8:00 AM / Sapphire Complex
August 17, 2017 /
Fire Information Line: 406-540-3589 Follow Fire Information on Facebook: Lolo National Forest
Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest
Email: Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5364/
Location: Approximately 25 miles south-southeast of Missoula, MT in the Rock Creek drainage
Cause: Lightning
Total Personnel: 500 Sapphire Complex: 33,445 acres Containment: 42%
Pearson’s Type II IMT is managing the Sapphire Complex (Little Hogback, Goat Creek and Sliderock Fires). Acreage and containment figures are updated when new information is available.
Little Hogback Fire: 24,483 acres, 22% contained.
Yesterday’s fire activity was extreme. Strong westerly winds aligned with the topography and channeled the fire down the valleys and across the Upper Willow Creek drainage triggering the Granite County Sherriff to issue a Red Evacuation Order for the Upper Willow Creek area and a Yellow Evacuation Warning for the Marshall Creek area. Firefighters moved quickly to provide structure protection for homes in the fire’s path. Today, firefighters will focus efforts of structure protection in Upper Willow Creek and the Marshall Creek/Black Pine Subdivisions. Elsewhere on the Little Hogback Fire, firefighters were able to reinforce containment lines and patrolled the perimeter for hot spots.
Goat Creek Fire: 8,089 acres, 83% contained.
Crews will hold and monitor containment lines on the fire.
Sliderock Fire: 873 acres, 30% contained.
Yesterday, burning operations on the east fork of Brewster Creek secured the fireline on the north side of the fire to remove a remaining pocket of vegetation. Firefighters will patrol for hot spots and suppress them to prevent fire spread.
Resources Threatened: Private property and structures in the Rock Creek, Upper Willow Creek and Marshall Creek drainages remain threatened. Other resources threatened include a Bonneville Power Administration powerline and a communication site.
Evacuations: The Granite County Sheriff’s Office evacuation orders for the Sapphire Complex include: Red Evacuation Order (mandatory evacuation) from Hogback Homestead south to Stony Creek and Upper Willow Creek Road (8/16). Yellow Pre-evacuation Orders: Sliderock Mountain area (8/15), northern Rock Creek drainage from Babcock Creek to Bobcat Creek, Butte Cabin to Hogback Homestead, Stony Creek to the Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge, and the Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge to McDermott Gulch on Willow Creek, and Marshall Creek/Black Pine Subdivisions (8/16)
Closures: The Rock Creek Road from I-90 south to Harry’s Flat (MP 17.5) is OPEN. The Rock Creek Road IS CLOSED from Harrys Flat south to Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge, and non-fire traffic is NOT allowed. Upper Willow Creek Road is closed to the public. All closures on the Lolo and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests and the Bureau of Land Management remain in effect. Closure orders and maps under the closures tab on Inciweb.
Weather: Today’s weather will be warmer, drier and windy. Heavy smoke is predicted for the rest of the week.
Fire Restrictions: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place on the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest (Forest Service land east of Sandstone Ridge). Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place (BLM), private and state lands in Granite County and the Lolo National Forest (Forest Service land west of Sandstone Ridge).
For information on fire restrictions, please visit firerestrictions.us.
Important – Drones are prohibited in the fire vicinity & have the potential to shut down all operations.