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Bull Gin Complex

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Unit Information

31374 US Hwy 2 Libby Montana 59923 
Libby, 
59923 
31374 US Hwy 2 Libby Montana 59923 
Libby, 
59923 

Incident Contacts

  • Public Information
    Email:
    2022.bullgin@firenet.gov
    Phone:
    406-426-9644
    Hours:
    8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (7 days a week)

09.26.2022 Daily Update

Bull Gin Complex
Publication Type: News 09/28/2022

Total Acreage: 4,279

Completion: 36%

 

BREAKDOWN BY FIRE

Government Fire: 2,785 acres

Billiard Fire: 1,210 acres

Isabella Lake Fire: 284 acres

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Management of the Bull Gin Complex transitioned to a Type 3 incident management team as of 1800 Monday, 9/26. Updates will be released every other day because of reduced fire activity. Today crews are advancing suppression repair work on the Government and Billiard Fires. Efforts focus on repair of impacted areas including fire lines, helispots, and camps. The fire continues to slowly creep and smolder toward completion lines, burning through small, dried fuels and low vegetation. Firefighters continue point protection of structures and fire progression monitoring.

 

Government Fire: Firefighters advance mop-up work around the fire’s edges. Crews are performing excavator work along the fire boundary and a grader is repairing roads around the Government Mountain area. Operations staff expect that repair work will be completed by Saturday, 10/1.

 

Billiard Fire: Crews continue mop-up and suppression repair, especially along Billiard Cabin, Fatman, and 2293 Roads. Operations staff expect that repair work will be completed by Saturday, 10/1.

 

Isabella Lake Fire: Crews continue monitoring fire behavior.

 

WEATHER: Cloud cover and higher relative humidity will increase tonight, 9/28, as this week’s high-pressure ridge moves out of the area of the Bull Gin Complex and a cold front moves in. Incident meteorologists expect temperatures to drop, with lows in the mid-50s and highs in the high-60s, and the chance of precipitation will increase. Cooler weather will likely remain in the area through Thursday, 9/29.

 

PRE-EVACUATION UPDATES: All pre-evacuation zones for the Bull Gin Complex/ Government Fire were lifted as of 6:00 AM September 24, 2022. Residents along Government Mountain and Timber Ridge Roads are no longer in pre-evacuation status.

 

CLOSURES: All closure orders remain in effect until further notice. Government Mountain Road and Rock Creek Road remain closed to the public. The Noxon Refuse Site remains open during regular hours. Area, road, and trail closures are in place for the Government, Billiard, and Isabella Lake Fires to provide for public safety and firefighting operations. See Inciweb for maps and closure descriptions: https://bit.ly/KootenaiNFClosures.

 

WHAT IS SUPRESSION REPAIR? Wildfire suppression repair is a set of different actions (immediately taken) to repair damages caused by firefighting activities. It can include repairing culverts, restoring roads and trails to their pre-fire condition, reducing the appearance of dozer and hand line, and other similar activities. The goal of suppression repair is to immediately minimize the potential of soil erosion and other negative impacts resulting from fire suppression activities.