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Mill Lake Fire

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Unit Information

1801 North 1st  
Hamilton, 
59840 
1801 North 1st  
Hamilton, 
59840 

Incident Contacts

Tod McKay
Email: tod.mckay@usda.gov
Phone: 406-363-7122
Hours: M-F 9-6

This incident is no longer being updated.

 See the 'Announcements' and 'News' Tabs for the latest information on planned prescribed burns.

With the arrival of spring, firefighters across the Bitterroot National Forest are gearing up for their annual prescribed burning operations to reduce hazardous fuels, restore wildlife habitat, and better protect communities from future wildfires.      

Underburning, a type of prescribed fire treatment, ignites vegetation under the forest canopy or in open grassy meadows and focuses on the consumption of surface fuels.  Frequent, low-intensity fire is essential in improving habitat conditions by regenerating fire-adapted vegetation and encouraging the growth of new forage and food sprouts for wildlife. 

“This is the time of year when we have the opportunity to be proactive and meet our forest-wide goals of reducing hazardous fuels in key areas near communities,” said David Tingley, Bitterroot National Forest Fuels Fire Management Officer.  “Over the coming weeks, we will be burning on days that maximize safety and minimize smoke impacts to restore healthy forest conditions.”  

Spring prescribed fire activities normally take place from March to May and burning is highly weather and fuels dependent.  A mosaic pattern of burned and unburned areas will remain after treatments.  

All total, fire managers plan to burn approximately 3,774 acres this spring.  Smoke may be visible at times from West Fork Highway, East Fork Road, or Highway 93.  Treatment areas include:

Darby/Sula Ranger District – 2,292 acres are planned:

  •  Waddell Units, south of Lake Como
  •  
  •  Como/Horse Lick, south of Lost Horse and north of Lake Como- 152 acres complete
  •  
  •  Trapper Bunkhouse, SW of Darby between Little Tin Cup & McCoy Creeks - 131 acres complete
  •  
  •  Cameron Blue, along East Fork Road near Guide Creek
  •  
  •   Teepee Face & Schultz Saddle, east of Sula and north of Springer Memorial
  •   
  •   Tolan Ecoburn, east of Sula between Reimel and Tolan Creeks
West Fork Ranger District – 815 acres are planned:
  • Lower West Fork Units, south of Trapper Creek and north of Lloyd Creek  
  • School Point Ecoburn Units, west of Boulder Creek and east of Halford Creek
Stevensville Ranger District – 667 acres are planned:
  •  Upper Larry Bass Units, within the Bass Creek Recreation Area northwest of Stevensville- 620 acres complete
  •  Three Saddle Units, Sapphire Mountains east of Stevensville  


Prescribed burning operations will only be conducted if conditions are favorable.  Favorable conditions include correct parameters for temperature, wind, fuel moisture, and ventilation for smoke.  When prescription criteria are met, firefighters implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets forest health and public safety goals.   

All prescribed burns will be implemented in compliance with Montana air quality standards and coordinated with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke to neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities.  Smoke may settle in the valley bottoms and drainages overnight, but it is expected to dissipate within a few days.

For public safety, recreationists are asked to be aware of fire crews and vehicles in these areas.  The public is also asked to avoid traveling in prescribed burn units while crews are present, as well as trails and roads directly adjacent to the units.  Please take caution as roads and trails used as control lines for the burn could be temporarily impacted by low intensity fire and smoke.
 
Maps:
Interactive Planned Prescribed Fire Map

Basic Information
Current as of Fri, 10/07/2022 - 06:00
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin
Location 7 miles west of Pinesdale MT
Incident Commander Type 4
Coordinates 46° 18' 42'' Latitude
-114° 24'
41
'' Longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel: 13
Size 915 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 0%
Fuels Involved

Down heavy fuels in the understory.

Significant Events

With small storms moving through fuel moistures are expected to recover, however, this recovery is slow. Lower elevation southern aspects are generally dominated by open canopy ponderosa pine with an occasional Douglas-fir, while northern slopes are dominated by closed canopy Douglas-fir/ponderosa pine. In the understory, the ninebark has cured and will aid in fire spread, while the snowberry will act as a heat sink because it has not yet cured. Above 6000 feet mixed conifer stands dominate with lodgepole pine and subalpine fir and a mix of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and an occasional larch.

Outlook
Planned Actions

Continue construction, improvement, and rehabilitation of indirect control lines on National Forest Lands. Continue reconnaissance to determine primary and contingency line locations on private lands.

Projected Incident Activity

12 Hours: Minimal fire behavior is expected.
24 Hours: Minimal fire behavior is expected.

Current Weather
Weather Concerns

Continue warm weather through the weekend. Easterly winds Thursday and Friday. Potential moisture after the first of the week


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Mill Lake Fire

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Unit Information

1801 North 1st  
Hamilton, 
59840 
1801 North 1st  
Hamilton, 
59840 

Incident Contacts

Fire Information
Email: 2022.blodgettlake@firenet.gov
Phone: 406 426-9612
Hours: M-F 8am - 5pm
Fire Information
Email: 2022.blodgetlake@firenet.gov
Phone: 406 426-9612

This incident is no longer being updated.

The Mill Lake Fire started by lightning on August 29th, located approx. two miles east of Mill Lake and eight miles west of the Mill Creek Trailhead.

Blodgett Lake Fire burned the north east corner on the north side of Blodgett Canyon. Mill Lake Fire had a few predominant smokes in the bottom of the drainage in the heavy timber that is continuing to smoldered in the heavy fuels on the ground.

 

All major suppression repair work has been completed.   All trail closures have been rescinded and are open to the public.  

 

 

Basic Information
Current as of Mon, 11/07/2022 - 13:18
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning
Date of Origin
Location 7 miles west of Pinesdale MT
Incident Commander Type 4
Coordinates 46° 18' 42'' Latitude
-114° 24'
41
'' Longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel: 9
Size 915 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 60%
Fuels Involved

With small storms moving through fuel moistures are expected to recover, however, this recovery is slow. Lower elevation southern aspects are generally dominated by open canopy ponderosa pine with an occasional Douglas-fir, while northern slopes are dominated by closed canopy Douglas-fir/ponderosa pine. In the understory, the ninebark has cured and will aid in fire spread, while the snowberry will act as a heat sink because it has not yet cured. Above 6000 feet mixed conifer stands dominate with lodgepole pine and subalpine fir and a mix of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and an occasional larch.

Significant Events

Minimal fire behavior fire is smoldering and creeping in the large down fuels and in the heavy duff.

Outlook
Planned Actions

Minimal fire growth; however, with an aligned cold front weather event, the current extremely low probability occurrence would have high consequence.

Projected Incident Activity

Creeping and smoldering