Evacuation warnings issued for Libby-area wildfire

Fire mapping conducted Monday revealed 1,100 acres consumed by the Gold Hill Fire burning 13 miles north of Libby.

The fire reportedly crossed a portion of the West Branch of Noisy Creek but remained north of Noisy Creek and east of Pipe Creek Road.

The fire’s movement prompted a pre-evacuation warning for Pipe Creek Road from mile marker 11-13. Structure protection crews began scouting and preparing homes in the event of a run.

A Type 3 team was scheduled to take control of the still uncontained fire Wednesday morning, equipped with around 60 fire personnel and miscellaneous heavy ground equipment.

The Kootenai National Forest issued an area closure around the fire, including Big Creek Baldy Lookout.

In response to activity on the Whale Butte Fire burning 10 miles northwest of Polebridge, the National Park Service issued an evacuation warning for landowners and visitors for all park areas north of the junction of Bowman Lake Road and the Inside North Fork Road on Tuesday.

The fire continued backing and flanking down the northern, western and southern aspects of Whale Butte at low intensities, creeping to nearly 340 acres, scorching timber with no reported containment as of Tuesday.

Around 70 firefighters under the management of the Southwest Area Type 1 Incident Management team worked to establish contingency lines along the North Fork corridor and planned firing operations as necessary. Structure protection preparation remained a primary objective.

Evacuation warning affecting a few Moose Creek Road and Whale Creek Road residents also remained in effect.

With increased fire related traffic, the fire management team and the Flathead County Roads Department began coordinating maintenance work on the North Fork Road.

Grading work began on the Canyon Creek to Camas Bridge stretch, and two blades and two water tenders started working northbound from the Camas Bridge.

Maintenance work will continue up to the Teepee Creek Bridge.

Mag-chloride applications will follow to help abate dust.

For more information about the roadwork, contact the Flathead County Roads Department at 406-758-5790.

To view other area/road/trail closures in place for this fire and other fires on the Flathead National Forest, check the Inciweb page at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6149/ or the Flathead National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/flathead/alerts-notices for details.

Crews managed to make headway on the lightning-caused Paola Ridge Fire burning near Essex in the Flathead National Forest on Monday due to cooler temperatures and a small amount of rain.

Around 65 firefighters held the acreage at just over 360 acres, completing a shaded fuel break with heavy equipment from Dickey Creek Road 1639 to the local gravel pit, but reported no secure containment.

Hand crews dug line to tie into the heavy equipment lines along the north side of the fire. Structure protection was completed with the installation of pumps, water hoses and sprinklers for structures affected by the evacuation notice issued for a small number of residents in the Essex area.

Minimal growth occurred on the Davis Fire to the northwest, with a gain of around 200 acres and 2 percent containment on Monday.

The 6,200-acre fire approximately 10 miles northwest of Yaak received none of the scattered rains that fell on Lincoln County on Monday, continuing to break records for most consecutive days without measurable precipitation and exaggerating dry fuel conditions.

Montana saw air quality improve statewide on Tuesday, with the Flathead Valley ranking lowest at unhealthy for sensitive groups.

A series of weak weather disturbances are expected to move through the region Wednesday through Saturday, with temperatures and relative humidity remaining near seasonal norms.

According to the National Weather Service in Missoula, a storm system expected to arrive Sunday night presents the region’s best chance at receiving widespread precipitation. Mountain snow is possible next week as well.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.