Hungry Horse Reservoir evacuated, closed to public

All roads, trails and recreation sites along Hungry Horse Reservoir were closed to public access Tuesday due to wildfires actively burning in the area.

Law enforcement made a morning sweep of the reservoir by land and water to ensure people were aware of the closure and out of the area.

The closure included the reservoir waters and all islands from Hungry Horse Dam to the Spotted Bear District boundary. Forest Service Road 895 remained open approximately 800 feet south of the west abutment of Hungry Horse Dam to facilitate traffic flow.

The closure is intended to protect firefighter and public safety with fires actively burning on three sides of the reservoir, Flathead National Forest officials said in a press release.

“The Hungry Horse Reservoir is a very large area with a high level of recreation use with limited emergency egress,” the release stated. “While the relatively cooler weather has moderated recent fire growth, hot and dry conditions are forecasted to return and increased wind speeds can cause more active fire behavior. If fire activity were to increase, firefighting personnel and first responders could be diverted from the firefighting effort to facilitating safe public evacuation.”

The Flathead National Forest moved into stage 2 fire restrictions over the weekend.

THE RIDGE Fire along Hungry Horse Reservoir’s Emery Bay grew by 167 acres overnight Monday to encompass a total of 2,940 acres.

Fire activity mellowed in the recent cooler weather, but remained active on the east flank.

Nearly 200 firefighters were assigned to the incident under the command of Shane Martin’s Northern Rockies Team 9. Cost to fight the fire was estimated at $1.1 million as of Tuesday.

The Tin Soldier Complex on the Spotted Bear District east of Swan Lake was estimated at 2,631 acres on Tuesday, an increase of 51 acres. It remained 0% contained with 72 firefighters assigned to the incident.

Also on the Flathead National Forest, the East Fork Fire south of Trego was doused with rain on Monday and showed minimal growth over the last two days. It was sized at 1,376 acres on Tuesday morning.

North of Seeley Lake, containment of the Colt Fire increased to 39% on Tuesday as crews took advantage of the recent precipitation. It was sized at 7,179 acres.

CONTAINMENT OF the Niarada Fire west of Elmo reached 25% on Tuesday as firefighters seized on cooler and more humid conditions.

The lightning-caused fire was sized at 20,365 acres, an increase of about 2,000 acres from the last estimate.

Control lines around the northern flank held up overnight Monday as crews mopped up a section along Cromwell Creek Road.

The fire’s eastern and southeastern perimeter has proven to be a challenge for firefighters due to rugged terrain and heavy fuels in that area. Crews on Tuesday worked to piece together a fire line in that area, while aircraft hit hot spots from above.

Four structures have been destroyed in the fire.

The nearby Mill Pocket Fire was sized at 2,135 acres Tuesday with 35% containment.

Updated size estimates were not available for the Big Knife Fire east of Arlee.

More than 500 firefighters are assigned to the trio on incidents in the Mission Valley.

GUSTY WINDS are expected to affect Western Montana on Wednesday, with some showers possible.

Thursday into early next week will bring mostly dry conditions and rising temperatures, reaching seasonable levels by Friday, according the National Weather Service in Missoula. Expect highs in the mid-80s and overnight lows in the 50s.