Single Publication

      Hog Trough Fire

August 1, 2022 Update

Acres: 731 acres

Start Date: July 17th, 2022

Cause: Lightning

Origin Location: 18 miles southeast of Hamilton

Facebook: Hog Trough Fire Information

Fire Information: 406-763-1134 daily from 8am-8pm

Percent Contained: 9%

Jurisdiction: Bitterroot National Forest and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Website:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8258/

Total Personnel: 219

Resources Assigned: 7 Hand Crews, 7 Helicopters, 3 Engines, 2 Skid Engine, 2 Excavators, 2 Water Tenders, 1 Dozer

Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) is OPEN. Drivers using Skalkaho Highway, please be aware and attentive of firefighter traffic. To ensure firefighter and public safety, Forest Service 75 (Skalkaho-Rye) Road is currently closed from the junction of Highway 38 to Mile Marker 5 near Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trailhead #503. Forest Service 5070 (Sand Basin Creek) is currently closed.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. Please do not fly drones near wildfires. Unauthorized drones were spotted near the fire over the weekend. Use of unauthorized unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, in a fire area endangers the lives of pilots and firefighters. Know before you fly.

Summary: The Hog Trough Fire is burning in the Sapphire Wilderness Study Area (WSA) on both the Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests. No structures threatened and no evacuations in place. Due to significant safety threats and inaccessibility, firefighters currently are not directly engaging the fire on the ground. Fire manager’s objective is to keep the fire south of Highway 38, east of FS 75 Road, west of FS 5071 Road and keep fire within the 2005 Signal Rock Fire burn area.

Planned Actions: Crews will continue with implementation of indirect suppression tactics. Helicopters are available to provide water buckets drops. To prevent fire spread to the north, hand crews will construct line from FS 711 Road to FS 75 Road utilizing ridges/drainages. Heavy equipment and hand crews will construct line by thinning/road improvements on FS 75 Road to prevent potential fire spread west of FS 75. To open a logging road off FS 711 and improve FS 5071 Road to the south, heavy equipment (dozer) will be on the northern and eastern perimeter of the fire. These will be used in the event the fire spreads to the east and impacts values at risk in the Rock Creek drainage.

Fire Activity: Due to recent weather conditions, expect to see open flame along the smoldering edge of the fire. The NW flank will continue to burn with group tree torching in the timbered areas. Fire will also continue to spread to the southeast where there is more continuous vegetation and slopes align with wind direction. More active fire behavior is expected today and smoke may be visible this afternoon.

Weather: West- Northwest winds will increase to 10-15 MPH with gusts to 25 MPH. Hot and dry conditions persist with temperatures in the mid-80s near the fir and minimum relative humidity values between 12-16%.

Closures: See Inciweb for specific closure information.

·        FS 75 Road, From Junction 38 and FS 75 to Mile Marker 5 (Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trailhead #503).

·        FS #5070 and #5071 Roads are closed.

·        FS #711 from its intersection with Highway 38 (Skalkaho Highway) to the FS Road #75, including ancillary roads leading from the 711 road.

·        Railroad Creek, National Forest System Trail #77 to Trail#313 at the gate.

·        Weasel Creek, National Forest System Trail #156 from milepost 0.00 at its junction with NFSR #461.

·        A section of the Bitterroot Rock Creek Divide Trail #313, National Forest System Trail #313 where it intersects Trail #77 Railroad Creek, Weasel Creek Trail #156.