger, he said.