Single Publication

The Bull Gin Complex is currently 2,696 acres and 0% contained.

Government Fire: 1,499 acres (NE of Noxon, MT)

Billiard Fire: 942 acres (NE of Heron, MT)

Isabella Lake Fire: 255 acres (Cabinet Mountains Wilderness)

All three fires are burning in areas with steep rugged terrain, dense trees, and thick fuels. Fire weakened trees and burning snags are falling interior and along the fires’ edges. Firefighters have been constructing control lines near and along road systems to create areas they can safely engage the fire with a higher probability of success of containment.

Government Fire: Firefighters on the west side, in the Government Creek area, are holding the fire at control lines which include dozer line and roads cleared of vegetation. Scouting for potential firelines between Government Creek and Soldier Creek are ongoing. As heavy equipment completes dozer line construction to the south of the fire and north of residences on Government Mountain Road, hand crews will begin to install hose lays to ensure water is available on the line. On the east side, in Rock Creek, firefighters are clearing vegetation along the road from Timber Ridge Road north to the Rock Lake Trailhead. Heavy equipment, followed by hand crews will begin to open and clear road 2763 of fuels to create a check-line, a temporary fireline used to regulate fire heat and intensity. Night operations are in place with engines monitoring fire spread on the southern portion of the fire.

Firefighters on the three-acre fire Rock Lake Fire will continue to secure the perimeter by extinguishing areas of remaining heat near the fire edge.

Billiard Fire: Firefighters on the northwest side are holding the fire along constructed dozer and handline near the 2290 road, northeast of Fatman Mountain. Heavy equipment and crews are constructing dozer and handlines, straightening control lines along road systems by eliminating switchbacks. Installation of water systems including hoses, sprinklers, pumps, and portable water tanks will be completed today for all structures along Blue Creek, Blue Creek Bay, Hillside Lane, and Fatman Road.

Isabella Lake Fire: The fire remains unstaffed and monitored from the air. Minimal growth of approximately 12 acres occurred yesterday.

Evacuations: On September 8th the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office placed the residents along Government Mountain Road and Timber Ridge Road into pre-evacuation status. Please sign up for Sanders County Emergency Alerts at 406-203-0082 to stay informed on the status of emergency conditions.

Closures: 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.

Weather: The warming trend continues today with temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. Expect smoke from across the West over the area with westerly winds 6 to 12 mph and gusts up to 15 mph.

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