BLACKTAIL CANYON FIRE - EVENING UPDATE

Incident Commander J. Willoughby
Location:  southeast of Butte, MT between Interstate 90 and Highway 2
Start Date: 7/19/2024 
Cause: Undetermined
Size: estimated at 68 acres 
Resources on Site:  3 engines, 3 type 1 “hotshot” hand crews, 4 type 2 hand crews
Total Personnel Assigned:  154

KEY MESSAGES:  
The Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Department has issued an evacuation warning for Blacktail Canyon Road southeast of Homestake Road, Homestake Road east of Blacktail Canyon Road and Passmore Canyon. This warning means residents should be prepared to evacuate but are not yet under an evacuation order.

CURRENT STATUS/PLANNED ACTIONS: 
Aircraft, including a Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), helicopters with water bucket drops, and water “scooper” airplanes, kept the fire within its current footprint today.

Three “hotshot” crews will begin constructing direct fireline (immediately adjacent to the fire’s edge) by removing fuels and mitigating “snag” hazards, tying into existing control features in the Beaver Pond Meadows area. Fire leadership will conduct aerial observation through a reconnaissance flight prior to implementing fireline construction. Several other crews will continue to assess critical values at risk in the Blacktail Canyon, Passmore Canyon, and Toll Mountain areas.

The fire is burning in large amounts of dead and down lodgepole pine trees, posing additional hazards and affecting on-the-ground progress. Ensuring firefighter safety and protecting life and property are of the utmost importance during any incident.

Working in cooperation with the Butte-Silver Bow officials, fire managers have identified and prioritized critical values at risk, focusing available resources and current efforts on the protection of the private structures in the Blacktail Canyon, Homestake Road and Passmore Canyon areas. (Local Fire Department engines provided structure assessments in these areas. As additional resources arrive, fire managers and agency officials will collaborate to utilize resources to protect the prioritized values.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Fire behavior was moderate, with torching, backing and creeping observed. Hot, dry conditions will persist over the weekend and into much of next week. Relative humidity recovery overnight will be poor, especially at upper elevations. Winds will be from the northeast at 5-15 mph. There is a slight chance for afternoon thunderstorms over the weekend.

Rain tamped down much of the behavior on the Mestenas Canyon Fire, where the perimeter has grown to 477 acres with 15% containment.

Steep terrain and outflow winds from nearby thunderstorms are driving the fire’s spread on its north and east sides. To contain the fire, crews are nearby using indirect methods by reducing fuels along the northern portion of Forest Road 312N before the fire front arrives. Flames have already reached the road’s south side, where crews previously worked. Containment lines are holding along that stretch of road.

Fire behavior has otherwise been minimal on the southern and western sides. Crews have been able to begin building containment line directly along the fire perimeter.

There are no evacuations, but oil and gas infrastructure, archeological sites, dispersed camping areas and inholdings may be threatened if the fire grows beyond planned control lines.

The lightning-caused Mestenas Canyon Fire was first reported July 11. It is in the canyon of the same name, about 14 miles southwest of Dulce, N.M., and two miles north of Highway 64, where smoke may cause limited visibility to drivers.

The public can keep updated on the fire by visiting InciWeb or calling a public information officer at 505-216-6793.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Order # 01-15-00-24-14

Alert

Date(s): Jul 20, 2024 - Sep 30, 2024

Forest Order: 01-15-00-24-14 Stage 1 Fire Restrictions

Order Number: # 01-15-00-24-14 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service
Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest 
Emergency Stage 1 Fire Restrictions

PROHIBITIONS

Pursuant to 16 U.S.C § 551 and 36 C.F.R § 261.50(a), the following are prohibited on all National Forest System lands (NFS) within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, as described below and depicted on the attached map incorporated into this Order as Exhibit A (the "Described Area"):

1. Building, maintaining, or using a fire, including charcoal and briquettes outside a metal fire ring that is provided by the Forest Service within a designated area as defined in Exhibit B. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(a).
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three (3) feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(d).

EXEMPTIONS

Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:

1. Persons using a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of ali overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the
2. Persons using a stove fire in a designated area as defined in Exhibit
3. Any Federal, State, or Local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting resource in the performance of an official duty.
4. Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order), specifically exempting them from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized officer that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (2).

DESCRIBED AREA

All National Forest System lands, roads and trails within the boundaries of the National Forest Systems lands managed by the· Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest as depicted on the attached map at Exhibit A. The prohibitions do not apply to any non­ National Forest System lands within the Described Area.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Order is to provide for the public's health and safety and to protect National Forest System lands, resources, and facilities during the current period of high tire danger. An emergency exists due to the tire danger, indices, and extreme weather conditions. These factors have created an environment in which ignitions from human­ caused activities can occur at a much higher rate than normal. Further, wildfires from such ignitions have the propensity to spread extremely quickly, presenting a significant risk to the public, as well as substantial obstacles to firefighters in the implementation of wildfire suppression strategies.

IMPLEMENTATION

1. This order shall be in effect from Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 08:00 am through September 30, 2024, at midnight, unless rescinded.
2. A map identifying the Described Area is attached and made part of this Order as Exhibit A. For a digital version of this Order and Exhibit A, go to https://www.fs.gov/alerts/hlcnf/alerts-notices.
3. A list of "Definitions" is attached and made a part of this Order as Exhibit
4. Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order are defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter 11, Parts 200-299. lf there are terms in this Order that are not expressly defined in the Order or 36 F.R. Chapter 11, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined by their plain language definitions.
5. A violation of the above prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C. § 3559, 3571, and 3581.
6. Contact the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Supervisor's Office in Helena, MT, (406) 449-5201 for more information about this Order.
7. This Order supersedes any previous Orders prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same Described Area.

Signed and issued on July 19, 2024.

/s/ EMILY PLATT

Forest Supervisor 
Helena-Lewis National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/hlcnf/alerts-notices/?aid=89019 

***Emergency Alert***
 

Wildfire Alert from Wheeler County Sheriff's Office.

***Level 3 - GO NOW - Evacuate immediately from 5 miles South of Highway 207, East of Service Creek and West of Bologna Rd/Balm Creek and the area extending 5 miles West of Highway 19 South of Rowe Creek and Northwest of Highway 207
 

Thursday, July 18th, 2024  

7:00-8:00pm  

Veteran's Hall, 20 Kimtu Road, Willow Creek, CA  

Hosted by: North Coast Interagency Type 3 Team and CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 2 

Virtually streamed live on Six Rivers National Forest Facebook page: https://fb.watch/trTTp27rul/ 

Widespread lightning over the Pacific Northwest on July 16 ignited many wildland fires. Firefighters are detecting, assessing and attacking these fires as they develop. Fires on the Diamond Lake District of the Umpqua National Forest are grouped into the Diamond Complex. 

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 7, led by Incident Commander Nate LeFevre, assumed command of the Diamond Complex at 6:00am on Saturday, July 20th, 2024. Currently there are nine fires totaling an estimated 1755 acres in the Diamond Complex, under a strategy of full suppression. This means firefighters are directly attacking the fires’ edge where access and firefighter safety allow, and implementing indirect strategies using constructed control lines, and utilizing natural barriers where access issues and safety concerns prevent direct attack. 

The fires currently comprising the Diamond Complex are Pine Bench, 773 acres, north of Hwy 138 near Dry Creek; Trail, 701 acres, east of Hwy 138 on the west slope of Mt. Thielsen; Lemolo, north of Lemolo Lake on Bunker Hill, 173 acres;  Pig Iron, Pig Iron Mountain north of Hwy 138, 2 acres; Watson, north of Hwy 138 on Watson Ridge, 37 acres; Brodie, 40 acres,  about 5 miles south of Hwy 138 and south of Devils Canyon; Trep, 21 acres, about 4 miles south of Hwy 138; Garwood, 2 acres, about 3 miles southwest of Mt. Bailey; Slide, northeast of the Pine Bench, 0.1 acres and Clearwater, 0.1 acres. There are also several emerging new fires that have been observed. 

Yesterday, Northwest Team 7 had a successful shadow day with the local Type 3 team that was in place previously. Crews assessed the Trail, Pine Bench, Pig Iron and Lemolo fires and while doing so, detected more fires to the south. Firefighting operations continued with active suppression on the Trail Fire with the anchor points holding well. The Pig Iron had active suppression activities with ground and aerial resources to protect current infrastructure. 

Today, active suppression continues with the Lemolo, Trail, Pig Iron and Pine Bench fires as priorities. As the fires progress, the team will re-prioritize suppression actions. Active fire behavior is expected with incoming predicted weather. Firefighters will continue to remain vigilant for the possibility of more lightning. Nationally and in the Pacific Northwest, fire activity is putting an extreme demand on firefighting resources. This means that firefighters must carefully prioritize and efficiently utilize available resources to protect values at risk. The highest priority will remain public and firefighter safety and protecting infrastructure and homes.

Weather: The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch in effect from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected with temperatures in the 80’s, low relative humidity, and gusty winds due to the incoming thunderstorms. Expect active fire behavior and smoke in the area. 

Closures and Evacuations: The USFS and the Douglas County Sheriff have implemented public safety measure in response to these fires. For a map of the Trail Fire Closure Order, visit: https://bit.ly/3SeYvih. The Douglas County Sherriff has issued a Level 3: GO NOW for the Trail Fire and a Level 2: BE SET for the Pine Bench. Fire danger is set at High and public use restrictions are set at Level 2. Please see detailed information here:   www.dcso.com/EVACUATIONS and www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua.  

Se detectó un incendio nuevo después de la tormenta eléctrica que se desplazó por el valle de Methow el 17 de julio. El Equipo 12 del NO ha tomado el mando del incendio Kitling Peak y lo gestionará junto con los incendios Pioneer e Easy. Anoche, se enviaron bomberos helitack por helicóptero al incendio de Kitling Peak, para intentar acceder en tierra y así extinguír el fuego mientras que está muy pequeño (aproximadamente 1 acre). La prioridad sigue siendo el incendio Pioneer a medida que recursos adicionales llegan a estar disponibles. El Equipo 3 del NO llegó y pasará el día trabajando junto al Equipo 12 del NO. Transicionarán para tomar mando de la gestión de los incendios cuando el Equipo 12 del NO complete su tarea de 14 días y regrese a casa.

Tamaño del incendio Pioneer: 26,407 acres | Causa: de orígen human | Contención: 14% | Personal total: 783

Los bomberos avanzaron en fortalecer y mejorar las líneas de contención alrededor de las estructuras en Stehekin y siguen explorando toda opción posible para proteger Stehekin en cooperación con los residentes locales. Ayer, los bomberos utilizaron una operación táctica de quema cerca de Hunts Bluff para retirar los combustibles disponibles con una quema de menor intensidad, con el fuego necesario solo en el suelo para completar con cuidado el trabajo. Las cuadrillas también removieron material combustible en áreas previamente quemadas alrededor de Moore Point. Ayer un helicóptero grande perdió una cubeta de agua sobre el fuego ya que tuvo un fallo mecánico en el gancho. Los helicópteros están usando cubetas de agua en el extremo norte cerca de Hunts Bluff, y los bomberos están preparados para iniciar operaciones de quema limitadas adicionales si es necesario para mejorar partes del borde del incendio.

Tamaño del incendio Easy: 150 acres | Causa: Rayos | Contención: 0% | Personal total: 20
El viernes el incendio Easy se desplazó poco. Los bomberos identificaron dos conductos de avalanchas a cada lado del incendio que se pueden preparar para usarse como líneas de control de fuego. Se requerirán recursos adicionales para terminar este trabajo, ya que actualmente no están disponibles por causa de otros incendios forestales a través del estado. Los encargados de bomberos tratarán de liberar a estas cuadrillas en los próximos días y completar estas líneas de control.

Seguridad y cierres: El Servicio de Parques Nacionales-North Cascades ha ampliado su lista de cierres: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fire-closures.htm. El Bosque Nacional Okanogan-Wenatchee ha emitido una orden de cierre sobre gran parte del área afectada por el incendio. Podrá encontrar detalles y mapas disponibles en: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. La restricción temporal de vuelo (TFR, en inglés) sobre el área del incendio fue ampliada ayer: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. La actividad de drones está prohibida por la TFR, ya que los helicópteros no pueden volar si hay drones no autorizados.

Evacuaciones: Permanecen vigentes los niveles de evacuación de nivel 1, 2 y 3 alrededor del incendio Pioneer. No existen evacuaciones vigentes para el incendio Easy. Visite https://t.ly/QoH9w para obtener más información.

Clima y humo: El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional emitió una advertencia de calor excesivo hasta las 8 p.m. del lunes https://bit.ly/46byTZw. Podría empeorar la actividad del fuego y volverse errática a medida que se desplazan temperaturas más altas junto con inestabilidad al área el fin de semana. El pronóstico de la calidad del aire se puede ver en: https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Obtenga más información sobre el humo en http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/. El jefe de bomberos emitió clasificaciones de peligro de incendio y restricciones: https://t.ly/WLBds.

The Durkee Fire has advanced to the south making it all the way to the east side of Brogan last night. The fire crossed Lockett Road this morning making it all the way to 10th Ave East near Willowcreek. Residents from 10th Ave East south to Vale, from Vale around Foothill Dr. to Heinz Blvd, to Jacobsen Gulch Rd to I84 are advised to evacuate. This is the highest level of preparedness, or the "GO" level. Please be advised if you live within the Cities of Ontario or Vale, or within irrigated cropland areas this does not apply to you. If you reside near or on the rangeland/cropland interface it does apply to you.

Level 2 evacuation or “Get Set” is advised for areas north of Willowcreek Road at Basin Creek and east of Basin Creek north into Baker County and east to Birch Creek.

Fire crews are battling winds and environmental factors that make it incredibly difficult to keep up with. Winds are expected from the Northeast throughout the day.

If you need shelter accommodations, call Malheur County Dispatch at (541) 473-5125. Dispatch is very busy. Do not call for anything other than shelter accommodations or emergencies.

For further information on the Durkee Fire you can visit the Cow Valley and Durkee Fires Facebook Page.