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Suppression repair work continues today with crews and equipment working to naturalize handline, dozer line, and a helispot. Structure protection is being removed in pre-identified areas and backhauled to camp. The current incident management team is preparing to transition command to the local unit on Wednesday at 6 A.M.

The Cheyenne and Arapahoe Tribes camp crew is hard at work, rolling the removed hose and taking inventory of the pumps, fittings, and water reservoirs. In the last week, the crew rolled about 60,000 feet of hose and organized over 300 hose fittings. Traveling two and a half days from northwest Oklahoma, the Concho Agency eight-person crew have diligently been keeping the Big Knife camp running. The crew does everything from restocking coolers, hanging glow sticks at night to identify foot bridges and issuing fire equipment supplies, to distributing lunch and providing facility maintenance. 

The Big Knife Fire is currently 1.25 miles north of the Rattlesnake Wilderness Boundary (Lolo National Forest) with no significant growth towards the Lolo National Forest in the last week. Smoke from the fire may impact the Snowbowl area, however the Lolo National Forest does not have any forest closures in place on the Missoula Ranger District.

CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES: Several areas near the base of the mountains west of the Big Knife Fire remain in PRE-EVACUATION WARNING by order of the Lake County Sheriff. See the map for those locations in yellow (Jocko, Canal, Francis). The Tribal Primitive Area, Belmore Slough and Burnt Cabin Roads are closed.

A PRE-EVACUATION WARNING means you may remain in your home. Individuals in this status should not bring back evacuated livestock until this status is lifted.

A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect around the fire area. Do not fly unmanned aircraft (drones) near the fire areas.

Weather: Another hot and dry day today before a change in the weather pattern comes late Tuesday afternoon. Today, we’ll see temperatures in the lower to mid-80s in the valleys, relative humidities in the upper teens and 20s, and light winds. In the forecast for Tuesday, an approaching storm cell and its cold front brings at least wetting rain, with up to 0.75 inches possible.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Stage 1 fire restrictions are currently in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County. Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in place in Granite County. In Stage 1 fire restrictions the following are prohibited until rescinded: Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site or improved site. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials. On the Flathead Reservation, operating a motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails. Visit  https://www.mtfireinfo.org/ for more fire restriction information across Montana.                                           ###