Northern Rockies Incident Management Team

Rice Ridge Fire Update

Friday, September 8, 2017; 8:30 AM

Northern Rockies Incident Management Team

Greg Poncin, Incident Commander

Incident Statistics
Size: / 122,843 ac.
Containment / 5 %
Injuries: / 11
Cause:
Structures Threatened
Structures Lost (Residences)
Outbuildings Lost / Lightning
1084
0
0
Estimated cost / $33.8 million
Resources
Hand Crews: / 11
Engines: / 61
Helicopters: / 4
Dozers: / 6
Water tenders: / 31
Total Personnel: / 818

Fire origin: July 24, 2017, 1.4 miles northeast of Seeley Lake Montana.

Fire Information: (406) 813-0527 Hours: 7am – 9pm

Email:

Websites: Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5414

Missoula County Sheriff:

Powell County Sheriff:
Facebook: Lolo National Forest Facebook Page
Missoula County Sheriff Facebook Page
Staffed Fire Information Locations: Seeley Lake at Cory’s Valley Market (from 8 am to 8 pm) and at the Blackfoot Mercantile in Ovando (from 1 pm to 3 pm).

Community Meeting Tonight at 6 pm:
Ovando – Elementary School Gym, 108 Birch Street.
Evacuations and Warnings:
Powell County evacuation order: includes the Monture Cabin area and the Coopers Lake area.
Powell County evacuation warning: includes all other areas of Powell County north of Highway 200 between the Missoula County line on the west and the Lewis and Clark County line on the east.
Powell County residents can download CodeRED to their mobile devices to receive critical information notifications, available through the Sheriff’s website.

Missoula County evacuation orders and warnings:
All Orders and Warnings in Missoula County remain in effect.

Missoula County residents can receive emergency notifications of critical alerts via their choice of text, phone and/or email by signing up for Smart911 at
Evacuation Shelters: Anyone seeking shelter may call the Red Cross of Montana at 1-800-272-6668.
Seeley Lake: Camp Paxson at 4200 Boy Scout Road.
Ovando: Ovando Elementary School Gymnasium at 108 Birch Street.

Summary: Crews, helicopters and heavy equipment focused on the northwest corner of the fire for the third day in a row as they prepared for increased wind that is expected on Saturday. Several spot fires below Forest Road 720 were picked up and contained. The Flathead Hotshots continued to work swing shift securing fire line with 2 dozers south of Camp Creek. The Prescott Hotshots conducted some burnout operations between active fire and the fire line in that same area. Dozers constructed fire line around two fingers of fire in the Findell Creek and Murphy Creek drainages. Firefighters continued mop up in the spruce bog in the Morrell Creek drainage. On the fire line area directly east of the town of Seeley Lake and the Double Arrow Ranch, one spot fire was picked up and contained below Forest Road 477 and the entire area was in active mop up. Mop up involves moving from the fire line into the fire and eliminating any source of heat such as burning snags, logs, trees, root systems, etc. Two heavy equipment task forces continued to work towards each other between Seeley Lake and Monture Cabin along Forest Road 477, constructing shaded fuel breaks using feller bunchers as they progressed. Mop up continued in the Monture Cabin area. Structure protection was completed and sprinklers turned on around cabins in the Coopers Lake area. Firefighters were assisted by a helicopter delivering water to slow fire movement as it backed downhill towards the North Fork Blackfoot River trailhead. A structure protection specialist continued assessments around the Placid Lake area related to the Liberty fire. A helicopter flew structure protection materials into the Carmichael Cabin, but did not insert any firefighters. Firefighters patrolling at night have been successful at catching burning material rolling downhill onto Forest Road 477. A spike camp has been set up east of Ovando to reduce driving time for firefighters working on the south side of the fire.

Today: The northwest corner of the fire above Highway 83 will remain a focus area today, especially with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. An intense thermal belt at mid-slope elevations last night produced temperatures in the 70’s at midnight with 14% relative humidity where the Flathead Hotshots were working overnight. Securing this area where firefighters have had daily problems with spot fires across the fire line is a key factor in protecting the town of Seeley Lake. The Flathead and Prescott Hotshots will finish fire line work south of Camp Creek today and improve the dozer lines constructed in the Findell Creek and Murphy Creek drainages north of Seeley Lake. Firefighters will also focus on mop up and snag removal near Sawyer Creek, Swamp Creek and the spruce bog in Morrell Creek. Shaded fuel break construction using feller bunchers will continue along Forest Service Road 477 between Seeley Lake and the Monture Cabin area where heavy equipment task forces working from opposite directions should meet up today. About 2 miles of indirect fire line has been constructed across private lands south and east from Monture Cabin. Firefighters from Seeley Lake Ranger District will be flown in to wrap the Carmichael Cabin in the upper North Fork of the Blackfoot River near McDonnell Meadow northeast of the fire. Structure protection will begin on the west side of Placid Lake as a precautionary measure due to extremely dry fuels between Placid Lake and the Liberty fire.

Evacuation/Closure Information: Evacuations and road closures are based upon the need to provide for safety of the public and firefighters, current fire behavior, forecasted weather, and planned suppression operations. Fire officials, Missoula and Powell County Sheriff’s Offices, and Montana Department of Transportation will evaluate the evacuation and road closures daily. The Incident Commander and the Missoula and Powell County Sheriffs appreciate your patience and will work hard to get you back into your homes as soon as it is safe to do so. Go to the Missoula County Sheriff’s Facebook page or, in Powell County, call 406-396-1386 for the most current information.

Firewise: For information on how to improve the chances of your homes and structures surviving a wildfire, visit the Firewise website at
Drones and TFR: There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for the Rice Ridge fire including “drones” or unmanned aerial vehicles. If drones are detected, air operations stop. If you see a drone in the fire area, including the evacuation areas, report it immediately to 406-813-0527. Your cooperation is needed to insure the safety of our pilots.

Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for Missoula and Powell Counties and across the Lolo and Flathead National Forests with the exception of the Bob Marshall Wilderness which is in Stage 1. However, many areas in the wilderness are closed due to the fire. Additional information is on Inciweb and the Lolo and Flathead National Forest websites.

Closures: Multiple closures related to Rice Ridge Fire suppression efforts are in effect for public lands managed by the Lolo and Flathead National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Montana DNRC, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The fire is under the jurisdiction of the Lolo National Forest and the Montana Department of Natural Resources (MTDNRC). Montana National Guard soldiers are providing assistance to the Missoula and Powell County Sheriffs.

Cooperators: Missoula County Sheriff, Flathead National Forest, Powell County Sheriff, Seeley Lake Fire Department, Montana FWP, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Department of Transportation, Red Cross, Missoula County Commissioners, Powell County Commissioners, Ovando Volunteer Fire Department.