Boulder Fire claims 8 homes near Flathead Lake

The Boulder 2700 Fire on the east shore of Flathead Lake has grown to more than 1,800 acres and burned more than two dozen structures, including eight homes, officials said Thursday, as the blaze continued creeping into the Mission Mountains and crews worked to prevent additional property damage.

The fire — which is believed to be human-caused and still under investigation — is burning just north of Finley Point, almost entirely on Flathead Reservation lands, and was 0% contained as of Thursday morning. About 257 personnel were assigned to fight the fire and provide support.

While meeting with fire officials in Pablo on Thursday, Gov. Greg Gianforte praised coordination among local, state, tribal and federal agencies, and said the Boulder Fire was of paramount concern as more than 60 wildfires burned across the state.

"We're in desperate need of resources on so many fires," Gianforte said. "That said, this is the No. 1 priority given the risks to these structures."

Officials with the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 4, which took command of the fire response on Monday, said the fire was active along the eastern flank Wednesday afternoon as it moved higher into the mountains, and they anticipated similar behavior Thursday afternoon.

"The fire is progressively moving upslope. It's really chewing away, and there's heavy, dead and downed, jackpotted fuels," said Brett Pargman, operations section chief for the Northern Rockies team.

Pargman said prevailing winds generated by the surface temperature of Flathead Lake previously spread flames down to the lakeshore.

Aircraft on Wednesday dropped water on a ridge north of Station Creek, at the southeastern flank, and ground crews worked to build a containment line along the 2700 Road toward the northeast. Pargman noted firefighting aircraft, such as the planes that have been scooping water from the lake near Finley Point, are in short supply.

"We continue to need critical resources, those aviation assets," he said. "We are getting them, but with the sheer amount of fires that are out there across Montana, we're doing this lend-lease sharing, so aviation assets and Type 1 crews are in high demand."

Another fire is burning slash and timber on the other side of the Missions, immediately across from the Boulder Fire and about 8 miles south of Swan Lake. The lightning-caused Whitetail Creek Fire was listed at 348 acres with 30% containment and 50 personnel on scene Thursday.

The Hay Creek Fire about 4 miles west of Polebridge, meanwhile, was listed at nearly 2,700 acres with 10% containment and 185 personnel on scene. It, too, was caused by lightning.

FIREFIGHTERS ALSO were working to protect structures within the burn area of the Boulder Fire and escorting Mission Valley Power crews who were repairing downed transmission lines along Montana 35, which remains closed from the U.S. 93 junction to mile marker 15 at Blue Bay.

Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said evacuation orders remained in effect Thursday for roughly 50 homes along Montana 35 from Mahood Lane north to mile marker 13. Finley Point residents who were ordered to evacuate early Sunday were allowed to return home Tuesday afternoon, provided they pick up official vehicle tags; Bell said members of about 450 households had picked up tags as of Thursday morning.

Officials said Finley Point residents should be prepared to evacuate again at a moment's notice, in case the fire grows out of control or flying embers start a new blaze.

At a shelter set up at Linderman Elementary School in Polson, John Peregoy, chairman of the Red Cross disaster action committee for Lake County, said the fire has highlighted economic disparities among those who had their homes destroyed.

"We have a single individual, he's got his insurance carrier on board. He's going to be taken care of," Peregoy said. "We have another couple who are tribal; they're homeless, and we're doing recovery planning with them to try and line them up with tribal services and community services. … We're talking about a broad range of socioeconomic status."

GIANFORTE THIS week deployed 200 National Guard members to assist with firefighting efforts across the state. On Thursday, he visited the Red Cross shelter as well as a Boulder Fire command post set up at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, where firefighters camp in tents between long shifts at the frontlines.

Gianforte laid out a two-pronged approach to fighting wildfires, including an "aggressive initial attack" on all fire starts to prevent them from exploding in size, and more thinning of trees and underbrush.

"We've neglected our forests for too long. We haven't been good stewards," Gianforte said. "That's why our administration has made it a policy to get more acres under active forest management."

Asked what the state should do about climate change, which scientists say is making wildfires bigger and more unpredictable, Gianforte said: "Climate change is real. Man has a hand in the effect there. I think, though, that the solution is really to focus on innovation and broadening our energy base, rather than regulation, which just drives up costs for consumers and puts more burden on working families."

Gianforte urged Montanans to use caution when taking part in activities that can start wildfires, such as tending to campfires and firing guns, and to properly hitch up trailers so chains don't drag on the road and make sparks.

"There's lots of reasons why these fires get started," he said. "Please be careful."

Assistant editor Chad Sokol may be reached at 406-758-4439 or csokol@dailyinterlake.com.